PiAV Controller - JavaScript Edition

A Raspberry Pi-based AV Controller system built entirely in JavaScript (Node.js + Express), replacing the previous multi-language stack (Python, PHP, Apache).

Features

• 🎬 Projector Control - Turn on/off and manage display settings
• 📺 Input Switching - Switch between up to 8 different inputs
• 🔊 Volume Control - Precise volume adjustment (0-100)
• 🎤 Microphone Control - Mic level adjustment and muting
• 💾 State Persistence - LocalStorage-based configuration saving
• 🕐 Real-time Clock - Digital clock display
• 📱 Responsive UI - Bootstrap-based responsive design
• 🖥️ Kiosk Mode - Full-screen Chromium browser integration
• 🚀 Fast & Lightweight - Node.js server with minimal overhead
• 🔧 Pure JavaScript - No PHP, Python, or Apache dependencies

Quick Start

Installation on Raspberry Pi

sudo apt update && sudo apt install git -y
git clone https://github.com/Robotghost718/PiAVController.git ~/Installer
cd ~/Installer
sudo bash RaspiInstaller.sh

Follow the interactive prompts to configure:

• Switcher type (IN1608, MPS602, IN1508, etc.)
• Projector/display model (Epson, NEC, Panasonic, Samsung, Dell)
• Number of inputs (2-4)
• Microphone usage (yes/no)

Local Development

# Clone repository
git clone https://github.com/Robotghost718/PiAVController.git
cd PiAVController

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Start server
npm start

# Access at http://localhost/projector.html

Architecture

┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│   Web Browser (Chromium)            │
│   ├─ HTML (projector.html)          │
│   └─ JavaScript (Switcher.js)       │
└──────────────┬──────────────────────┘
               │ (HTTP/Fetch)
┌──────────────▼──────────────────────┐
│   Express Server (server.js)        │
│   ├─ REST API Endpoints             │
│   ├─ Request Processing             │
│   └─ Response Handling              │
└──────────────┬──────────────────────┘
               │ (Serial Commands)
┌──────────────▼──────────────────────┐
│   Serial Device Module              │
│   ├─ Port Management                │
│   ├─ Command Formatting             │
│   └─ Response Parsing               │
└──────────────┬──────────────────────┘
               │ (Serial Data)
┌──────────────▼──────────────────────┐
│   Hardware (Projector/Switcher)     │
└─────────────────────────────────────┘

API Endpoints

Power Control

• GET /api/power/on - Power on projector
• GET /api/power/off - Power off projector

Input Selection

• GET /api/input/1 through GET /api/input/8 - Select input

Volume

• GET /api/volume/0 through GET /api/volume/100 - Set volume level
• GET /api/volume/mute - Mute volume
• GET /api/volume/unmute - Unmute volume

Microphone

• GET /api/mic/0 through GET /api/mic/60 - Set mic level (by 5dB increments)
• GET /api/mic/mute - Mute microphone
• GET /api/mic/unmute - Unmute microphone

Status

• GET /api/health - Server health check

Project Structure

PiAVController/
├── server.js                 # Main Express server
├── serialDevice.js           # Serial communication module
├── package.json              # NPM dependencies
├── RaspiInstaller.sh         # Installation script
├── MIGRATION_GUIDE.md        # Detailed migration documentation
├── Style/
│   ├── projector.html        # Main UI
│   ├── Switcher.js           # Frontend JavaScript
│   ├── theme.css             # Custom styles
│   ├── css/                  # Bootstrap and utilities
│   ├── js/                   # JavaScript libraries
│   └── images/               # SVG icons and images
├── ScriptPackages/
│   ├── IN1608_Epson/
│   ├── IN1608_NEC/
│   └── IN1608_Panasonic/
└── GUIs/
    ├── 2_input_w_mic/
    ├── 2_input_no_mic/
    ├── 3_input_w_mic/
    ├── 3_input_no_mic/
    ├── 4_input_w_mic/
    └── 4_input_no_mic/

Configuration

Serial Ports

Edit server.js to change serial port paths:

// For power commands (usually /dev/ttyUSB1)
devices.projector = new SerialDevice('/dev/ttyUSB1', 9600);

