Polisy Enhancements (Future)

[Mustang65]

Since Polisy is getting off the ground now, we can start with our 2020 requests. Why wait.

Things are fresh on our minds at this point.

Just a few things to start:

- Wi-Fi, activate/deactivate check box (not sure if forget a network is the option) I refuse to try it... in fear.

- HDMI port for my 7" HDMI monitor (currently on my Pi)

I forgot what the third item was I wanted to add

[randyth]

How about a really bright blue power LED.

 

[Michel Kohanim]

@Mustang65,

1. You can definitely deactivate WiFi … this has been tested 1000s of times. Don't fear
2. Polisy does not have an HDMI output. It was not designed to be a computer

@randyth, that's definitely our list of todos! It goes great with the color !!!

With kind regards,
Michel

[randyth]

I'd love to see a User Guide link (https://wiki.universal-devices.com/index.php?title=Polisy:User_Guide) somewhere in the footer of Polisy's web page...

[giesen]

Migrate ISY to Polisy hardware (too soon? )

Sent from my SM-N9500 using Tapatalk

[bgrubb1]

So to deactivate WiFi do you forget this network AND forget all networks ??

Nevermind, read enough to figure out disabling wifi doesnt disable IPV4 networking

It's not really clear / stands out what you are doing in that area

...Barry

 

[forman]

Finally have Polisy installed and really don't know what to do with it.  Can someone explain? I have added 3 nodes: darksky, tesla, and wemo.  But I have no idea what to do with them.

 

[DennisC]

To use the Tesla and Wemo Nodeservers you need those devices.

Dark Sky is a weather Nodeservers. On the ISY you should see several nodes that give you current weather conditions, as well as several days of forecast weather. I use this to email weather updates throughout the day. You could also write a program to take some action during certain weather events, like rain.

[mmb]

On 1/7/2020 at 9:44 AM, forman@gwu.edu said:

Finally have Polisy installed and really don't know what to do with it.  Can someone explain? I have added 3 nodes: darksky, tesla, and wemo.  But I have no idea what to do with them.

 

Here's a sample of the Dark Sky device for today.  It also has a 7 day forecast and yes it's friggen cold

Here's a sample of a program using Dark Sky.  DHT11 is a temp and humidity sensor which routes to Polyglot using MQTT

I control my house humidifier with this information...

mike

[Teken]

On 12/29/2019 at 4:56 PM, Michel Kohanim said:

@Mustang65,

1. You can definitely deactivate WiFi … this has been tested 1000s of times. Don't fear
2. Polisy does not have an HDMI output. It was not designed to be a computer

@randyth, that's definitely our list of todos! It goes great with the color !!!

With kind regards,
Michel

Hi Michel,

For clarity sake, is the Polisy capable of outputting video via USB 3 if one uses an adapter dongle?

ie. USB to HDMI / USB to VGA / USB to DP

Thank You!  

 

[Michel Kohanim]

@Teken,

Everything is possible as long as there's a driver. There seems to be support for DisplayLink:

https://www.freebsd.org/cgi/man.cgi?query=udl&sektion=4&manpath=freebsd-release-ports

This said, we will have to make sure it does not have negative impact on anything else.

With kind regards,
Michel

[Teken]

25 minutes ago, Michel Kohanim said:

@Teken,

Everything is possible as long as there's a driver. There seems to be support for DisplayLink:

https://www.freebsd.org/cgi/man.cgi?query=udl&sektion=4&manpath=freebsd-release-ports

This said, we will have to make sure it does not have negative impact on anything else.

With kind regards,
Michel

I see the majority of the dongles are DVI but that is OK because there are lots of adapters for this!

Thank You!

[Teken]

I gather once Polyisy is ready to be migrated to be a primary controller more detailed logs will be made available? If the time line for said migration is quite lengthy I would like to see more detailed / verbose logging which can be filtered to display the following:

- Login, System, Updates, Errors, Network, Security 

[Teken]

Program / Network Termination Access : I would like the team to consider a method to access the system via SSH to disable / kill a specific program / network resource in hopes of addressing a tight loop condition. It goes without saying in the worst case scenario have the ability to go to the root of the program directory and suspend all child programs.

Another possible consideration is the OS knows to halt such bad actors and declares a tight loop error.

Offering all of the above will reduce user errors, support calls, and ensure the controller is at its most reliable condition which directly translates to customer satisfaction.

This is something to be seriously considered for the ISY -> Poly Migration once this path has been opened.

[mwester]

On 1/17/2020 at 1:17 PM, Michel Kohanim said:

.... as long as there's a driver. There seems to be support for DisplayLink:

https://www.freebsd.org/cgi/man.cgi?query=udl&sektion=4&manpath=freebsd-release-ports

This said, we will have to make sure it does not have negative impact on anything else...

I happen to have one of those, coincidentally.  Alas, the udl driver depends on the fbd device which isn't available in the POLISY kernel configuration.  (The udl driver is a loadable module, but the fbd driver cannot be built as a module, so there's no way to add that to a kernel that wasn't built with frame buffer support in the first place.)

(Just a note to save someone who stumbles on this thread looking for frame buffer support the trouble -- there's nothing I'm working on right now that needs a frame buffer...)

[mwester]

Following up...

