feat: modify factory loading

Updating IDeviceFactory to resolve [FEATURE]-Refactor Plugin loading mechanism  #1065.
This change should be backwards-compatible with existing plugins that use the EssentialsPluginDeviceFactory<T> class,
as the interfaces are implemented by the various base classes.

In addition, the correct assembly name is now printed when a type is loaded.

src/PepperDash.Essentials.Core/Devices/DeviceManager.cs

@@ -8,16 +8,15 @@ using System.Linq;
 using System.Text.RegularExpressions;
 
 
-namespace PepperDash.Essentials.Core
+namespace PepperDash.Essentials.Core;
+
+public static class DeviceManager
 {
-    public static class DeviceManager
-    {
     public static event EventHandler<EventArgs> AllDevicesActivated;
     public static event EventHandler<EventArgs> AllDevicesRegistered;
     public static event EventHandler<EventArgs> AllDevicesInitialized;
 
     private static readonly CCriticalSection DeviceCriticalSection = new CCriticalSection();
-        private static readonly CEvent AllowAddDevicesCEvent = new CEvent(false, true);
 
     //public static List<Device> Devices { get { return _Devices; } }
     //static List<Device> _Devices = new List<Device>();
@@ -27,13 +26,22 @@ namespace PepperDash.Essentials.Core
     /// <summary>
     /// Returns a copy of all the devices in a list
     /// </summary>
-        public static List<IKeyed> AllDevices { get { return new List<IKeyed>(Devices.Values); } }
+    public static List<IKeyed> AllDevices => [.. Devices.Values];
 
     public static bool AddDeviceEnabled;
 
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Initializes the control system by enabling device management and registering console commands.
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <remarks>This method sets up the control system for device management by enabling the addition of
+    /// devices  and registering a series of console commands for interacting with devices. These commands allow 
+    /// operators to list device statuses, feedbacks, and managed devices, as well as perform actions  such as
+    /// simulating communication, debugging device streams, and accessing device properties and methods.</remarks>
+    /// <param name="cs">The <see cref="CrestronControlSystem"/> instance representing the control system to initialize.</param>
     public static void Initialize(CrestronControlSystem cs)
     {
         AddDeviceEnabled = true;
+
         CrestronConsole.AddNewConsoleCommand(ListDeviceCommStatuses, "devcommstatus", "Lists the communication status of all devices",
             ConsoleAccessLevelEnum.AccessOperator);
         CrestronConsole.AddNewConsoleCommand(ListDeviceFeedbacks, "devfb", "Lists current feedbacks",
@@ -504,5 +512,4 @@ namespace PepperDash.Essentials.Core
             }
         }
     }
-    }
 }

src/PepperDash.Essentials.Core/Factory/DeviceFactory.cs

@@ -9,45 +9,133 @@ using Serilog.Events;
 using System;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
 using System.Linq;
+using System.ComponentModel.DataAnnotations;
+using System.IO;
 
-namespace PepperDash.Essentials.Core
+namespace PepperDash.Essentials.Core;
+
+/// <summary>
+/// Represents a wrapper for a device factory, encapsulating the type of device,  a description, and a factory method
+/// for creating device instances.
+/// </summary>
+/// <remarks>This class is designed to provide a convenient way to store and manage  metadata and factory methods
+/// for creating devices based on a given configuration.</remarks>
+public class DeviceFactoryWrapper
 {
-    public class DeviceFactoryWrapper
-    {
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Gets or sets the type associated with the current instance.
+    /// </summary>
     public Type Type { get; set; }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Gets or sets the description associated with the object.
+    /// </summary>
     public string Description { get; set; }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Gets or sets the factory method used to create an <see cref="IKeyed"/> instance based on the provided <see
+    /// cref="DeviceConfig"/>.
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <remarks>The factory method allows customization of how <see cref="IKeyed"/> instances are created for
+    /// specific <see cref="DeviceConfig"/> inputs. Ensure the delegate is not null before invoking it.</remarks>
     public Func<DeviceConfig, IKeyed> FactoryMethod { get; set; }
 
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Initializes a new instance of the <see cref="DeviceFactoryWrapper"/> class with default values.
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <remarks>The <see cref="Type"/> property is initialized to <see langword="null"/>, and the <see
+    /// cref="Description"/>  property is set to "Not Available".</remarks>
     public DeviceFactoryWrapper()
     {
         Type = null;
         Description = "Not Available";
     }
-    }
+}
 
