MainLobby Suite supports most of the popular Audio Video and Home Automation RS232 controllable devices. But, what if you have an LCD display or a front projector that is not supported by an existing plugin? That is where the new MLGeneric Device plugin comes in.

With the MLGenericDevice Plugin, you have the ability to create a custom plugin without being a software developer. If you have the devices RS232 protocol, and have an understanding of how serial communication works, then you can configure the MLGeneric Device to send those serial commands to the device. As the next level of capability, the plugin also allows for capturing the return message from most bidirectional RS232 devices to create MainLobby 3 Server variables to track the status of the device.

MLGenericDevice also allows for sharing of configured device drivers that users or Cinemar develops. This export / import ability should increase the number of devices that MainLobby Suite can interact with substantially in time.

Currently ASCII RS232 devices are supported. Hex support may follow. Generally, understanding serial devices requires an advanced user. Support for this plugin is limited to the functions of the plugin, not of how to develop a device driver using MLGenericDevice.

MLGenericDevice is one license per RS232 device that the plugin will connect to. An Advanced license is required for RS232 devices that require more than 10 commands ("command" examples include Power On / Power Off / Volume Up / Volume Down / Channel Up / Channel Down etc.). A Basic device license is for devices that require 10 or fewer commands, and are really the types of devices that the MLGenericDevice plugin is intended to support (like projectors, LCD / Plasma displays, front projection screens, amplifiers, etc.). Licenses can be purchased one at a time, or several at a time for anticipated usage on a particular system. The advantage of purchasing what you need up front, is that it will then only require one software Activation. The purchased license(s)is for use on one MLServer3 PC.