Amiga ISO Collection/AmigaDemoCD2.iso/ASCII/TEXTE/c.s.a.reviews/hardware/input-devices/IllumiLink-AirLink

Internet Message Format | 1994-06-02 | 23.1 KB

Path: menudo.uh.edu!usenet
From: [e-mail] (Kevin Messick)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.reviews
Subject: REVIEW: IllumiLink 2.5 and AirLink 2.5
Followup-To: comp.sys.amiga.hardware
Date: 5 Oct 1993 21:00:41 GMT
Organization: The Amiga Online Review Column - ed. Daniel Barrett
Lines: 539
Sender: [e-mail] (comp.sys.amiga.reviews moderator)
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Reply-To: [e-mail] (Kevin Messick)
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Keywords: hardware, infrared, controller, audio, commercial


PRODUCT NAME

    IllumiLink 2.5 and AirLink 2.5


BRIEF DESCRIPTION

    IllumiLink is an Infra Red (IR) Universal Programmable Remote
Controller for the Amiga.  It consists of a hardware device that attaches to
the mouse port, and software.  It also comes with hardware for using a
cordless telephone for controlling your Amiga.  AirLink is a subset of
IllumiLink that doesn't include the telephone capabilities.  I've tried to
note anything that applies only to IllumiLink.


AUTHOR/COMPANY INFORMATION

    Name:        Geodesic Designs Inc.
    Address:    P.O. Box 956068
            Duluth, GA  30136
            USA

    Telephone:    [phone]


LIST PRICE

    I've had IllumiLink for about 1 year, so don't remember the exact
price, but it was somewhere around $90 (US).  I believe AirLink is around
$60 (US).


SPECIAL HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS

    The package comes with all software and hardware needed.

    HARDWARE

        None.

    SOFTWARE

        I've used the package under both AmigaDOS 1.3 and 3.0.  If
        you have only 1.3, you should strongly consider purchasing
        ARexx to get the full functionality of this package.  The
        rexxsyslib.library and RexxMast command are included with
        the package for people who only have 1.3 and don't have
        ARexx.


COPY PROTECTION

    None.  The program installs on a hard drive and does not need the
original disks any time after that.  I've never tried booting from the
floppy disk, so I'm not sure if the floppy is even bootable.  All save files
are placed in user-specified locations.


MACHINE USED FOR TESTING

    Amiga 1000
    512KB Chip RAM, 1MB Fast RAM
    Commodore 256KB RAM expansion
    Original Insider Board with battery-backed clock and 1MB of memory.
    C-Ltd. 33MB hard drive
    Kickstart and Workbench V1.3
    1080 monitor

    Amiga 4000/40
    2MB Chip RAM, 8MB Fast RAM
    Seagate 120MB hard drive
    Kickstart and Workbench V3.0
    1080 monitor


REVIEW

    I've been waiting for a package like IllumiLink for a while now.
When my home was being built, I wired IR receivers in every room that run
down to an IR repeater in the basement.  The IR repeater can have up to 3 IR
transmitters attached to it.  I put all my stereo equipment, cable box, VCR,
etc. down in the basement with one of the transmitters aimed at them.  I can
control all of it from any room.  I'd bought a few of those Radio shack
universal remotes, but I'm not really impressed with them.  Plus, I wanted to
be able to control everything from the Amiga.  IllumiLink was the first
package I've seen that looked like it did what I wanted.

    I should probably explain what a universal IR remote control is.
Normally, your CD player remote can only control the CD player.  A universal
remote can control the CD player, plus the receiver, and usually other
devices as well.  You just switch to whatever device you want, and the
buttons on the remote send out different IR commands for the new device.
I've seen universal remotes for sale that can control 4, 6, or 8 devices.
Generally there is some setup required.  The remotes come programmed with
the IR commands for hundreds of devices, and you tell it which ones you have.

    Programmable universal remotes are just like universal remotes, only
they don't come pre-programmed.  You have to program them yourself.  This
generally involves putting the remote in "learn mode," pushing one of the
buttons, and then pointing your old remote at it and pushing what button you
want it to learn.  IllumiLink is a programmable universal remote.  It does
come with with a few examples, but I think they're mainly for giving ideas
on how to set things up than for using as pre-programmed remotes.

