Today I released the first public version of MCE Controller.
MCE Controller allows the Media Center application of Windows Media Center Edition (MCE) to be integrated into an advanced AV control system by enabling programmatic control of the user interface via a TCP/IP connection.
To put it simply, MCE Controller, allows you to simulate a press of any button on the MCE IR remote control by sending a text command to a TCP/IP port on the MCE machine. For example if MCE Controller receives the string “mypictures” it will tell Media Center to go to the “My Pictures” page.
I wrote MCE Controller so I could better integrate MCE into my Crestron whole-house audio/video system. I originally was using IR blasting to control MCE from Creston, but had reliability problems and wanted something more robust. I then tried using Girder (www.girder.nl) and was able to cobble together a solution using Girder’s iserver TCP/IP functionality. However Girder’s iserver add-in requires an MD5 hash for authentication and it was too much a pain to implement in Crestron’s SIMPL system.
Plus, I really wanted to get my hands dirty and write a C# app. See http://kindel.com/blogs/charlie/posts/212.aspx.
I spent too much time while on vacation skiing in Colorado hacking this app together (on the plane and at night). But it was fun. In the end I’ve produced what I think might be a very useful app for people trying to integrate MCE into their home control systems. In fact, MCE Controller may be useful for anyone trying to integrate any PC based application into such a system. The app is general enough that it can be utilized from any control system that supports sending text strings to a TCP/IP port.
MCE Controller can act as either a TCP/IP client or server. When acting as a client the target host and port can be configured. When acting as a server the incoming port can be configured.
So here it is: http://www.kindel.com/products/mcecontroller. I’d love to hear any feedback people have.
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I am trying to write a telnet programm to comunicate with MCE Controler.
This program is written in VB.Net 2003.
The problem is this programm only works once then I have to start the WindowsXP telnet programm again and it works only once ;-(
Maybe someone has some advice?
The code is VB.Net just add an RichTextbox, Textbox and 2 buttons to the form and then put in the underneath code:
Imports System.Net.Sockets
Imports System
Imports System.Net
Imports System.Text
Imports System.Collections
Public Class Form1
Inherits System.Windows.Forms.Form
Dim sock1 As New Socket(AddressFamily.InterNetwork, SocketType.Stream, ProtocolType.Tcp)
#Region " Windows Form Designer generated code "
Public Sub New()
MyBase.New()
‘This call is required by the Windows Form Designer.
InitializeComponent()
‘Add any initialization after the InitializeComponent() call
End Sub
‘Form overrides dispose to clean up the component list.
Protected Overloads Overrides Sub Dispose(ByVal disposing As Boolean)
If disposing Then
If Not (components Is Nothing) Then
components.Dispose()
End If
End If
MyBase.Dispose(disposing)
End Sub
‘Required by the Windows Form Designer
Private components As System.ComponentModel.IContainer
‘NOTE: The following procedure is required by the Windows Form Designer
‘It can be modified using the Windows Form Designer.
‘Do not modify it using the code editor.
Friend WithEvents TextBox1 As System.Windows.Forms.TextBox
Friend WithEvents Button1 As System.Windows.Forms.Button
Friend WithEvents Button2 As System.Windows.Forms.Button
Friend WithEvents RichTextBox1 As System.Windows.Forms.RichTextBox
<System.Diagnostics.DebuggerStepThrough()> Private Sub InitializeComponent()
Me.TextBox1 = New System.Windows.Forms.TextBox
Me.Button1 = New System.Windows.Forms.Button
Me.Button2 = New System.Windows.Forms.Button
Me.RichTextBox1 = New System.Windows.Forms.RichTextBox
Me.SuspendLayout()
‘
‘TextBox1
‘
Me.TextBox1.Location = New System.Drawing.Point(40, 88)
Me.TextBox1.Name = "TextBox1"
Me.TextBox1.Size = New System.Drawing.Size(176, 20)