-    public class DeviceFactory
-    {
+/// <summary>
+/// Provides functionality for managing and registering device factories, including loading plugin-based factories and
+/// retrieving devices based on their configuration.
+/// </summary>
+/// <remarks>The <see cref="DeviceFactory"/> class is responsible for discovering and registering device factories
+/// from plugins, as well as providing methods to retrieve devices based on their configuration. It maintains a
+/// collection of factory methods that are keyed by device type names, allowing for extensibility through plugins. This
+/// class also handles metadata retrieval and secret management for device configurations.</remarks>
+public class DeviceFactory
+{
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Initializes a new instance of the <see cref="DeviceFactory"/> class and loads all available device factories
+    /// from the current assembly.
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <remarks>This constructor scans the executing assembly for types that implement the <see
+    /// cref="IDeviceFactory"/> interface and are not abstract or interfaces. For each valid type, an instance is
+    /// created and passed to the  <c>LoadDeviceFactories</c> method for further processing.  If a type cannot be
+    /// instantiated, an informational log message is generated, and the process continues with the remaining
+    /// types.</remarks>
     public DeviceFactory()
     {        
-            var assy = Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly();
-            PluginLoader.SetEssentialsAssembly(assy.GetName().Name, assy);
+        var programAssemblies = Directory.GetFiles(InitialParametersClass.ProgramDirectory.ToString(), "*.dll");
 
-            var types = assy.GetTypes().Where(ct => typeof(IDeviceFactory).IsAssignableFrom(ct) && !ct.IsInterface && !ct.IsAbstract);
-
-            if (types != null)
+        foreach(var assembly in programAssemblies)
         {
+            try
+            {
+                Assembly.LoadFrom(assembly);                
+            }
+            catch (Exception e)
+            {
+                Debug.LogError("Unable to load assembly: {assemblyName} - {message}", assembly, e.Message);
+            }
+        }
+
+        var loadedAssemblies = AppDomain.CurrentDomain.GetAssemblies();            
+
+        // Loop through all loaded assemblies that contain at least 1 type that implements IDeviceFactory
+        foreach (var assembly in loadedAssemblies)
+        {
+            Debug.LogDebug("loaded assembly: {assemblyName}", assembly.GetName().Name);
+
+            PluginLoader.AddLoadedAssembly(assembly.GetName().Name, assembly);
+
+            var types = assembly.GetTypes().Where(ct => typeof(IDeviceFactory).IsAssignableFrom(ct) && !ct.IsInterface && !ct.IsAbstract);
+
+            if(types == null || !types.Any())
+            {
+                Debug.LogDebug("No DeviceFactory types found in assembly: {assemblyName}", assembly.GetName().Name);
+                continue;
+            }
+
             foreach (var type in types)
             {
                 try
                 {
                     var factory = (IDeviceFactory)Activator.CreateInstance(type);
-                        factory.LoadTypeFactories();
+                    LoadDeviceFactories(factory);
                 }
                 catch (Exception e)
                 {
-                        Debug.LogMessage(LogEventLevel.Information, "Unable to load type: '{1}' DeviceFactory: {0}", e, type.Name);
+                    Debug.LogError("Unable to load type: '{message}' DeviceFactory: {type}", e.Message, type.Name);
                 }
             }
+            
+        }        
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Loads device factories from the specified plugin device factory and registers them for use.
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <remarks>This method retrieves metadata from the provided <paramref name="deviceFactory"/>, including
+    /// type names, descriptions, and configuration snippets, and registers the factory for each device type. The type
+    /// names are converted to lowercase for registration.</remarks>
+    /// <param name="deviceFactory">The plugin device factory that provides the device types, descriptions, and factory methods to be registered.</param>
+    private static void LoadDeviceFactories(IDeviceFactory deviceFactory)
+    {
+        foreach (var typeName in deviceFactory.TypeNames)
+        {
+            //Debug.LogMessage(LogEventLevel.Verbose, "Getting Description Attribute from class: '{0}'", typeof(T).FullName);
+            var descriptionAttribute = deviceFactory.FactoryType.GetCustomAttributes(typeof(DescriptionAttribute), true) as DescriptionAttribute[];
+            string description = descriptionAttribute[0].Description;
+            var snippetAttribute = deviceFactory.FactoryType.GetCustomAttributes(typeof(ConfigSnippetAttribute), true) as ConfigSnippetAttribute[];
+            AddFactoryForType(typeName.ToLower(), description, deviceFactory.FactoryType, deviceFactory.BuildDevice);
         }
     }
 
