PHAL policy?

vining

What the heck is a PHAL policy? I get nothing from google. I recently updated a media server to it's latest SW rev and I no longer get dynamic cover art pics. This is what I get with msg on all on the TP (MXT-1000).

VTG 06/18 20:40:35.39 [1132262496] (vtg.graphic/debug) TcpRequest::openServer openServer FAILURE - retrying
VTG 06/18 20:40:35.39 [1132262496] (vtg.graphic/debug) TcpRequest::establishTCPConnection host=[192.168.1.47] port=[9000], interface=[eth0]
VTG 06/18 20:40:35.39 [1132262496] (vtg.graphic/debug) TcpRequest::establishTCPConnection Not binding to preferred interface due to PHAL policy
VTG 06/18 20:40:35.39 [1132262496] (vtg.network/debug) SetupNetwork::setDeviceIP: Convert it 192.168.1.47 final[192.168.1.47]

cwpartridge

PHAL is an acronym for Panel Hardware Abstraction Layer. It's an internal AMX term so you won't find it with google (until now maybe). The message is more of a red herring in your case. You are using a Modero X panel which only has one network interface (Ethernet), as opposed to other G4 products that have multiple network interfaces (e.g. MVP-9000i which has Wifi and Ethernet if docked). The "Not binding to preferred interface" message should probably read "Not required to bind to a preferred interface" which basically states the TCP connection could be made by any network interface that exists, in this case the lone Ethernet i/f.

From the preceding log, it appears the connection to the server 192.168.1.47:9000 failed, and that would seem like a server issue. If that is the connection for the media server, maybe the new SW rev of the media server changed the connection properties. Can't really tell more than that.

vining

Thanks for responding, kept me from chasing shadows. FYI, I can get album art images from any browser and in TPD4 resources so the server does work but obviously something in the servers new linux packages doesn't play nice with AMX anymore. Their last update, a year or so back, included the newest Perl rev which implemented the randomization that was always in their specs so the responses were no longer in the order they had been for years which broke my parsing routing. This dynamic image issue though sounds like something that I personally won't be able to fix.

Lately it seems for every step forward I take two more backwards.

vining

FYI, the album art does work on a CV7 and my Droid phone that's running the same file (converted) as the MXT-10001. It doesn't work on the MXT-10001, an MST-10001 and iPad Mini 3 running the same file. Something is funky in Denmark.

vining

It's been a while and I've had some time to continue working on the updates to this particular module and it still appears to have an issue with the MXT (G4) panels since the older panels all update properly. Works on CV7,10,12 and my Android phone but doesn't on the MXT, MST and maybe the MVP9000i. I've double checked and triple check the resource entries and the resource name multiple times and as I said earlier the same TP file that doesn't work on the MXT does work if converted and sent to any CV panel or the android phone.

The panel update commands:

Line     48 (19:21:20):: Command To [10002:9:1]-[^RMF-SBS_CoverArt,%P0%H192.168.1.47:9000%Amusic/2679d373%Fcover.jpg%Conce]
Line     49 (19:21:20):: Command To [10003:9:1]-[^RMF-SBS_CoverArt,%P0%H192.168.1.47:9000%Amusic/2679d373%Fcover.jpg%Conce]
Line     50 (19:21:20):: Command To [10004:9:1]-[^RMF-SBS_CoverArt,%P0%H192.168.1.47:9000%Amusic/2679d373%Fcover.jpg%Conce]
Line     51 (19:21:20):: Command To [10002:9:1]-[^RFRP-SBS_CoverArt,once]
Line     52 (19:21:20):: Command To [10003:9:1]-[^RFRP-SBS_CoverArt,once]
Line     53 (19:21:20):: Command To [10004:9:1]-[^RFRP-SBS_CoverArt,once]

So if it is a server side problem why does it discriminate against the newer panels and not the older?

vining

The dynamic images also appear on a 5200i running the converted TP file for the MXT-10001 so what are new panels doing right or wrong that the older panels are doing wrong or right?

vining

Very weird? Several days ago I updated the MXT-10001 to the most recent firmware hoping that the dynamic images for media server mod I'm working on would start working since they do work on the older panels running the same TP file but no joy for days after the update. I put that aside again an continued working on the code for this particular module and tonight I took a dinner break, came back to my PC and found my MXT had the cover art displayed after all this time with out it. It can not be code related so WTF happened that made this TP decide to start working. Artwork changes with the current playing song just like the other panels.

Were there portions of the firmware that got phased in or is this something that might stop working again.

vining

Well sure enough it stopped working again, probably the same day but it was nice to see the cover art even if it was only for a short period, again the cover art works on all the old panels and no problems from any browser. Telnetting into the MXT I see it tries to connect every 20 seconds or so which I find odd since I send the %Conce command at the end of my ^RMF string but maybe that just controls the Custom Event which notifies me when the image is loaded. I think it's bad behavior to keep trying to pull the image if it didn't first succeed. I haven't checked to see if it times out or keeps trying indefinitely, that would be bad so maybe I should. I have to verify but I think it works for a short period after I reboot the server so that would make me think that maybe it is a server side issue but again everything else works except this MXT and maybe it works for a short period after a server reboot only because the MXT hasn't pissed it off yet so I guess I still feel it's really an MXT issue.

vining

Well I just tried the same TP file on a new iPad Air and the dynamic images work fine there too. I think my earlier observation of the MXT actually working with the server was wrong since at the time I was probably sourcing Pandora which supplies web URLs for cover art whereas the stored music files and sources like Spotify were going through the server image proxy not direct from the web. So I'm pretty sure the MXT running the latest firmware never was able to pull dynamic images from this server even though all the older TPs can as can the iPads and droids running TPC and the same TP file.

I did call TS about it and then informed them that the new iPad also worked and sent them the MSG ON ALL print outs following the event trigger but never heard back from them even to say they're looking into it as a legit issue and they'll investigate it, not just amusing me and hoping I go away. Last time I called regarding a possible AMX home take over job they couldn't supply me with the missing stock files from the 2008 period of AMX home and when I asked questions about the prog.zip file all I got was "we're not aware of that file in AMX Home" and I didn't want to explain to TS about the prog.zip file. Now I realize why I never call TS. I'm glad others have had better results with TS but in the 1/2 a dozen or so times I've called in the last 10+ years I haven't been impressed.

Ahh goos fraba..... venting over!

vining

Well it turns out it was an issue with the MXT-1000i so to speak. On another thread I mentioned that this TP would go on then offline repeatedly when it was powered up or rebooted and on that thread JN suggested it was probably a power supply issue but a spare high power Pakedge POE midspan injector I had was dead so I continued using the standard Pakedge injector which by specs should have been adequate. After trying everything I could think of and getting absolutely nothing from TS I decided to try a POE port on the Cisco 2960 switch in the office, literally 10' away from my desk. I guess I didn't try this before cuz I didn't want to run a patch cable across the floor for a 5 minute test, yeah I know, what a dumb a$$. Long story short when powered from the switch I had no boot issues and more importantly my dynamic images worked fine from the local server, why, who the F knows but it would pull dynamic images from the web no problem for cover art but not from this particular local music server. Local cameras also worked prior, go figure. I've had reservations about the Pakedge POE injectors from installation with their APs but it didn't dawn on me that these TPs could be this temperamental, allowing most dynamic images to work while discriminating against this one music server. Oy vey!