How to setup VidaBox Nevo S70 remote with CQC

Sergio D · #1 01-19-2010, 03:05 PM

This thread will provide detailed information on how to configure the VidaBox Nevo S70 remote to work with CQC.

Overview:
There are separate pieces that need to be configured in order to get the Nevo S70 to work with CQC. One part is configuring the actual Nevo and the second is configuring CQC to allow the Nevo to connect to and display interfaces designed in CQC.

Configuration of the Nevo includes the following:

Configure Wifi settings on the Nevo for network connection.
Configure the CQC RIVA plugin included in the Nevo project for connection with the CQC server.
The Nevo RIVA plugin will requires the CQC RIVA server IP address, CQC username, and CQC password.

CQC configuration includes the following:

Configure one CQC server (usually the master server) as a CQC RIVA server.
Add a user account in the admin interface to be used by the Nevo. Setup the default interface to be loaded when the user logs in.

Setting up the Nevo S70:
The Nevo S70 can be configured from any windows PC. You don't have to configure it from a system with CQC installed. This can be a standalone system outside of the CQC environment. The Nevo connects to a PC via USB (and wifi once it's configured). There should be a USB cable included in the Nevo package. The Nevo communicates with the PC via activesync. So the PC you are going to connect the Nevo to will need to have Activesync installed if you are using XP or "Windows Mobile Device Center" if you are using Vista or Win7.

While we are in a downloading frame of mind. You will also need to download the following files:

Nevo Studio Pro Project
updated: 6/17/2010
Nevo Studio Pro Software
*Now included in project file.

Step 1: Install the Nevo Studio Software
You can go ahead and install the "Nevo Studio Pro" software on the computer you will be connecting the NEVO to. Once installed you can extract the "Nevo S70 Project" zip file downloaded above into folder "Documents\NevoStudio Pro". Copy the "RemoteInterfaceViewerWinCE.dll" file into the ".Nevo plug-ins" folder.

Step 2: Bootup the Nevo
Go ahead and fire up the Nevo. If you are starting it for the first time. You should let it charge for a little while before starting it. Remove the back battery cover and flip the switch to "ON". The Nevo should bootup immediately. You will probably be greeted with a set time/date screen. Pick any date and click "Apply", then the "OK" at the upper right corner.

The Nevo will auto-start the RIVA client immediately after bootup. Sometimes the Nevo will get stuck at the "Loading Nevo Plugin" screen if you don't clear out the set time/date window fast enough. If this happens to you, just remove the back battery cover and the Nevo will restart. It should go right into the RIVA client after that. This is the only time I have noticed the Nevo get stuck during bootup. Again, it might get stuck at "loading nevo plugin" only if the set time/date window is left open for too long. Once the time/date is set, that window will not show again.

Once the Nevo has finished loading the RIVA plugin, you will be greeted with a screen that looks like the following:

You will probably get an error like "not connected to Wifi" since the Nevo has net been setup to work on your Wifi network. You need to exit the plugin by clicking the exit button. You can only update the Nevo from the Nevo's home screen. You will get an error in the Nevo Studio Pro software if you try to update the Nevo when the RIVA plugin is loaded. The Nevo homescreen will look something like the following:

Note - An important place that you might need to get to is the settings menu for the Nevo. You can go into the advanced settings to check the connection status for Wifi. This is a really important area to look at if you want to make sure that the Nevo is connected to Wifi and which access point is is connected to.

Step 3: Plugin the Nevo into a USB port
Plug the Nevo into a USB port of the computer that has the Nevo Studio Pro software installed. Also make sure you have ActiveSync or Windows Mobile Center installed. Your computer should say that it is installing a driver and the Mobile Device Center window should automatically start.

You can just close that window. There is no need to setup the device in windows. Everything can be done from the Nevo software from this point.

Step 4: Start the Nevo Studio Pro software
Start the Nevo Studio Pro software and open the VS70 project. It should be located in the "\Documents\Nevo Studio Pro" directory. If it's not there, then find the project file you downloaded from above.

Step 5: Do a firmware update
Go to Tools -> Firmware Update Wizard. Click through the wizard. It will connect to the Nevo device and see if there are any updates available. If so, go ahead and update the components it suggests. This will force the Nevo device to reboot (sometimes multiple times).

Step 6: Configure RIVA plugin settings
In the hardware tool window, click the "Global Objects" tab. Right-click "Nevo Plug-in" and select "Edit" from the context menu.