    The reasoning behind universal remotes is to reduce clutter.  By
controlling all (or most) of your devices with one remote, you can put the
old remotes in a closet and just have the one remote out.  I've found that
having the universal remote just adds one more remote to the clutter - I use
the universal remote, and my wife uses all the others (universal remotes
take some getting used to since the button labels are wrong for a lot of the
devices).

    I was pretty excited when I found IllumiLink (in the Amazing Amiga
Product Guide) and had my dealer order it.  After it came in, I took it home
and installed it on my hard drive.  The software doesn't come with an
installation program, but does have installation instructions included in a
"readme" file.  All you need to do is copy everything from the disk to a
directory on the hard drive.  There are no Assigns that need to be done.
You should put the AIR command into a directory in your PATH or add the
Illumilink C directory to your PATH.

    The IllumiLink hardware is a little brown box about 1.5"x2.5"x0.5"
with a mouse jack (9 pin D connector) on one end, a stereo jack (like they
use for portable tape player head-phones) on one side, and a modular
telephone jack on the other side.  The box can be plugged directly into the
mouse port, but I've found it more convenient to use the 6' extension cable
that came with the package.  There is also a stereo Y adaptor that plugs
into the stereo jack and terminates with 2 RCA phono jacks.  An IR
transmitter with a RCA phono plug plugs into the right jack, and the left
jack is an input for a tone generator.  You can get an extension phono cable
to run from the right phono jack to the plug on the IR transmitter to make
it more convenient to use (this cable is not included - I bought one from
Radio Shack for about $2 (US)).

    The box, in addition to the jacks, contains an IR receiver, an IR
transmitter, a red LED, and a yellow LED.  When the box is receiving IR
signals, the yellow LED flashes.  When the box is transmitting IR signals,
the red LED flashes.  All of this is located inside the box and can't be
seen (until the LEDs start to flash).

    Once you have the hardware attached to the mouse port (turn off the
computer during installation, just to be safe), and the software installed
(either on a hard drive or a backup copy of the floppy), you're ready to
go.  The first thing you need to do is set up an AirWindow.  This is a
normal Workbench window that looks like a remote control.  The window takes
a little getting used to because, when it is active, none of the normal
window borders or gadgets are visible - it just looks like a picture of a
remote.  The borders and gadgets are still there, but you can't see them.
If you click in the upper right corner, the window will cycle front-to-back
like normal.  When the window is not active, the borders and gadgets
reappear.

    Setting up the AirWindow isn't very hard, but it does take time - it
probably took me 3-4 hours to set up my first one.  I can do it in about an
hour now.  The first thing you have to do is get a picture of the remote.
You can scan in a picture of the real remote, draw one using a paint
program, or just draw a box with some buttons on it.  The image doesn't have
to look like the real remote, although that might be best.  You'll want to
make sure each of the buttons are labeled with what you want them to do.
Once you have the image, save it as a brush.  I'm not sure what all paint
programs let you do this, but DPaint (II or IV) works fine.

    Next, you'll need to start up an AirWindow (using one of the sample
ones provided) and load the new image on top of it.  The old AirWindow
resizes to the size of the new image.  You then delete the old gadgets and
start defining new ones.  A gadget is a spot on the AirWindow where you can
click and have a command executed.  They can be anywhere, but it's best to
make them where you've drawn button boxes on the image :-).  You define
gadgets by putting the AirWindow in gadget definition mode and then, for
each gadget, point to where the upper-left corner of the gadget is, click,
hold and drag to the bottom-right corner.  After the gadgets are all defined,
they need to be named and the Hold flag set.  The Hold flag tells whether
the gadget continues to transmit IR commands if it is held down (like a
volume control).  The names are (as near as I can tell) only used to specify
what gadgets to activate through ARexx.

    Once you have the gadgets defined and named, you need to program
them.  A separate program is supplied (called "sample") for programming the
gadgets.  You start the sample program, put it in autosample mode, put the
AirWindow (that you just created) into sample mode, push one of the defined
gadgets, and then hold down the button on the real remote that you want for
that gadget.  The sample program tells you when to start holding down the
button on the real remote and then draws a picture of the IR command when it
is done.  You keep repeating these steps until all the gadgets have been
programmed.  Then you save the AirWindow (it will get saved with an icon)
and quit the sample program.

