At work we currently have a computer that displays what needs to be done to the staff.
It has two screens that is positioned about 25 and 50 m from the computer and we use HDMI cables, signal boosters and splitters to make it work.
We are currently building a new warehouse and we probably need the same for this building but we need to extend it even further.
Probably like 50 m (150 feet) and 100 m (300 feet).
My hopes of getting HDMI with boosters to work is not great as it was quite finicky to make it work in this building.
What kind of options is possible?
Or is the only solution to make some kind of alternative setup where you, for instance create a webpage that is displayed on the other screens from local computers where the screens are?
I figured someone here might have some knowledge in this area.
He means that the X Window System, used pretty much universally by Linux based systems, can be routed over the network. You can have a āthin clientā operating a server that could technically be on the other side of the planet. This assumes you run something that uses X, in practice that means mostly Linux. It also comes with a lot of small caveats and can be quite a headache to set up and get to work.
Easier options are HDMI-over-IP or KVM over IP adapters or VNC.
If you are already faffing about with boosters and long long HDMI cables, you might want to simply look in to HDMI over Cat5 - works perfectly reliable for me, providing you arenāt trying to shove 4K, HDR stuff down it.
I believe Linux stuff is not possible due to company restrictions.
I believe the cables we use now is HDMI over ethernet.
I remember them as being āspecialā and directional. But it was a few years ago since they where installed.
Iāll look in to the other options.
Another option I can think of is to share the data as a webpage from the office and have computers out by the screens that auto update the webpage every now and then.
You just need a little computer that can run a VNC client, Remote Desktop Client, teamViewer Client or a number of other remote admin clients, and then a server of the same protocol at the other end.
They all run over the network, so no need for insane hdmi setups.
RDP would probably not work, even though its a builtin windows feature, because it will blank the main screen.
VNC would be perfect still and a old obsolete computer could easily run the client on windows.
For connection you can lay a standard network cable up to 100m with the specifications, but it might even be possible to lay it further, especially if you use STP cables instead of UTP.
As alternatives to normal network cable you can also switch to fiber or different DSL modems and then we are talking 500m-2000m or more.
There solutions have to added benefit that your extend you network to the other location too and not just a screen output, so you can connect other devices, like printers, access points and normal computers too.
Yes itās Excel.
The person in the office moves the Excel window to the āoutsideā and then opens a user form that he interacts with the sheet on from the screen in front of him.
But this can easily be changed to be a html output.
The VBA code just needs to create a html file instead and send it somewhere where itās viewable by the other computers.
Yesā¦
A few years ago I purposed we installed a free DOS software that could split pdf files and send each part to a printer.
This would enable us to get printed and stapled shipping documents, instead of the software printing say 30-60 pages and you need to organize and staple every five documents.
One person had this as his job 7 days a week, on two shifts, on 8 warehouses.
Thatās 7 x 2 x 8 x 8 hours every week that could more or less be removed.
Dismissed!
Regarding network connections, yes. That is why Iām asking now so that we can get network to these points from start.
There will be cables anyway for cameras, so itās probably just a matter of making sure there is two cables.
The simple solution is probably a thin client with webpage view.
But I really like the idea with the IR blaster since that means you could turn on and off the screens from the office.
Meaning less chance of remotes that disappear.
Thank you all for all the suggestions, it has been helpful and Iāll talk to those in charge and see what options is allowed (if any )
Chances are that your Thin Clients will end up being something like Raspberry Piās - and you can easily set them up to listen to commands over the network - eg MQTT, to turn on and off the monitor it is connected to.
I had same pushback at Hospital as I try to implement RasPi for various projects.
At the end of day IT allowed it.
I had them provide NO internal network access and place command and control on external server and at one point google drive. Not sure of physical constraint but using separate network could be solutions as well
Physical HDMI works but honestly at that point itād be easier to give PI wifi access that connect direct to some PC and physically walk over to them and modify file (i presumed it modified once per day but if not maybe this is much). Although I used it I am not a fan of the physical HDMI over 100ā mostly due to cost and fact that easier and flexibile option is web device
Can computers running windows send HDMI CEC commands?
Iāll look in to that!
Most likely the thin clients is windows based.
The company has a PC model we use for information purposes.
It has limited access to the network and has a software that it can be remotely controlled. Not like you can move the mouse but you can tell the computer want file or webpage to display.
I donāt think the company cares about the cost if itās a computer or a Raspberry, to them itās just one more and the fact that itās easier to replace and maintain is probably worth more.
But either way itās based on the same principle a device that displays a webpage, and Iāll leave it to them to choose the device.
The file that is used is modified about every ten minutes or so.
Chances are it will be more often in the new site.
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