Click the next button in the wizard until you get to the following window:

You will need to configure the various parameters to match your CQC install. Here is a description of the various parameters:

Host: IP address of the computer running the CQC RIVA server.
View Port: The view port used by the CQC RIVA server. You only need to change the default port if you changed the default port during the RIVA server installation.
Image Port:The image port used by the CQC RIVA server. You only need to change the default port if you changed the default port during the RIVA server installation.
User ID: The CQC user ID to be used for login. Make sure you set a default template for this user account.
Password: CQC password for the user. If you created a new user and you did not change the default password. The default password is Welcome.
Trace RX: Setting to true will log all received communications to a text file. Only enable this if the RIVA plugin needs to be debugged. Leave off for normal everyday use.
Trace TX: Setting to true will log all sent communications to a text file. Only enable this if the RIVA plugin needs to be debugged. Leave off for normal everyday use.
Log verbosity: 0 = no logging. 1 = Log error messages. 2 = Log error and warning messages. 3= Log error, warning, and info messages. Again, only enable this if the RIVA plugin needs to be debugged. Leave off for normal everyday use. There is a severe performance hit when logging is enabled.

Note - Log file location is in the temp directory of the Nevo. To view the log, connect the Nevo to your computer and wait for activesync to get enabled. Then go into "My Computer -> S70". You will be able to browse the files on the Nevo and open the log file.

Step 7: Setup WIFI settings
Next part is to configure the Wifi settings for the Nevo. Click the

icon on the upper toolbar. This will bring up the following window:

Select the "Wifi" tab and change the Wifi settings for your network.

Step 8: Download the configuration to the Nevo
The last part to configuring the Nevo is to download the project into the Nevo. This is done by clicking the

from the top toolbar. The following window should open on your screen:

Make sure the "Start RIVA Client" is checked. This will start the RIVA client automatically when the Nevo restarts. Otherwise the user will have to click the "vAutomation" button to start the RIVA Client. Select continue and the project will get downloaded into the Nevo. You may get a warning about the existing configuration being overwritten. You can click past that warning. The Nevo will reboot after the configuration has been downloaded.

If you get the following error:

It probably means that the RIVA plugin is currently running on the Nevo. The Nevo cannot be updated while a plugin is running. Exit the RIVA plugin (reboot and click exit before it loads). You must be on the following screen in order to be able to download the configuration:

Setting up CQC:
You need to enable the "Remote Viewer Server" on machine machine were CQC is installed. I suggest that you enable this on the master server since that will be a system that will always be on. The "Remote Viewer Server" is the RIVA server. I know the naming is confusing but that's what it is.

On the computer where you want to install the RIVA server, run the CQC installer and select the "fully custom install" option. Go through the CQC installation screens until you get to the screen bellow:

Put a check mark on "Install The Server". I would stick with the standard ports that are listed. Continue through the rest of the install screens and finish the installation.

That should be it, the RIVA client on the Nevo should be able to connect to the RIVA server now.

Nevo CQC key mappings:
All the buttons on the NEVO will fire an event on the currently loaded template and overlays. The CQC key mappings for the Nevo remote are as follows:

AppKey 1
AppKey 2
AppKey 3
AppKey 4
Home
Favorites
Page Up
Page Down
Volume Up
Volume Dn
Mute
Channel up
Channel Down
Previous
Nav Up
Nav Right
Nav Down
Nav Left
OK
Jog Up
Jog Down
Jog Select

How to map keys in a CQC template:
This is very easy to do. A new tab has been added to the "Template" widget configuration window called "Hot Keys". You can open this window by double clicking the template background. Your will get a window like the following:

You can add commands to any of the hotkeys by double clicking the hot key and adding commands as you normally would do with any other widget. Hotkeys that already have commands will have a check mark next to the hotkey.

Multiple template hotkey handling:
Things are pretty straight forward if you only have one template loaded at a time. That single template will handle the hotkeys for the Nevo remote. Things get a little more complicated if you have a template with nested overlays. The basic logic is the topmost level template will handle the hotkey event and end there.

Here are some examples to help explain how things work.

Example 1:

Template1 (with hotkey "OK")-> Overlay1 (with hotkey "OK")

When the "OK" button is pressed, it will fire a hotkey event in Overlay1 and run the commands placed for the "OK" hotkey. It will stop there. The hotkey commands in Template1 never get run. The event is only fired in Overlay1.