I managed to get /dev/fb to show up on the POLISY -- but had to literally modify the FreeBSD kernel (the fbd driver as-is cannot be built as a module, and converting it to a module required hacking it up to remove hard-wired references to the vt driver, which also cannot be built as a module... ouch).  So, it is possible to make it work, but not in any sort of reasonable manner    FWIW, it requires the udl.ko, videomode.ko, and the hacked fbd.ko kernel modules to be loaded -- here's the kernel log when everything is loaded and working:

udl0 on uhub1
udl0: <DisplayLink HP USB Graphics Adap, class 0/0, rev 2.00/1.02, addr 1> on usbus0
Vendor: []
Product: [0000]
Serial number:
Manufactured 0 Week 0
EDID Version 0.0
EDID Comment:
Video Input: 0
        Analog
        -0.7, 0.3V
Gamma: 0.00
Max Size: 0 cm x 0 cm
Features: 0
        Monochrome
Chroma Info:
        Red X: 0.000
        Red Y: 0.000
        Grn X: 0.000
        Grn Y: 0.000
        Blu X: 0.000
        Blu Y: 0.000
        Wht X: 0.000
        Wht Y: 0.000
Video modes:
Number of extension blocks: 0
udl0: Mode selected 800x600 @ 60Hz
fbd0 on udl0

 

(And by the way, the HP version of the DisplayLink device supports both the 15-pin VGA port as well as DVI.)

[Michel Kohanim]

@mwester,

Thanks so very much! Thankfully, we can include it in the OS and use the update mechanism to upgrade.

With kind regards,
Michel

[Teken]

I would like the team to consider the following enhancements in the next general release as it pertains to Node Servers.

- Logging: Depending on the Node Server written by the various developers. They offer different levels of logging but this is (currently) controlled & managed by the 994 Series Controller.

Please add this option natively within the Polyisy for their respective Node Servers. Another business case is the 994 does not always display the entire screen and thus a person couldn’t even see much less make those changes.

- Read Me: The Node Server Store should boldly high light more information is available by selecting the name of the respective application. A direct hyper link to the UDI forum which provides more insight and support should be called out.

- Configurations: All Node Server developers must be forced to follow a minimum standard by showing an image capture of what data is required and the expected format. Case in point there are probably 25 ways to request latitude & longitude! I shouldn’t have to scour the Internet for an obscure reference as to the expected format!

- Install Requirements: A time stamp should be listed when a Node Server was installed in the system and track the uninstall also. Available Node Server updates should have a release date with version changes listed out. If there are new features being released let the user decide. If this is to address bugs than I want to know what it fixes and go from there.

Start / Stop / Restart: These options really need to be reviewed as to how they operate. There is no good reason a person should have to press these buttons to force the system to populate and show required fields when setting up a new server. Worse, there is no valid reason when the stop button is selected and it doesn’t work!

Shell Access: There needs to be direct method from within the Polyisy to invoke commands without using third party software applications like Putty to see the command line.

[TexMike]

@Teken All good points. Would also like to know what platform the nodeserver has been tested on and known to work. Many users had to repeat the same trial and error on Polisy.

[Teken]

New Hyperlink: When a person selects the node server of choice for more detailed information this bring the user to the GitHub web page. I would like to see it open in a new window instead. A secure system which hosts its own web page should never redirect a user to public facing website. Never mind its super annoying having to select the back button!

[giesen]

IPv6 support (both for Polisy and PGC)

Sent from my SM-N9500 using Tapatalk

[Michel Kohanim]

@giesen,

IPV6 is already supported. It's just the Settings UI that needs to be updated.

With kind regards,
Michel

[MrBill]

Since auto-updates are likely too risky (something might need manual intervention or like in my case after an ISY reboot I need to walk around and open/close doors so the status becomes known again) I'd like to see an update available flag for BOTH Polisy and ISY.   With that I can create a program that let's me know via notification that a software update exists, then I can have the program continue to remind me until I've updated.   When everything is working correctly and i'm not adding anything it can be months between times I actually open the admin console (especially at certain periods of the year).  

Another flag that would be awesome to have is Insteon modem communication failure.  In my system, both ISY and Polisy are on UPS and backup power.  Insteon communication failure would be 1 of 2 things, either the modem itself failed or utility power has failed.  (the Insteon modem of course isn't on UPS or backup power because that doesn't work.)

[markv58]

1 minute ago, MrBill said:

(the Insteon modem of course isn't on UPS or backup power because that doesn't work.)

Actually, and I will probably get some grief over this but, my PLM is on a UPS (has been for years) and everything works flawlessly. In the event of a power failure I still get door open and motion notifications and my self built alarm system still fires off with painfully loud sirens all over the house.

[MrBill]

1 minute ago, markv58 said:

Actually, and I will probably get some grief over this but, my PLM is on a UPS (has been for years) and everything works flawlessly. In the event of a power failure I still get door open and motion notifications and my self built alarm system still fires off with painfully loud sirens all over the house.

The problem that I see is that the UPS makes the modem single band, RF only.. the powerline signals don't make it through the UPS/surge suppressor).  WHen plugged into the UPS, nearby devices seem to work flawlessly but that degrades for devices far away, and everything works in slow motion.  (I don't have test equipment to prove my theory but that's my educated guess.)