NAME

ProLite - Perl extension to control Pro-Lite LED Message Signs

SYNOPSIS

use ProLite qw(:core);

my $s = new ProLite(id=>1, device=>'/dev/ttyS0', debug=>0, charDelay=>2000);

$err = $s->connect();
die "Can't connect to device - $err" if $err;

$s->wakeUp();
$s->setPage(1, "Hello World");
$s->runPage(1);

DESCRIPTION

Pro-Lite "Programmable Electronic Displays" available at discount stores and clubs like BJ's Wholesale Club contain a built-in RS-232 Interface via which you can communicate with the device rather than the IR remote control.

Pro-Lite (unlike some of their competitors) has decided to make the protocol for communicating with the sign freely available. This class provides a simple interface embodying that communication protocol for the sign.

EXPORT

Only the core methods are exported by default. While this is kinda nice, you can't do much but initiate communication with the sign.

The class methods and constants are broken down into the following groups:

:core      methods responsible for basic communication
:commands  methods responsible for the control of sign functions
:colors    constants for text colors (see below)
:styles    constants for text styles
:dingbats  constants for graphic characters
:effects   constants for transition effects

OVERVIEW

Pro-Lite signs have 26 pages available, each of which can be filled with content. The content can be augmented with special codes to control text color, font, effects, or special characters.

There may be up to 99 signs all listening on a common RS-422 network connected to a single serial port.

Communication is established by instantiating a ProLite object, passing the id number of the sign with which you want to communicate and the name of a (writable) serial device:

my $s = new ProLite(id=>1, device=>'/dev/ttyS0', debug=>0, charDelay=>2000);

Next, the connection is established:

$err = $s->connect();
die "Can't connect to device - $err" if $err;

and, since the sign disables it's communication port after a period of inactivity, the sign is sent a 'Wake-Up' command:

$s->wakeUp();

Pages can then be populated with data and selected for display. See the examples accompanying this class.

METHODS

new(id=>$integer, device=>$string, [debug=>$boolean, maxReadAttempts=>$integer])

$evice sets the device over which to communicate.

$debug if true, communication processes are displayed over STDOUT

$id an integer, 1-99, of the sign with which to communicate. Default is 1

$maxReadAttempts the number of times internally to try to get a byte from the sign before timing out. Default is 10000

connect()

Establishes the connection with the sign. Returns false on success, and an error string if a communication or other failure occurs.

wakeUp()

Sends a 'wake-up' signal to the sign. After a period of inactivity, the sign disables it's communication port.

deletePage($page)

Removes the contents (permanently!) of page $page. Valid range 1-26.

deleteGraphic($graphic)

Removes the contents (permanently!) of graphic $graphic. Valid range 1-26.

deleteAll()

Removes all sign data. Use with caution.

setPage($page, @content)

Sets the content of page $page to the list passed. There are 26 pages, numbered 1 through 26. The list can contain literal text or any of the constant methods described below.

For example:

setPage(1, RESET, yellow, "Hello ", green, "world");

runPage($page)

Tells the sign to immediately display the page specified.

signInfo()

Causes the sign to display it's configuration settings.

factoryReset()

Sets the sign back to it's original settings. Usefull after replacing the internal battery or upgrading the sign's ROM.

setSpeed($speed)

Sets the speed of scrolling activity by inserting delays.

setClock()

Sets the date and time on the sign to the current system time.

targetUp($type, $value, $target, $page)

Sets the event count-up target. The sign will maintain this number and make it available for insertion into sign messages.

$type may be one of 'DAYS' or 'HOURS'. If 'DAYS' the counter is incremented every 24 hours. If 'HOURS' the counter is incremented every hour.

$value the current counter value

$target The desired value

$page The page number to display when this value is reached.

targetDown($days, $hours, $mins, $page)

Sets the event count-down target. The sign will maintain this number and make it available for insertion into sign messages.

$days The number of days to the target

$hours The number of hours to the target

$mins The number of minutes to the target

$page The page number to display when this value is reached.

chain($page)

Generates the code to cause the sign to jump to the specified page.

$page indicates the page

For example:

setPage(1, RESET, yellow, "Hello ", green, "world", chain(2));
setPage(2, " Happy Birthday ", chain(1));

would cause "Hello world Happy Birthday " to cycle on the sign. This allows for arbitrarily complex content, especially when coupled to the target functions.

LOW-LEVEL METHODS

Several of the methods listed below are 'Low Level'. They are not needed for common use, and provide access to byte-level communication processes.

waiting()

Returns the number of bytes waiting on the serial port to be read.

getBytes()

Returns, then flushes the serial port input buffer.

sendCommand($data, [$global])

Sends data in $data to the sign with the ID specified in the constructor. If $global is true, formats is as a message to all signs.

CONSTANTS

All of the 'special' characters that the protocol specifies can be generated via constants as described in these tables:

Colors

RESET             dimRed              red                 brightRed
orange            brightOrange        dimYellow           yellow 
brightYellow      dimLime             lime                brightLime
brightGreen       green               dimGreen
      
yellowSRedOnGreen rainbow             redSGreen           redSYellow
greenSRed         greenSYellow        greenOnRed          redOnGreen
orangeSBlackOnGr  limeSBlackOnRed     greenSBlackOnRed    redSBlackOnGreen 

Styles

blank             normal              bold                italic
boldItalic        normalFlash         boldFlash           italicFlash
boldItalicFlash

uncondensed       condensed 

Dingbats

telephone         glasses             faucet              rocket
monster           key                 shirt               helicopter
car               tank                house               teaPot
knifeFork         duck                motorcycle          bicycle
crown             twinHearts          arrowR              arrowL
arrowDL           arrowUL             beerGlass           chair
shoe              wineGlass 

Effects

autoL             openOutL            coverOutL           cyclingL
closeRT           closeLT             closeInT            scrollUpL
scrollDownL       overlapL            stackingL           comic1L
comic2L           appearL             randomL             shiftLeftL
magicL

thankyou          welcome

currentTime       target              current             dayLeft
hourLeft          minLeft             secLeft

beep              pauseT

date

AUTHOR

Marc D. Spencer, marcs@pobox.com

SEE ALSO

perl(1).

cpanm ProLite

perl -MCPAN -e shell
install ProLite