    Once you have the AirWindow set up, you just click on one of the
gadgets you defined, and the IR command associated with that gadget gets
transmitted.  In my case, I've got an AirWindow set up that contains all the
buttons from my receiver and CD player.  When I want to hear some music, I
click on the POWER button in the AirWindow and I've got music.  I can use
the CD player, or tune to an FM station (I don't listen to AM).  You don't
need to start and AirWindow by clicking on its icon.  You can run the Air
command directly and specify the AirWindow file to use.  I start up my window
in my User-Startup, so it is always available.

    When you have an AirWindow open, you can click on the standard close
or zoom gadgets (or where they normally are since you can't see them) to
iconify the window.  When an AirWindow is iconified, it gets reduced to just
the title bar (with normal system gadgets).

    You can control the AirWindow startup through tooltypes in the icon
or with options to the Air command if running from the CLI.  The tooltypes
and options are:

    Tooltype          CLI option    Purpose

    ICONIFY=ON      - +i          - Start up the window iconified
    EXIT=ON         - +exit       - Quit window after doing NOW Links
    VBEAM=ON        - +vb         - Turn on vertical beam timing
    PRIORITY=N      - +p N        - Set the input even priority
    AREXX=name      - +arexx name - Set the ARexx port name
    INPUT=name      - +input name - Set the input event port name
    Link IN<> OUT<> -             - Any link command (see below)

    The following menu items are available from the AirWindow.

    Project
        Quit - exits the AirWindow
        Info - prints info about the Air program
        Load Links - Load links from a different AirWindow
        Load Gads - Load gadgets from a different AirWindow
        Load IFF - Load a new IFF brush file
        Load Air - Load a different AirWindow
        Save Air - Save the current AirWindow
        Arexx=PORT - Set the ARexx port name

    User-Menus
        Menu 1 - User defined menu item for links
        ...
        Menu 10 - User defined menu item for links

    Gadgets (set AirWindow mode)
        Transmit - Transmit IR command (normal mode)
        Move - Move gadgets around
        Move All - Move blocks of gadgets around
        Size - Change size of gadgets
        Sample - receive IR command (program mode)
        Name - Name gadgets
        Add - Add new gadgets
        Del - Delete gadgets
        Flashing - Make gadgets flash for visibility
        Delete All - Delete all gadget information

    Links (see below for an explanation of links)
        List Links - Show all links for the AirWindow
        List Mouse - Show last 20 mouse clicks
        Del Links - Delete all link information
        Read Links - Read links from text file
        Write Links - Write links to text file

    Settings
        IR Output
            Test Mode - Send IR command continuously
            JoyPort 2 - Send IR command through 2nd mouse port
            Par. 0 - 7 - Send IR command through parallel port
            Audio L., R. - Send IR command through audio channel
        User Info
            Text On - Custom Users Info Mode active or not
            Load Text - Load text to user info window
            Save Text - Save text from user info window
        User Menu
            Text On - Custom User Menu Mode active or not
            Load Text - Load text to user menus
            Save Text - Save text from user menus
        IR Burst = N - Adjust the number IR signal bursts
        IR Data
            Read IR Raw - Load IR data from text file
            Write IR Raw - Save IR data to text file
        Phone Input (IllumiLink only)
            On - Toggles the phone interface on or off
            Test Win. - Open test phone window

    This is about the extent of my use of IllumiLink.  I've used ARexx a
few times to send commands to my AirWindow.  They work, that's about all I
can say about it right now.  Most of what follows is what I've picked up
from reading the manual, but haven't really tried.

    Actually, transmitting IR commands when you click on a button is
only a small part of what IllumiLink can do.  Its main function is to link
input types to output types.  There is a list of 11 input types, and 11
output types.  You can set things up so that whenever one of the input types
occurs, IllumiLink makes the output type occur.  Using an AirWindow to
control an IR device is really a link from a gadget input type to and IR
output type.

