Use Aleratec Roboracer LS Duplex under Linux to automate daily dvd backups

This is a successor to my another post published a few days ago: http://ricochen.wordpress.com/2009/07/14/use-aleratec-roboracer-cddvd-duplicator-under-linux/

#!/bin/bash
# script to control RoboRacer LS Duplex under linux

ADMIN=change_to@admin.email.address
DEBUG=1
DEV=`dmesg|awk '/pl2303.*ttyUSB/{print $NF;exit}'|tr -d ' '`
if [ -n "$DEV" ]; then
	DEV=/dev/$DEV
	if [ ! -c $DEV ]; then
		info="pl2303 port does not exist, make sure \
			RoboRacer LS Duplex is connected. If\
			so please reboot it and try again."
		rpr "Problem" "$info"
		exit 1
	fi
fi
# change the following device names if needed, if there
# are no other drives other than the Duplex's then most likely
# the names will be /dev/sr0 and /dev/sr1 
TOPDRIVE=/dev/sr1
BOTTOMDRIVE=/dev/sr2
SCRIPT=${0##*/}

rpr() {
	if [ -n "$ADMIN" ]; then
		echo -e "$2" | mail -s "`hostname -f` \
		RoboRacer: $1" $ADMIN
	fi
}
usage() {
	echo ">>Examples:"
	echo "$SCRIPT demo"
	echo "$SCRIPT load_topdrive"
	echo "$SCRIPT load_bottomdrive"
	echo "$SCRIPT eject_topdrive"
	echo "$SCRIPT retrieve_topdrive"
	echo "$SCRIPT eject_bottomdrive"
	echo "$SCRIPT retrieve_bottomdrive"
	echo "$SCRIPT remove_disc_topdrive"
	echo "$SCRIPT remove_disc_bottomdrive"
	echo "$SCRIPT top_hand_small"
	echo "$SCRIPT top_hand_big"
	echo "$SCRIPT top_hand_back"
	echo "$SCRIPT bottom_hand_small"
	echo "$SCRIPT bottom_hand_big"
	echo "$SCRIPT bottom_hand_back"
	echo "$SCRIPT top_tray_load_disc"
}

w() {
	echo -e "$1" >$DEV
}

ww() {
	case $1 in
		top_hand_small)	w !BNKRG95;;	#top handle turns a small angle
		top_hand_big)	w !BNKRB90;;	#top handle turns a big angle
		top_hand_back)	w !BNKRH96;;	#top handle turns back to origin
		bottom_hand_small)w !BNKPG93;;	#bottom handle turns small angle
		bottom_hand_big) w !BNKPB8E;;	#bottom handle turns a big angle
		bottom_hand_back) w !BNKPH94;;	#bottom handle turns back to origin
		top_tray_load_disc)	w !BNKDP90;;	#release one disc from the top disc loader
		1)	w !BNKLF8E;;
		2)	w !BNKFG89;;
		10)	w !BNKLG8F;;
		13)	w !BNKSTA3;;
		*)
			echo "unsupported parameter" && exit 0
			;;
	esac
	sleep 2
}

eject_topdrive() {
	[ -b $TOPDRIVE ] && /bin/eject $TOPDRIVE || echo "$TOPDRIVE does not exist"
}

retrieve_topdrive() {
	[ -b $TOPDRIVE ] && /bin/eject -t $TOPDRIVE || echo "$TOPDRIVE does not exist"
}

eject_bottomdrive() {
	[ -b $BOTTOMDRIVE ] && /bin/eject $BOTTOMDRIVE || echo "$BOTTOMDRIVE does not exist"
}

retrieve_bottomdrive() {
	[ -b $BOTTOMDRIVE ] && /bin/eject -t $BOTTOMDRIVE || echo "$BOTTOMDRIVE does not exist"
}

load_topdrive() {
	eject_topdrive
	ww top_hand_small
	ww top_hand_back
	ww top_tray_load_disc
	retrieve_topdrive
	[ $DEBUG -eq 1 ] && echo "Top drive $TOPDRIVE is loaded"
}

load_bottomdrive() {
	eject_bottomdrive && sleep 2
	ww bottom_hand_small
	ww bottom_hand_back
	ww top_hand_big
	eject_topdrive && sleep 2
	retrieve_bottomdrive
	ww top_hand_back
	retrieve_topdrive && sleep 2
	[ $DEBUG -eq 1 ] && echo "Bottom drive $BOTTOMDRIVE is loaded"
}
remove_disc_topdrive() {
	ww top_hand_back
	eject_topdrive && sleep 2
	ww top_hand_small
	ww top_hand_back
	retrieve_topdrive
	[ $DEBUG -eq 1 ] && echo "Disc removed from top drive $TOPDRIVE."
}
remove_disc_bottomdrive() {
	ww bottom_hand_back
	eject_bottomdrive && sleep 2
	ww bottom_hand_small
	ww bottom_hand_back
	retrieve_bottomdrive
	[ $DEBUG -eq 1 ] && echo "Disc removed from bottom drive $BOTTOMDRIVE."
}

demo() {
	echo "executing $0 load_topdrive"
	load_topdrive
	echo "Simulating writing data to disc in top drive"
	sleep 5
	echo "executing $0 load_bottomdrive"
	echo "Loading disc from top drive to bottom drive"
	load_bottomdrive
	echo "Simulating labeling disc in bottom drive"
	sleep 5
	echo "executing $0 remove_disc_bottomdrive"
	echo "Removing disc from bottom drive"
	remove_disc_bottomdrive
	echo "Done."
}
if [ -c $DEV -a -b $TOPDRIVE -a -b $BOTTOMDRIVE ]; then
	case $1 in
		demo)
				demo;;
		load_topdrive)
				load_topdrive;;
		load_bottomdrive)
				load_bottomdrive;;
		eject_topdrive)
				eject_topdrive;;
		retrieve_topdrive)
				retrieve_topdrive;;
		eject_bottomdrive)
				eject_bottomdrive;;
		retrieve_bottomdrive)
				retrieve_bottomdrive;;
		remove_disc_bottomdrive)
				remove_disc_bottomdrive;;
		remove_disc_topdrive)
				remove_disc_topdrive;;
		top*|bottom*|1|2|10|13)
				ww $1;;
			*)
				usage;;
	esac
else
	[ $DEBUG -ne 1 ] && rpr "Problem" "Check dud burner's connection"
fi

The above script is the major part of a dvd email archiving application that I have developed recently. With the help of USB Sniffer (current version 1.8) I am able to get those magic control strings. What amazed me is that under Linux, this duplicator doubles as a true robotic dvd archiver — all processes, from generating iso files to light-scribing labels, run ompletely without user interference. The only thing needs to be done is to load empty discs (capacity: 100 discs) and collect them once a while. Basically I use the above script in this way:
1) Generate daily (encrypted) email archive
2) Generate weekly iso’s
3) When iso is ready, burn the iso file on the first tray on the Duplex
4) Use python Image Library to generate a .bmp file with the date-range of the archives as the label for the following step
5) Light-scribe the disc on the second tray with data side faced-up.
6) Disc removed from the second tray into the dvd holder.

Advertisement