@@ -55,46 +143,57 @@ namespace PepperDash.Essentials.Core
     /// A dictionary of factory methods, keyed by config types, added by plugins.
     /// These methods are looked up and called by GetDevice in this class.
     /// </summary>
-		static Dictionary<string, DeviceFactoryWrapper> FactoryMethods =
-            new Dictionary<string, DeviceFactoryWrapper>(StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase);
+    private static readonly Dictionary<string, DeviceFactoryWrapper> FactoryMethods =
+        new(StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase);
 
 	/// <summary>
-		/// Adds a plugin factory method
+    /// Registers a factory method for creating instances of a specific type.
     /// </summary>
-		/// <param name="dc"></param>
-		/// <returns></returns>
+    /// <remarks>This method associates a type name with a factory method, allowing instances of the type to
+    /// be created dynamically. The factory method is stored internally and can be retrieved or invoked as
+    /// needed.</remarks>
+    /// <param name="typeName">The name of the type for which the factory method is being registered. This value cannot be null or empty.</param>
+    /// <param name="method">A delegate that defines the factory method. The delegate takes a <see cref="DeviceConfig"/> parameter and
+    /// returns an instance of <see cref="IKeyed"/>.</param>
 	public static void AddFactoryForType(string typeName, Func<DeviceConfig, IKeyed> method) 
 	{    
-            //Debug.LogMessage(LogEventLevel.Debug, "Adding factory method for type '{0}'", typeName);
-            DeviceFactory.FactoryMethods.Add(typeName, new DeviceFactoryWrapper() { FactoryMethod = method});
+        FactoryMethods.Add(typeName, new DeviceFactoryWrapper() { FactoryMethod = method});
 	}
 
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Registers a factory method for creating instances of a specific device type.
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <remarks>If a factory method for the specified <paramref name="typeName"/> already exists, the method
+    /// will not overwrite it and will log an informational message instead.</remarks>
+    /// <param name="typeName">The unique name of the device type. This serves as the key for identifying the factory method.</param>
+    /// <param name="description">A brief description of the device type. This is used for informational purposes.</param>
+    /// <param name="Type">The <see cref="Type"/> of the device being registered. This represents the runtime type of the device.</param>
+    /// <param name="method">A factory method that takes a <see cref="DeviceConfig"/> as input and returns an instance of <see
+    /// cref="IKeyed"/>.</param>
     public static void AddFactoryForType(string typeName, string description, Type Type, Func<DeviceConfig, IKeyed> method)
     {
-            //Debug.LogMessage(LogEventLevel.Debug, "Adding factory method for type '{0}'", typeName);
-
         if(FactoryMethods.ContainsKey(typeName))
         {
-                Debug.LogMessage(LogEventLevel.Information, "Unable to add type: '{0}'.  Already exists in DeviceFactory", typeName);
+            Debug.LogInformation("Unable to add type: '{typeName}'.  Already exists in DeviceFactory", typeName);
             return;
         }
 
         var wrapper = new DeviceFactoryWrapper() { Type = Type, Description = description, FactoryMethod = method };
-            DeviceFactory.FactoryMethods.Add(typeName, wrapper);
+
+        FactoryMethods.Add(typeName, wrapper);
     }
 
     private static void CheckForSecrets(IEnumerable<JProperty> obj)
     {
         foreach (var prop in obj.Where(prop => prop.Value as JObject != null))
         {
-                if (prop.Name.ToLower() == "secret")
+            if (prop.Name.Equals("secret", StringComparison.CurrentCultureIgnoreCase))
             {
                 var secret = GetSecret(prop.Children().First().ToObject<SecretsPropertiesConfig>());
-                    //var secret = GetSecret(JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<SecretsPropertiesConfig>(prop.Children().First().ToString()));
+                
                 prop.Parent.Replace(secret);
             }
-                var recurseProp = prop.Value as JObject;
-                if (recurseProp == null) return;
+            if (prop.Value is not JObject recurseProp) return;
             CheckForSecrets(recurseProp.Properties());
         }
     }
@@ -108,56 +207,66 @@ namespace PepperDash.Essentials.Core
         Debug.LogMessage(LogEventLevel.Debug,
             "Unable to retrieve secret {0}{1} - Make sure you've added it to the secrets provider",
             data.Provider, data.Key);
-            return String.Empty;
+        return string.Empty;
     }
 
