irControl

Architectural Dossier

irControl (GitHub Repository) is an open-source Windows desktop application engineered for Gordon College of Education to centralize and automate audiovisual classroom management across academic lecture halls.

The Operational Challenge

In educational institutions, classroom projectors span diverse manufacturers and hardware models (Epson, NEC, ViewSonic, Panasonic), each requiring separate physical remotes. Remotes were frequently misplaced, ran out of batteries, or created confusion for teaching staff at the start of lectures, generating continuous urgent IT support tickets.

The Solution: Direct Hardware Serial Control

Dmitry developed irControl to control classroom projectors directly from the teacher’s podium PC:

• Hardware Integration via RS-232: Directly communicates with projector hardware over RS-232 serial communication using Node SerialPort, issuing vendor-specific hex/ASCII control packets.
• Unified Multi-Model Profiles: Single, intuitive teacher-facing interface allowing staff to power projectors on/off, switch input sources (HDMI, PC, DocCam), adjust picture modes, and freeze displays without touching physical remotes.
• Restricted Administrative Mode: Protected configuration settings for AV technicians to calibrate baud rates, COM ports, and projector profiles.
• Release Automation & Self-Updates: Packaged for Windows via Squirrel and Electron Forge with automated GitHub-based release publishing (~163 commits, version 1.7.11, MIT licensed).

Public Testimonial

“Dmitry built the application from scratch for our campus lecture halls. His technical problem-solving, work quality, dedication, and focus on creating a simple experience for non-technical lecturers permanently resolved our daily classroom AV friction.”
— Daniel Shahinian, Systems Manager, Gordon College of Education