Automatic Screen Rotation demo (look out iPhone!)

[Guest]

[terran]

Ok I got it to work. What a great program.

Glad you're enjoying it! Sorry I didn't stop in to make another suggestion to fix it. What was the problem?

[Tekara]

Okay, finally got my OQO back and was able to test it out. My one concern was the cpu usage and it's still up there. Running the auto-rotate program starts up a new wmiprvse.exe service which sucks up a steady 5-6% cpu.

Any chances on reducing the cpu drain on the program?

[terran]

I'm noticing that too. The wmiprvse.exe service is started by Windows. Unfortunately, I've not researched it enough to figure out what my program does that requires it.

Essentially, my program runs on a timer and does the following:

0) Program determines the OQO’s current orientation. This is done with absolute values and 2 number comparisons.

1) Program grabs the accelerometer data (it does this every X milliseconds, as determined by the user)

2) Based on the data it just grabbed, the Program determines the OQO’s new orientation and compares that with the previous orientation (doing nothing if the orientation comparison is the same)

3) If the new orientation is different, the program sets a flag saying that the orientation has changed.

4) The next time the data is grabbed, if that new orientation is the same as the prior one, the Program knows that the OQO has been held in that new orientation for the user-defined X milliseconds and then triggers the screen to change accordingly.

5) Reset the Flag, Rinse, and Repeat.

I’m not sure what would be causing that wmiprvse.exe process to be running constantly, especially since code is only executing every X ms…and not even very much code, at that. I’m open to any ideas on how to streamline the code, so fire away if you have any suggestions!

[Tekara]

Hehe, makes me wish I knew more about this kinda stuff! 

Well, hell, best I can think of is to start looking into why the auto-rotate program is dependant on wmiprvse. I'd wager it's the dependence more than the code itself that causes the steady cpu usage. Google suggest any correlation between the software you use to code the program and wmiprvse or perhaps any of the libraries you call up?

[terran]

I did find something about the wmiprvse.exe file...here's an excerpt:

Windows® Management Instrumentation (WMI) is a component of the Microsoft® Windows® operating system that provides management information and control in an enterprise environment. By using industry standards, managers can use WMI to query and set information on desktop systems, applications, networks, and other enterprise components. Developers can use WMI to create event monitoring applications that alert users when important incidents occur.

In addition to the .NET Framework, which is what this application is coded to use, the only files outside of the AutoRotate program itself are:
1) OQO's accelerometer interface file.
2) Microsoft's user32.dll, which monitors and changes the screen orientation if/when I tell it to.

My guess, based on the info above, is that the user32.dll file has ties to wmiprvse...since it's monitoring and changing the screen orientation. How do I minimize its usage? No idea. I'll continue looking.

[Kenrick]

I commented out the calls to the read the X and Y values from the accelerometer, and the WMI process seems to go away.  So I'm pretty sure it is from the accelerometer interface, not the screen orientation code.

In this case, I don't think there is much we can do to optimize (setting the sampling rate higher should help, but you'll have to hold the machine longer before the rotate kicks in) unless we can find a more efficient way to read the accelerometer.

[nivenh]

that process is definitely related to the accelerometer dll i gave you.  we talk to it via WMI.  in OQO Manager, i try not to ping our embedded controller in a loop like you do, but your situation is completely different from the ones i run into, in that the accel data is your event trigger.

i'm going to think on this a little to see if i can come up with a way to get it down.

[terran]

Agreed Kenrick: Raising the timer delay should help, in that regard. I had played around with minimizing the use of the 'dm' object (no longer keeping it as a global variable and only declaring/initializing/using it when the program was 'committed' to doing the rotation), but that didn't help at all. With Brandon's comments, we now have confirmation on what the cause is. Hopefully he/we can get something figured out.

Thanks for chiming in, guys!

[Intrakota]

Thanks for that Terran, some people are just too clever, i wouldn't know where to start.

[Vet3shaws]

I'm trying to get the auto rotating to work, but got some hiccups after installing it.  I find that the the screen doesn't rotate when doing the manual fn + rotate command.  Whether or not, although I can tell the track stick is doing something funny.  Going one way, but pointing the other...  I press up, and it moves up correctly, that is if only the screen was rotated likewise.  So gotta get the screen manual rotation working.

I think I'll try to change my video RAM and see what happens.  Maybe reinstall the 23 drivers first, OQO manager, and see what next.

[devGOD]

I tried it out but ended up uninstalling after about a day of usage. I wanted my cpu usage back and figured the 1-2 sec it takes for the screen rotate I can do it manually with the keyboard.

but still a nice app though

[Vet3shaws]

I'm so glad I got normal rotating to work!  Just reinstalled the S3 drivers from OQO, and chose to install OQO manager after a reset.  (While resetting I reduced Video RAM from 64 to 16 to maximize regular RAM.)  Without reinstalling OQO manager, rotating was fixed by the S3 reinstall.

I tried it out but ended up uninstalling after about a day of usage. I wanted my cpu usage back and figured the 1-2 sec it takes for the screen rotate I can do it manually with the keyboard.

but still a nice app though

Y'know, normal rotating only allows me to rotate between primary landscape and primary portrait mode.  That's really not enough.  I should be able to rotate to full 180, so I can use secondary landscape.  It's really useful!  Not with auto-rotate I can do that, and quite easily and snappy.  With Vista's lame 3-D stuff gone, it's fast as I'd like it to be.

The situation is like this.  You sit down and use your OQO in your KB stand, say at a class room.  When the charge is gone, how do you charge it, while use it in the KB Stand, all without straining the plug and maybe use a USB key??  (I use my mini-stand that comes with the Stowaway KB, which only gives a minor strain, not really any!)  Well easy fix, flip it upside down.  No need to click through the short cut that doesn't do 180.  Just flip it over and it does it fast!  Say I need to walk out during a break.  I just grab and go, and it'll auto flip for built-in thumb board for me.  That's convenient.

[Opus]

I like keeping the auto rotate in my system tray but disabled. Then while inking with the screen closed I can enable & rotate, then disable it with my pen until I need to rotate again.

Would be nice to just set up a system tray control to manually rotate via right click menu or toggle click like it does now to disable/enable auto rotate. Makes my 02 more penabled without having to FN Rotate.

[Kenrick]

I like keeping the auto rotate in my system tray but disabled. Then while inking with the screen closed I can enable & rotate, then disable it with my pen until I need to rotate again.

Would be nice to just set up a system tray control to manually rotate via right click menu or toggle click like it does now to disable/enable auto rotate. Makes my 02 more penabled without having to FN Rotate.

That would be really easy to add.  If you install the S3 drivers there is a systray icon that lets you do that, although it doesn't rotate the touch scrollers or mouse for you.  I haven't seen terran on here in a while, so if he's not around I could add that when I have some down time.

vet3shaws: I did write a 180 rotate toggle program that you could find if search the forums...

[deadserious]

For the record, I have found that PokerStars locks up when the rotation app is running.  Don't know if it effects other applications.