Video of the initial SmartRemote boot

As the SmartRemote relies on connecting to myServer 6 automation controller to perform all tasks, setup myServer 6 controller first.  Some YouTube tutorials exist.  It is ALWAYS best to follow the text instructions for more details.  Use the YouTube tutorials as examples.

Record the myServer 6 IP address that you set it at,  and ensure the SmartRemote template is installed and renamed "smartremote". Then continue below to setup the SmartRemote on the myServer 6 network:

1. Unbox your new SmartRemote.
2. Connect the hub to it's USB power pack.
3. Connect the USB power pack to a 110V AC wall plug
4. Dock the SmartRemote in the hub and let it charge.  You will see the battery percent full on the screen.
5. Once the remote is charged, you can undock the SmartRemote (for ease of use) and then click the Power button on the right / upper side (long press).  A Long press of the power button gives you the option to reboot or shut it down.

Timeline:

0:19: You will see the Allonis Logo, followed by an "explosion" clip.

0:15: You will see a "circle". The software image is expanding the SmartRemote's memory at this point.

0:31: Once booted you will be at the Android Desktop.

00:45: Wait and the SmartRemote app will launch. You will see the SmartRemote.apk launching.

00:50: Once finished loading:

1. Click the "CONFIGURE WIFI" button.  Click the button twice for it to respond (normal).
2. Turn Wifi On (top right)

In a few seconds, you will see your available Wifi Access Points that are within RF range.

       3. Select the appropriate access point. 

Only connect the SmartRemote to the one Wifi Access Point that connects to myServer.  If you add a second wifi network, then the device might get on the wrong network and you'll wonder why the SmartRemote isn't able to control anything.  Of course, you might use the SmartRemote in two facilities, each having it's own Wifi network.  That's fine to configure both as the assumption is the SmartRemote won't see both of those networks at the same time and connect to the wrong one.

4. You can type that access point's password. You can click Show password to be sure you are selecting the correct letters / numbers from the tiny onscreen keyboard.

5. Once the password is entered, scroll down a bit and click on Advanced Options.

6. Recommended is to deselect DHCP and select Static addressing. This will allow the SmartRemote to connect to the network fast.

7. Type your correct IP address for the device. Ensure the IP address is not already in use ("ping" the chosen IP address from a network connected laptop and ensure no responses are seen), and if you set Static, then ensure the IP address is not in the DHCP range for the Router. You can click on the webpage to temporarily remove the on screen keyboard that may be covering the field you need to click on or see.

8. Type your Gateway IP address. Typically this is your Router's IP address on the LAN. (not WAN).

Type your Network Prefix Length.  Most networks use "24".  Android has a little bug entering information in these fields...make sure it doesn't add it's own digits to yours you type.  Delete them if they appear.

9. Type your DNS server 1 and 2 addresses. This can be provided by your Internet service provider. You can also use the default Google's DNS servers which are:  8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4

7:10: Once all of your info is entered, click the Connect button.  You should see that you are connected to the Internet.

Your SmartRemote should soon be on the network!

11. You can click the Back hard button to get back to the SmartRemote.apk

8:56: 12. Click Exit to close and then relaunch the SmartRemote app from the Desktop smartremote app logo.

9:17: If you are online, you should see the screen to enter your network information for myServer.

To Manually configure (be careful that you type in the correct information in each field!):

1. Type on the myServer IP Address box. The on screen keyboard will appear. Type myServer 6's IP address.

2. Next, click on the Project Name box. "smartremote" is the correct default folder name (the folder on myServer's webserver) (type with no quotes).  Note this name is case sensitive.  So, it's "smartremote", not "SmartRemote".

3. Click on the Clientname field. You can name your remote what you want.  For our purposes, we will call it "SmartRemote8".  Don't put spaces in the name.  Keep the name simple as it will be used in lots of macros and variables.

4. Click the Save button.  If you have a second myServer to configure, click on the Server #2 tab and enter that information.  Click Save.

The Default Connection is the server that will be used on startup.  You can also deselect but then you will need to choose which Server to connect to with each app startup.

This concludes all configurations that are done on the actual SmartRemote.  All user interface changes are made in "myDesigner".  All button actions are defined in myDesigner as well.  The rest of the configuration including all controlled device support is done in myServer 6 application.  The above configurations can be cleared and saved if the remote will be sold or gifted to someone else.

The SmartRemote.apk (the "app") will launch, check that it's on Wifi, connect to myServer 6, and load the user interface smartremote template home page that you defined.  If you don't see a webpage loaded, check your network settings, myServer connection settings and that you have a web project same name as the SmartRemote's connection settings are configured for.

Typically, once the webpage is loaded, you would click on the top of the webpage, select a user, then select which room you are in to control the devices in that room.  The "activate-room.study" macro will be fired if you chose the Study room.  This macro defines which device icons appear on the webpage and that webpage defines the function of the hard buttons (that you can edit in myDesigner).