 
     /// <summary>
-        /// The factory method for Core "things". Also iterates the Factory methods that have
-        /// been loaded from plugins
+    /// Creates and returns a device instance based on the provided <see cref="DeviceConfig"/>.
     /// </summary>
-        /// <param name="dc"></param>
-        /// <returns></returns>
+    /// <remarks>This method attempts to create a device using the type specified in the <paramref name="dc"/>
+    /// parameter. If the type corresponds to a registered factory method, the device is created and returned. If the
+    /// type is unrecognized or an exception occurs, the method logs the error and returns <see
+    /// langword="null"/>.</remarks>
+    /// <param name="dc">The configuration object containing the key, name, type, and properties required to create the device.</param>
+    /// <returns>An instance of a device that implements <see cref="IKeyed"/>, or <see langword="null"/> if the device type is
+    /// not recognized or an error occurs during creation.</returns>
     public static IKeyed GetDevice(DeviceConfig dc)
     {
         try
         {            
-                Debug.LogMessage(LogEventLevel.Information, "Loading '{0}' from Essentials Core", dc.Type);
-
             var localDc = new DeviceConfig(dc);
 
             var key = localDc.Key;
             var name = localDc.Name;
             var type = localDc.Type;
             var properties = localDc.Properties;
-                //var propRecurse = properties;
 
             var typeName = localDc.Type.ToLower();
 
-
-                var jObject = properties as JObject;
-                if (jObject != null)
+            if (properties is JObject jObject)
             {
                 var jProp = jObject.Properties();
 
                 CheckForSecrets(jProp);
             }
 
-                Debug.LogMessage(LogEventLevel.Verbose, "typeName = {0}", typeName);
+            if (!FactoryMethods.TryGetValue(typeName, out var wrapper))
+            {
+                Debug.LogWarning("Device type '{typeName}' not found in DeviceFactory", typeName);
+                return null;
+            }
+
+            Debug.LogInformation("Loading '{type}' from {assemblyName}", typeName, wrapper.Type.Assembly.FullName);
+
             // Check for types that have been added by plugin dlls.
-                return !FactoryMethods.ContainsKey(typeName) ? null : FactoryMethods[typeName].FactoryMethod(localDc);
+            return wrapper.FactoryMethod(localDc);
         }
         catch (Exception ex)
         {
-                Debug.LogMessage(ex, "Exception occurred while creating device {0}: {1}", null, dc.Key, ex.Message);
+            Debug.LogError(ex, "Exception occurred while creating device {0}: {1}", null, dc.Key, ex.Message);
             return null;
         }
     }
 
     /// <summary>
-        /// Prints the type names and associated metadata from the FactoryMethods collection.
+    /// Displays a list of device factory types that match the specified filter.
     /// </summary>
-        /// <param name="filter"></param>
+    /// <remarks>The method outputs the filtered list of device factory types to the console, including their
+    /// key, type, and description. If a type is not specified by the plugin, it will be displayed as "Not Specified by
+    /// Plugin."</remarks>
+    /// <param name="filter">A string used to filter the device factory types by their keys. If the filter is null or empty, all device
+    /// factory types are displayed.</param>
     public static void GetDeviceFactoryTypes(string filter)
     {
         var types = !string.IsNullOrEmpty(filter)
@@ -184,15 +293,16 @@ namespace PepperDash.Essentials.Core
     }
 
 	/// <summary>
-		/// Returns the device factory dictionary
+    /// Retrieves a dictionary of device factory wrappers, optionally filtered by a specified string.
     /// </summary>
-		/// <param name="filter"></param>
-		/// <returns></returns>
+    /// <param name="filter">A string used to filter the dictionary keys. Only entries with keys containing the specified filter will be
+    /// included. If <see langword="null"/> or empty, all entries are returned.</param>
+    /// <returns>A dictionary where the keys are strings representing device identifiers and the values are <see
+    /// cref="DeviceFactoryWrapper"/> instances. The dictionary may be empty if no entries match the filter.</returns>
 	public static Dictionary<string, DeviceFactoryWrapper> GetDeviceFactoryDictionary(string filter)
 	{
 		return string.IsNullOrEmpty(filter) 
 			? FactoryMethods
 			: FactoryMethods.Where(k => k.Key.Contains(filter)).ToDictionary(k => k.Key, k => k.Value);
 	}
-    }
 }

src/PepperDash.Essentials.Core/Factory/ProcessorExtensionDeviceFactory.cs

@@ -10,11 +10,11 @@ using System.Linq;
 namespace PepperDash.Essentials.Core;
 
