Projo

A server and mobile web app I made to control my video projector without a remote.

Logo

I can now switch the projector on/off, navigate the menu and blank the screen using my phone.

My current setup is a Benq W1070 projector that is linked to a TP-Link TL-MR3020 wireless device via a RS-232 cable. Additionally a 12V trigger cable has been wired between the projector and the motorized screen so the screen is now automatically controlled by the projector (no more remote either).

This device delivers a RESTful web-service as an interface to the video projector via serial commands (Crestron protocol) and a web app that I use on my mobile devices to replace the remote.

I made it to fit my own needs but it should pretty much work out of the box for other devices (any *nix running computer with a RS232 connector) and the Crestron protocol seems to be common to multiple brand of AV equipment.

Software

Screenshot

Bonjour is used for auto-discovery so I just need to go the http://projo.local/ url on my mobile devices and optionally add the App to the Home Screen.

Once launched there is a few buttons on the top and bottom. The dark area in the center is a gesture interface to the menu. Swipe left/right/up/down navigate in the menu, a tap select an item. The back button goes back one level.

AngularJS has been selected because I needed an excuse to play with it. It's used in conjunction with CoffeeScript, Compass, Yeoman, Grunt and Bower.

Hardware

Serial cable on projector below ceiling…

Serial cable on projector below ceiling...

…that goes upstairs to the device

...that goes upstairs to the device

TTL to RS232 board and wiring

TTL to RS232 board and wiring

More info at the github project page.