Tidbit:  If you are testing the smartremote webpage on a browser NOT on the SmartRemote, you can go HOME by clicking the F5 button.

Note that a LONG press on the side power button will reboot the OS of the SmartRemote.  The Back and the Home button can be used to navigate the AndroidOS.  No other buttons are enabled unless the smartremote.apk is running and a smartremote webpage is displayed on the screen.

Note that any new webpage will take much longer to load.  On the second load, the graphics will already be saved in the SmartRemote cache to load quickly.  If you shutdown the smartremote.apk and restart it, then the long load time will start again until all pages are loaded once.

From a PC browser, go to myServer 6's Dashboard. Click on Management / Drivers / AndroidTV's configure button.

Click the Discover button. Soon, the powered on and networked SmartRemote will be added automatically. You should see it's power state in the Power Testing area. Here you can update the SmartRemote.apk if updates are available. The apk updates are distributed in myServer 6 updates. 

You can also test launching the smartremote.apk and shutting it down from within myServer's Driver dashboard.

The reset of the configuration is done in myServer 6's templates and macros, automation rules, etc.

System design consideration:  Infrared

One of the reasons for creating a new hardware build version of SmartRemote was to add an Infrared emitter in the nose of the remote. The previous version did not have this because we believe the better strategy is to use an IR "IP2IR" hub anywhere on the network where you have IR devices. ie: a distributed IR network. But then we got thinking, for simpler "one room" systems, it would be a little more cost effective just to do the standard "point and shoot" remote control use.

The user interface is generated by myServer's webserver and displayed on the remote's browser screen. Depending on which room you have selected to control, that room may have devices that are intended for "local IR" control. You still configure the IR codec to use (specific to the IR device) within myServer's IR application. A new myServer command was added "sendIR|ircode". This will grab the codec for that device from myServer, send it to the SmartRemote, which will then "play" that IR transmission to the IR device. And then your old fashioned (non IP) TV turns on.

Here is the more powerful infrastructure: SmartRemote <> Wifi <> myServer > IR codec <> ethernet <> IP2IR > IR emitter > IR > IR Device
And here is the new "Point and Shoot" that can coexist: SmartRemote <> Wifi <> myServer > IR codec > SmartRemote IR emitter > IR > IR Device

You could support IR in multiple rooms, each having the above choice for setup. With the IP2IR equipped room, you could manage that room's devices from anywhere and / or from a myServer automated schedule (turn the TV off at 10pm). With the new Local IR control, then certainly the SmartRemote needs to be in the room and pointed at the IR device.  If the SmartRemote was in the room (and booted), and pointed at the IR hardware, then technically it's possible to use it for automated events, but that is very impractical.  Hence our recommendation to use an IP2IR for IR.

Optional but nice to do: Updating the SmartRemote.apk (the "app" that lives on the SmartRemote)

6/26/2024: Allonis added support for the SmartRemote's backlighting of the hard buttons, revised algorithms for controlling screen on / off, and the new "Find my Remote" feature.  To enable these functions, you will need to be on latest myServer build, and latest SmartRemote Template. So, if you have a SmartRemote that is on the myServer network:

1) Install latest myServer build from myServer's Software Updater.
2) Ensure you also have latest AndroidTV Driver and have added your SmartRemote to the list of Android Devices.
3) Update to the latest SmartRemote Template.  Backup your custom webpages and change the smartremote-sampler file name to "smartremote" folder name.  You can also copy back your custom webpages from your backup.
4)  Restart myServer
5) Ensure that the SmartRemote is online.  You can ping it's IP address.  Advanced: you can do a "adb devices" from a terminal window on the myServer controller (Raspberry Pi / Linux versions only).  You should see your SmartRemote's IP on port 55055 as connected.
6) From the AndroidTV Driver Commands window, (do these steps carefully!) select "Forced Uninstall" and select the SmartRemote device ID and select the smartremote app.  Run the command.  The SmartRemote icon will be removed, and the SmartRemote will reboot itself.  Make sure you select "smartremote" so it gets included in the command to process!!!  Forced Uninstall command is only used to remove the original smartremote.apk from the SmartRemote.  Any subsequent uninstalls can be done with the "Uninstall" command which does not require a SmartRemote reboot.
7) Post reboot of the SmartRemote, do an "Install" from the AndroidTV Driver command list.  Select smartremote as the device type.  Run this command.
8) Soon, you should see the SmartRemote app icon on the SmartRemote.  Click to launch it.  If you don't see it, try swiping UP on the screen to see the list of installed applications.
9) Accept all permissions and select to add SmartRemote icon.
10) Click to launch the SmartRemote Icon.  You should automatically connect to your myServer instance if you had that setup as default.  If there wasn't a default, then you should click to Launch myServer.
11), Once the myServer smartremote home page is launched, you can click the Dot Dot Dot hard button.  You will see on the smartremote About.html page that you can change the timing behaviour of the hard buttons.  Default is for Backlight to never turn on.  Enable it to turn on the backlight when motion is detected that stays on for 15 seconds after no motion is detected.
12) The backlight timing to got to sleep is an Android settings.  Click on Dot Dot Dot and click on Exit SmartRemote button.  Go to Settings (Android OS) and click on Display.  Set Sleep timeout.  Default is 30 seconds.  Once set, you can leave the Android Settings by clicking the SmartRemote Back button a few times.
13) Launch the SmartRemote icon.  Once launched to go myServer and run the "FindMyRemote|<<myremotename>>" .  If the SmartRemote is sleeping (display off, but on the network), the remote will wake up (Screen and button backlight turns on) and a loud chime will be heard from the SmartRemote to assist you in locating it between the couch pillows.  You can put same command in a custom button using myDesigner if you want as well.  You might want to do this from the moonlightsmartphones or tablet user interface (since the SmartRemote is "lost").

