libLGTV_serial is a Python library to control LG TVs via their serial (RS232) port. It aims to reduce the legwork needed to use this functionality on your TV - simply enter your TV model number and serial port and you're good to go!
- Python 3.x
- The pyserial module
- Windows: http://pypi.python.org/pypi/pyserial
- Debian/Ubuntu Linux: sudo apt-get install python-serial
This has only been tested on Windows, and on a 42LK450 LG LCD TV. However...
- I am fairly certain that it will work on Linux and Mac OS X as well
- A large number of LG TVs are supported, a full list can be found on the wiki. If your model isn't listed there, you can...
- Modify the code and add it yourself. The code is pretty simple and straightforward. Look up the codes from the Owner's Manual on the included CD-ROM or from LG's Support Website (Look for the section titled "EXTERNAL CONTROL THROUGH RS-232C"). If you added your model this way I would really appreciate a pull request! =)
- OR
- Create a feature request in the Issues page or if you don't want to create a github account you can email me at [email protected]
Get the files through the "Downloads" link on the top right. Currently I'm using the library through the LGTV.py script, which is invoked everytime certain buttons are pressed on my HDTV remote. The script is also a simple example of what the library can do and should be enough for most needs. (However, there's no reason you can't use the library in other ways, such as in a client-server configuration.) The first things you should be doing is to change the model to match your TV and also change the serial port to match yours. You can then run the available_commands.py script to view all available commands for your TV (make sure to set the correct TV model here too). Now, to send one of those commands to the TV, all you have to do is invoke the script with the command, like this:
python LGTV.py --togglepower
Toggles are commands that flip between 2 states, such as power on/off. LGTV.py contains an example of how you can add toggles you want to use, namely:
tv.add_toggle('input', 'inputrgbpc', 'inputdigitalcable')
From then on, when you pass in '--toggleinput' to the script, it will switch between the 'inputrgbpc' and 'inputdigitalcable' to send to the TV. The 'togglepower' and 'togglemute' toggles are already included for your convenience.
Sometimes a single remote button press is detected as many. For example, EventGhost generates over 10 events every time the power button on my HDTV remote is pressed. libLGTV_serial takes care of this for you, but you have to specify which commands you're having trouble with. In my case, it looks like
tv.debounce('togglepower')
This will make sure that all 'togglepower' calls within 0.5 seconds of the first one are ignored. If you want to use a duration other than 0.5 seconds, include it as a 2nd argument, for example:
tv.debounce('togglepower', 0.7)
I'll add more features as there's demand for them. Some that I forsee are:
- Covering more of the available commands
- Python 2.x support
- Switching to a listening server model to improve performance
Either create a feature request on the issues page or email me if theres stuff you'd like added.
Same goes for any bugs you find, create an issue or email me.
And contributions are very much welcome!
- Jon Smith's blog post which is the core of the library
- Evan Fosmark for filelock.py