Example 2:

Template1 (with hotkey "OK")-> Overlay1 (with NO hotkey "OK")

CQC checks if there is a hotkey in Overlay1 set for the "OK" button first. There is non so it goes down the line until it finds one. Template1 has a hotkey set for "OK" and it will run the commands there.

Example 3:

Template1 (with hotkey "OK" & "Volume Up")-> Overlay1 (with hotkey "Volume Up") -> Overlay1.1 (with hotkey "OK")

Overlay 1.1 is child overlay of Overlay1. Hotkeys are set for all the template being displayed. The only "OK" command that will get run are the hotkey commands in Overlay 1.1. The "Volume Up" hotkey will run in Overlay1.

Playing built-in wav files:
There are some preloaded wav files that can be used for button press feedback. You can only use the preloaded wav files for click sounds. You will not be bale to use your own wav files at this time.

Playing a wave file is done using:

Code:

System::PlayWAV
    P1=CLICK12B
    P2=True

Where P1 can be any of the following (case sensitive):

CLICK12B
CLICK17C
CLICK18C
CLICK21C
CLICK4C
CLICK7C
CLICK8C
pop.wav

All of the above wav files will have slightly different click sounds. Use whatever sounds good to you. I have no way of describing each sound.

Current limitations:

The web widget is not supported. However, The web image widget is supported.
Slider widgets are not supported.
With the .527 Nevo studio pro software, the Nevo might not honor the power settings and turn off even if you state for the device to stay on all the time.

Sergio D · #2 01-19-2010, 06:22 PM

Saved for future updates...

ivb · #3 01-20-2010, 07:09 AM

eh, oh, there's an on button behind the battery cover. Instructions were simple, followed them, got through it all!

And woohoo! I figured out how to set the wifi on my own! (Seriously though, why would Nevo create StudioPro with an icon for a screen that isn't on the menus above. That took me 45 mins to figure out)

I just turned my light on & off via the VS70! Okay, now time for bed, it's almost 12:30 and i've got my mens soccer game tomorrow night so I need my beauty sleep.

Sergio D · #4 01-20-2010, 10:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ivb

eh, oh, there's an on button behind the battery cover. Instructions were simple, followed them, got through it all!

And woohoo! I figured out how to set the wifi on my own! (Seriously though, why would Nevo create StudioPro with an icon for a screen that isn't on the menus above. That took me 45 mins to figure out)

I just turned my light on & off via the VS70! Okay, now time for bed, it's almost 12:30 and i've got my mens soccer game tomorrow night so I need my beauty sleep.

I'm glad you got it working. Feel free to post your experience in other forums. I'm sure many others will get excited about this product.

I'm going to try to post my Nevo templates next week in a separate thread.

ivb · #5 01-21-2010, 05:49 AM

Is there a way to map the hardbuttons to IR commands? IE, I'd love to use this in the MBR but it's an IR-only TV. i need to turn it on, vol up and down on the TV, and i'd rather not have a 2nd remote just for that. I don't know of an inexpensive IR blaster, and the Global Cache is huge overkill just for 1 appliance.

Sergio D · #6 01-21-2010, 11:14 AM

You are the second person that asked that. Right now the answer is no. I believe that there is the capability for use to add that in the future. It really depends on how many people ask for it and how much work it would be to add.

As an option, not sure if it's work out cheaper than the GC but you could get a USB-UIRT and some sort of USB extender device from IOGear.

Helheim · #7 01-21-2010, 06:40 PM

I think what would be a great feature to add.

ivb · #8 01-21-2010, 11:35 PM

Yep. I just bought a USBUIRT, so if I can run wiring to get that to work it'll be less important for me, but eliminating 1 device is always nice. Plus using a central server to do IR blasting adds a layer of complexity that doesn't need to be there. For integrators, that might be an important distinction.

Sergio D · #9 01-22-2010, 11:36 AM

That's one of those not so easy to add type of things. I have to think about it, maybe there is an easy way for us to add support for running "Nevo" macros and you could learn your IR commands into it that way. I have to talk about it with Mark and see.

Helheim · #10 01-22-2010, 03:55 PM

Can the S70 respond to TCP/IP commands? Kind of a long way around but if it could maybe a driver could be written for it. So you press a button it goes to CQC then back to the remote. The other way would be better though.