Troubleshooting

If the SmartRemote loads to the Android Desktop, wait until the smartremote.apk auto launches.  Sometimes this can take a few seconds.

Once it loads, if there is no Auto Launch settings configured, you should see the settings tab.

If the project launches "to a white page", then that's likely because you don't have your myServer IP and the smartremote folder properly configured.  You can wipe all of these settings by clearing data/ cache in the smartremote.apk in the Android Desktop's Apps page.

You might not be able to reach the AndroidOS desktop to clean data.  If this is the case, myServer Pi needs to have ADB access.  This can be done within myServer's AndroidTV app (add the SmartRemote IP to the list of Android devices - which adds ADB connection to it).  You can also from a terminal session, type: "adb connect 192.168.1.48:55055" (use your IP address). Then, in Chrome (on the myServer controller), go to "chrome://inspect"  You should see the SmartRemote listed in the list of ADB connected devices.   Click "inspect" link in the SmartRemote's Remote Target section.

Go to the Apps tab and click the Application Tab.

You can adjust the myServer IP address and the project name (the myServer smartremote folder) as well as change the SmartRemote's computer name.

 SmartRemotes that are "off" in AndroidTVDriver will not show in Screencast view in Inspect. Turn it ON and it displays. So, the remote might be asleep.

Requirements:

• SmartRemote (one or more)
• SmartRemote Charging Hub and Micro USB charger (you can turn the ring light off using the button switch on the bottom of the hub)
• Wifi Access Point (not included in basic kit)
• myServer 6 automation controller
• AndroidTV Driver installed on myServer 6 (from Software Updater)
• SmartRemote user interface tempate (like "MoonLight SmartRemote").  Note, the smartremote-sample folder name is what downloads from myServer's Software Updater.  This needs to be changed to "smartremote" if your Settings specifies "smartremote".  You can use myDesigner to change the name, or File Explorer on Windows ("//myservername/wwwroot") from a network connected Windows PC, or directly via Raspberry OS File Manager (if you have a keyboard / mouse /monitor connected to myServer Controller).  You can even manage the file names using commands issued in the myServer's Dashboard Terminal Window application.

FAQ

• How long will the battery last?  We see times of about 12 hours with the remote off of charge and in Dim mode.  If you are actively using the remote, the time can be less.  Simply dock the remote inbetween use sessions.
• Why doesn't the display go black?  This has been addressed by an update to the smartremote.apk (the app that runs on the SmartRemote).  Update this via the latest myServer, latest AndroidTV driver, and to ForceUninstall the old apk and Install the new smartremote.apk.
• How do I close the SmartRemote app? Simply Long press the Home button to get to the smartremote folder's home page.  Then, click the "dot dot dot" hard button.  Click the Exit SmartRemote button.
• Functionality for short press, long press and numlock on the hard buttons:
  single click = short press
  press for 1 second = long press
  press home for 3 seconds = toggles numlock.

Advanced:

You can set a clientname / folder / myServer address in a client device (like SmartRemote) by running a command like:

ClientCmd|SetLaunchProperties|<project name>~<server ip>~<clientname>
Example:  ClientCmd|SetLaunchProperties|smartremote~192.168.1.216~smartremote8

When that macro is run, myServer reconfigures the client to connect to a different myServer instance - like when moving your SmartRemote from House to RV networks!

Your "smartremote" web folder:

You can create a "wwwroot/backups" directory and put your old (but maybe customized?) folder in there, and rename the latest smartremote-sample to smartremote
Then you are using the out of the box latest.
You move the old project folder out of wwwroot so they don't consume software licenses needed.

You should also clear Cache in all browsers (including myServer chrome).
You should exit the smartremote.apk and restart it to clear the SmartRemote's cache to load the latest javascript in the new -sample
You can then selectively bring in your custom webpages (david-office.html) into the new smartremote project folder.

Note - you can also rename smartremote to "davidhouse" and then use the second SmartRemote Settings connection tab to point to kylehouse folder.  Deselect Default connections so everytime the SmartRemote.apk launches, you choose which connection settings to use (Tab 2 for the example) and you then launch the custom kylehouse project folder.