Me.TextBox1.TabIndex = 0
Me.TextBox1.Text = "TextBox1"
‘
‘Button1
‘
Me.Button1.Location = New System.Drawing.Point(24, 144)
Me.Button1.Name = "Button1"
Me.Button1.Size = New System.Drawing.Size(88, 32)
Me.Button1.TabIndex = 1
Me.Button1.Text = "Send"
‘
‘Button2
‘
Me.Button2.Location = New System.Drawing.Point(144, 144)
Me.Button2.Name = "Button2"
Me.Button2.Size = New System.Drawing.Size(88, 32)
Me.Button2.TabIndex = 2
Me.Button2.Text = "Connect"
‘
‘RichTextBox1
‘
Me.RichTextBox1.Location = New System.Drawing.Point(40, 8)
Me.RichTextBox1.Name = "RichTextBox1"
Me.RichTextBox1.Size = New System.Drawing.Size(192, 72)
Me.RichTextBox1.TabIndex = 3
Me.RichTextBox1.Text = "RichTextBox1"
‘
‘Form1
‘
Me.AutoScaleBaseSize = New System.Drawing.Size(5, 13)
Me.ClientSize = New System.Drawing.Size(292, 266)
Me.Controls.Add(Me.RichTextBox1)
Me.Controls.Add(Me.Button2)
Me.Controls.Add(Me.Button1)
Me.Controls.Add(Me.TextBox1)
Me.Name = "Form1"
Me.Text = "Form1"
Me.ResumeLayout(False)
End Sub
#End Region
Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
End Sub
Private Sub Button2_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button2.Click
‘This is the connect button
Connect()
Button2.Enabled = False
‘Receive()
End Sub
Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
‘This is the send button
Send()
TextBox1.Text = ""
‘Receive()
End Sub
Private Function Connect()
‘BAD connection example = 206.245.158.190 5000
‘GOOD connection example = 63.205.237.177 1912
Dim myIP As IPAddress = IPAddress.Parse("192.168.0.2")
‘Parse the port number from the end of the string in the combobox
Dim EPhost As New IPEndPoint(myIP, 5150)
‘Catch errors trying to connect to hosts that may not be there
Try
sock1.Connect(EPhost)
Catch ex As Exception
RichTextBox1.Text += ControlChars.CrLf & "ERROR: " & ex.Message
End Try
End Function
Function Receive()
Dim scanstring As String
Dim buffer(32000) As Byte
Dim ttlbytes As Integer
Dim x As Integer
sock1.Blocking = False
For x = 1 To 1000
Try
ttlbytes = sock1.Receive(buffer, buffer.Length, 0)
Catch ex As Exception
‘RichTextBox1.Text += "ERROR: " & ex.Message
End Try
‘Convert this received message from a byte array to an easier to use string
If ttlbytes > 0 Then
scanstring = System.Text.Encoding.ASCII.GetString(buffer, 0, ttlbytes)
RichTextBox1.Text += scanstring
ttlbytes = 0
End If
Next x
End Function
Public Sub Send()
Dim i As Integer
Try
‘// Send the Message
Dim messageText As String = TextBox1.Text + ControlChars.CrLf
Dim sendMessage(messageText.Length) As Byte ‘= New Byte()
For i = 1 To messageText.Length
sendMessage(i – 1) = Convert.ToByte(Asc(Mid(messageText, i, 1)))
Next
sock1.Send(sendMessage, sendMessage.Length, SocketFlags.None)
Catch e As Exception
RichTextBox1.Text += ControlChars.CrLf & "ERROR: " & e.Message
End Try
End Sub
End Class
Got it running posted the code on the Greenbutton
Very nice. How did you manage to send the Windows Key?
I use SendInput and use the VK_LWIN vk code. VK_LWIN and VK_RWIN act like ctrl, shift, and alt in that my code "holds them down" if you specify true in the command in the .commands file.
Please call me at 810.629.5369 – Mark Taubits/General Foreman
Please call me at 810.629.5369 – Mark Taubits/General Foreman
Please call me at 810.629.5369 – Mark Taubits/General Foreman
Please call me at 810.629.5369 – Mark Taubits/General Foreman
Please call me at 810.629.5369 – Mark Taubits/General Foreman
Please call me at 810.629.5369 – Mark Taubits/General Foreman
Please call me at 810.629.5369 – Mark Taubits/General Foreman
Please call me at 810.629.5369 – Mark Taubits/General Foreman
Please call me at 810.629.5369 – Mark Taubits/General Foreman
Please call me at 810.629.5369 – Mark Taubits/General Foreman
Please call me at 810.629.5369 – Mark Taubits/General Foreman
Please call me at 810.629.5369 – Mark Taubits/General Foreman
Please call me at 810.629.5369 – Mark Taubits/General Foreman
Please call me at 810.629.5369 – Mark Taubits/General Foreman
Please call me at 810.629.5369 – Mark Taubits/General Foreman
Please call me at 810.629.5369 – Mark Taubits/General Foreman