// For input/volume/mic commands (usually /dev/ttyUSB0)
devices.switcher = new SerialDevice('/dev/ttyUSB0', 9600);

Check device paths:

ls -la /dev/tty*

Server Port

Change the server port in server.js:

const PORT = process.env.PORT || 80;

Or set via environment variable:

PORT=3000 npm start

Service Management

On Raspberry Pi, the application runs as a systemd service:

# Check status
sudo systemctl status piav-controller

# View logs
sudo journalctl -u piav-controller -n 50

# Restart service
sudo systemctl restart piav-controller

# Stop service
sudo systemctl stop piav-controller

# Start service
sudo systemctl start piav-controller

Browser Console

Press F12 in Chromium to access developer tools for debugging:

// Check stored settings
console.log(localStorage.getItem('PJPOWER'));
console.log(localStorage.getItem('volume'));

// Manually call API
fetch('/api/power/on').then(r => r.json()).then(console.log);

Troubleshooting

Serial Port Not Found

# Check permissions
sudo usermod -a -G dialout $USER
sudo usermod -a -G dialout www-data

# Verify devices
dmesg | grep -i usb

Port 80 Already in Use

# Find process using port 80
sudo lsof -i :80

# Use different port
PORT=3000 npm start

Service Won't Start

# Check logs
sudo journalctl -u piav-controller -f

# Restart and check
sudo systemctl restart piav-controller
sudo systemctl status piav-controller

Hardware Not Responding

1. Verify serial connections are secure
2. Test with direct serial communication:

   # Install minicom: sudo apt install minicom
   sudo minicom -D /dev/ttyUSB0 -b 9600

3. Check device documentation for correct command format
4. Review server logs for communication errors

Development

Adding New Features

1. New API Endpoint:

   // In server.js
   app.get('/api/feature/:param', async (req, res) => {
     try {
       const result = await sendCommand(device, 'COMMAND');
       res.json({ status: 'success', message: result });
     } catch (err) {
       res.status(500).json({ status: 'error', message: err.message });
     }
   });

2. Call from Frontend:

   // In Switcher.js
   await apiCall('/api/feature/value');

Testing

Test API endpoints with curl:

curl http://localhost/api/power/on
curl http://localhost/api/volume/50
curl http://localhost/api/input/1

Advantages Over Original Stack

Aspect	Old Stack	New Stack
Runtime	Apache + PHP + Python	Node.js
Memory Usage	High	Low
Startup Time	Slow	Fast
Dependencies	Apache, PHP, Python, pyserial	Node.js, npm packages
Code Maintainability	Multiple languages	Single JavaScript
Frontend Framework	jQuery	Vanilla ES6+
Real-time Features	Polling	WebSocket-ready
Deployment	Complex	Simple

Supported Hardware

Switchers

• IN1608 series
• MPS602
• IN1508
• IN1604
• SW2/SW4

Projectors/Displays

• Epson
• NEC
• Panasonic
• Samsung
• Dell

Number of Inputs

• 2 inputs (with optional mic)
• 3 inputs (with optional mic)
• 4 inputs (with optional mic)

Future Roadmap

• WebSocket support for real-time updates
• Mobile app interface
• REST API documentation (Swagger)
• Docker containerization
• Advanced scheduling and automation
• Multi-room control
• User authentication
• Event logging and analytics

Migration from Old System

See MIGRATION_GUIDE.md for detailed information on:

• Architecture changes
• API endpoint mapping
• Frontend refactoring
• Python to JavaScript conversion
• Troubleshooting common issues

License

[Your License Here]

Support & Contribution

For issues, feature requests, or contributions:

• Open an issue on GitHub
• Submit a pull request
• Review the migration guide for context

Changelog

v2.0.0 (JavaScript Edition)

• ✨ Complete rewrite in pure JavaScript
• 🚀 Node.js/Express backend (replacing Apache/PHP)
• 📦 Single runtime environment
• 🔧 Improved error handling
• 📡 RESTful API endpoints
• 💻 Vanilla JavaScript frontend (no jQuery)
• 📚 Comprehensive documentation

v1.0.0 (Original)

• Initial release with Apache/PHP/Python stack

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Created with ❤️ for Raspberry Pi and AV Control