    The list of input and output types are:

    Input            Output
    =========================================
    Key            Key
    Menu            Menu
    Gad            Message
    Gadup            Mouse
    Now            Exec
    Timer            Control
    Arexx_In        Arexx_Out
    Serial_In        Serial_Out
    MIDI_In            MIDI_Out
    Par_In            Par_Out
    Phone*            IR

    (* Phone is only useful with IllumiLink.)

    The Key input type activates an output link when a certain key is
pressed.  Qualifiers are allowed (up to four) and any key is legal.  The Key
output type simulates a keystroke to another program.

    The Menu input type activates an output link when an AirWindow User
Menu is chosen (up to 10 allowed).  The Menu output type activates the User
Menus as if they were chosen with the mouse.

    The Gad input type activates the output links associated with a
gadget in an AirWindow when you click on the gadget.  You can define more
links for a gadget that will get executed before the IR type (if one is set
up).

    The GadUp input type works like the Gad input type except it is
activated when the mouse button is released.

    The Now input type activates the output type it is linked to as soon
as the Air program starts up.

    The Timer input type is used to activate an output type repeatedly
every given number of seconds.

    Arexx_In input type creates custom ARexx commands that execute the
output event when executed through ARexx.

    The Serial_In input type is used to activate output links whenever a
certain character is received (the baud rate is selectable).

    The MIDI_In input type is used to activate output links when MIDI
note ON or note OFF events are received.  You can specify the MIDI channel
and note number.

    The Par_In input type is used to activate output links when data
lines on the parallel port go high or low.  You can choose which line (0-7).

    The Phone input type is only used by IllumiLink.  It links a phone
button press with an output event.

    The Message output type opens a window on the Workbench for one
second and displays the given message.

    The Mouse output type simulates a left mouse button click (either
one or two clicks) at a given location or a menu mouse button click.

    The Exec output type runs any program in the background.

    The Control output type is used to control a number of variables the
affect the Air program behavior.

    The Arexx_Out output type allows you to execute any ARexx program.

    The Serial_Out output type allows a string of characters to be sent
to the serial port.  The baud rate can be specified.

    The MIDI_Out output type transmits up to three MIDI bytes.

    The Par_Out output type allows you to send a low or high pulse
signal to one of the 8 parallel port data lines.

    The IR output type transmits IR commands.

    IllumiLink also comes with a number of built-in ARexx commands to
allow for control from another program.  The built-in commands are:

    Info            Gives program info
    Version            Give program version
    Get_load_name        Gives name of last Air file loaded
    Get_gadget_names    Gives list of loaded gadgets
    Get_left_button        Gives state of left mouse button
    Get_right_button    Gives state of right mouse button
    Front            Move AirWindow to front
    Back            Move AirWindow to back
    Iconify            Iconify AirWindow
    Deiconify        De-iconify AirWindow
    Togiconify        Toggles icon state of AirWindow
    Load_iff        Load new IFF brush for AirWindow
    Load_air        Load new AirWindow
    Save_air        Save current AirWindow
    Exit            Quit the Air program
    Link            Link an input type to an output type
    Output            Activate an output type
    Link_out        Activate entry in link list
    Link_clear_all        Clear all links
    Error_box_on        Open requestor on errors
    Error_box_off        Don't open requestor on errors
    Get_link_count        Gives number of links in list
    Set_menu        Set text for a User Menu

    The only difference between IllumiLink and AirLink is that the
hardware for IllumiLink contains a phone jack for attaching a cordless
telephone, and an input jack for a tone generator.  The phone jack doesn't
allow you too attach a phone and then call your system.  The phone isn't
attached to the phone lines in any way.  You attach a cordless phone, and
then use the remote handset to send commands just by hitting the buttons.
One application for this (I got this from the manual, but I think it sounds
great) is to stand at a podium and use a a telephone handset to control your
Amiga which is running AmigaVision which controls a laser disk (or VCR - but
who uses those any more :-)).


DOCUMENTATION

    The IllumiLink package comes with a 72 page printed manual for
AirLink and another smaller manual for IllumiLink.  The binding quality (36
pages stapled in the middle and folded) isn't great, but that isn't
something I worry too much about, so it's never been a problem for me.

    I think the manual is fairly good - I've been able to find out how to
do just about everything I want.

    I don't think the manual is written for beginning computer users.
You should know something about the Amiga (how to use the mouse, menus,
windows, etc.) before you try using IllumiLink, but I think that applies to
most applications.

    There is a section that tells how to make an IR transmitter that
attaches to the parallel port or mouse port. and how to create IR
transmitters attached to phone jacks.  I've tried making both the parallel
port transmitter and the extra transmitter with a phone jack and both are
fairly easy to do.

    There is a small section at the end of the manual that gives ideas
on how to use IllumiLink for MIDI work, multimedia, and video frame
recording.


LIKES AND DISLIKES

    Likes

        I'm really impressed by what all this product seems to be
    able to do.  All I've done with it is control IR devices, so can't
    really comment on anything else, but it looks impressive.

        One of the projects I'm currently working on is setting up a
    music database using SuperBase.  I want to have a database of my CD
    6 packs, and use it to program the CD player just by clicking on the
    songs in the order I want to hear them.

    Dislikes

        If you're a perfectionist, it's kind of a pain defining the
    gadgets on an AirWindow so they sit exactly on the the buttons and
    cover the entire button.

        This may be a bug, but I haven't called Geodesic to find out
    for sure; I haven't been able to figure out how to make an AirWindow
    open anywhere except with its upper left corner in the upper-left
    corner of the screen.  I'm sure it has something to do with not
    being able to snapshot the window, but I haven't spent a lot of time
    trying to figure it out.

        The machine locks up for a short amount of time when it is
    sending an IR command.  The time is very short (usually about 300ms
    according to the manual).  The doc states that this will happen when
    sending the IR output to anything but the audio port, but that
    doesn't mean I have to like it.

        There's no feedback.  This isn't a limitation of IllumiLink,
    but of IR in general.  When you use an IR control (either
    IllumiLink, a universal, or what comes with the device), you can't
    tell whether the device received the IR command or not - unless
    you're looking at it, or you can hear it, or something like that.
    This isn't a problem unless the device is in some other room where
    you can't see it.


COMPARISON TO OTHER SIMILAR PRODUCTS

    I haven't seen any similar products.


BUGS

    I did find a bug when sending IR commands to the parallel port that
are repeating commands (like the volume control - you can hold it down, and
it keeps sending).  They didn't work consistently.  I called Geodesic about
it and they were very receptive.  The guy I talked to suggested that it
might be a bug, and to try turning off the repeat flag for that gadget.
That fixed the inconsistency, but I can't hold down my volume control button
any more.  I called him back to let him know, and he said they would try to
get it fixed.  I called again, and he said the problem was fixed, but I
haven't had a chance to download the new version yet.  (Actually, the
work-around works well enough that I haven't cared enough to get it.)


VENDOR SUPPORT

    Geodesic has a BBS where you can download the newest version of the
software and download/upload AirWindows for different devices.  I've tried
calling the BBS a few times in the last year, but have gotten connected only
once.  The last few times, all I've gotten is their FAX machine.  I called
the support line to ask about it, and the support person said they've been
having problems with BBS software (PD version), and he is looking for
something else.  He said the BBS should be up in November.

    I've called Geodesic a couple of times (three times about the bug
above, and once about their Audio AIR Buffer product), and they have been
very nice.

    The person I've talked to has told me that they are working on a new
version of the software and hardware, but he hasn't said when it would be
ready (naturally, I forgot to ask).

    I am not associated with Geodesic in any way except as a satisfied
customer.


WARRANTY

    None that I know of.


CONCLUSIONS

    I really love stuff like this, so I think this product is the best
thing I've got for my Amiga.  The potential for what you can do with it is
amazing.  I'd give this 5 stars out of 5.  I don't really see how you can go
wrong with this (if you have any IR devices).  It costs about as much as a
good game or three and is at least as much fun to play with.  Plus, you can
get a lot more use out of this.


COPYRIGHT NOTICE

    Copyright 1993 Kevin Messick.  All rights reserved.
---

   Daniel Barrett, Moderator, comp.sys.amiga.reviews
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