 
-    public class ProcessorExtensionDeviceFactory
-    {
+public class ProcessorExtensionDeviceFactory
+{
     public ProcessorExtensionDeviceFactory() {
         var assy = Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly();
-            PluginLoader.SetEssentialsAssembly(assy.GetName().Name, assy);
+        PluginLoader.AddLoadedAssembly(assy.GetName().Name, assy);
 
         var extensions = assy.GetTypes().Where(ct => typeof(IProcessorExtensionDeviceFactory)
             .IsAssignableFrom(ct) && !ct.IsInterface && !ct.IsAbstract);

src/PepperDash.Essentials.Devices.Common/DeviceFactory.cs

@@ -7,15 +7,15 @@ using PepperDash.Core;
 using PepperDash.Essentials.Core;
 using Serilog.Events;
 
-namespace PepperDash.Essentials.Devices.Common
+namespace PepperDash.Essentials.Devices.Common;
+
+public class DeviceFactory
 {
-    public class DeviceFactory
-    {
 
     public DeviceFactory()
     {
         var assy = Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly();
-            PluginLoader.SetEssentialsAssembly(assy.GetName().Name, assy);
+        PluginLoader.AddLoadedAssembly(assy.GetName().Name, assy);
         
         var types = assy.GetTypes().Where(ct => typeof(IDeviceFactory).IsAssignableFrom(ct) && !ct.IsInterface && !ct.IsAbstract);
 
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ namespace PepperDash.Essentials.Devices.Common
                 try
                 {
                     var factory = (IDeviceFactory)Activator.CreateInstance(type);
-                        factory.LoadTypeFactories();
+                    LoadDeviceFactories(factory);
                 }
                 catch (Exception e)
                 {
@@ -35,5 +35,23 @@ namespace PepperDash.Essentials.Devices.Common
             }
         }
     }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Loads device factories from the specified plugin device factory and registers them for use.
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <remarks>This method retrieves metadata from the provided <paramref name="deviceFactory"/>, including
+    /// type names, descriptions, and configuration snippets, and registers the factory for each device type. The type
+    /// names are converted to lowercase for registration.</remarks>
+    /// <param name="deviceFactory">The plugin device factory that provides the device types, descriptions, and factory methods to be registered.</param>
+    private static void LoadDeviceFactories(IDeviceFactory deviceFactory)
+    {
+        foreach (var typeName in deviceFactory.TypeNames)
+        {
+            //Debug.LogMessage(LogEventLevel.Verbose, "Getting Description Attribute from class: '{0}'", typeof(T).FullName);
+            var descriptionAttribute = deviceFactory.FactoryType.GetCustomAttributes(typeof(DescriptionAttribute), true) as DescriptionAttribute[];
+            string description = descriptionAttribute[0].Description;
+            var snippetAttribute = deviceFactory.FactoryType.GetCustomAttributes(typeof(ConfigSnippetAttribute), true) as ConfigSnippetAttribute[];
+            Core.DeviceFactory.AddFactoryForType(typeName.ToLower(), description, deviceFactory.FactoryType, deviceFactory.BuildDevice);
+        }
     }
 }

src/PepperDash.Essentials.MobileControl/MobileControlFactory.cs

@@ -4,15 +4,15 @@ using System;
 using System.Linq;
 using System.Reflection;
 
-namespace PepperDash.Essentials
+namespace PepperDash.Essentials;
+
+public class MobileControlFactory
 {
-    public class MobileControlFactory
-    {
     public MobileControlFactory()
     {
         var assembly = Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly();
 
-            PluginLoader.SetEssentialsAssembly(assembly.GetName().Name, assembly);
+        PluginLoader.AddLoadedAssembly(assembly.GetName().Name, assembly);
 
         var types = assembly.GetTypes().Where(t => typeof(IDeviceFactory).IsAssignableFrom(t) && !t.IsInterface && !t.IsAbstract);
 
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ namespace PepperDash.Essentials
             {
                 var factory = (IDeviceFactory)Activator.CreateInstance(type);
 
-                    factory.LoadTypeFactories();
+                LoadDeviceFactories(factory);
             }
             catch (Exception ex)
             {
@@ -35,5 +35,23 @@ namespace PepperDash.Essentials
             }
         }
     }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Loads device factories from the specified plugin device factory and registers them for use.
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <remarks>This method retrieves metadata from the provided <paramref name="deviceFactory"/>, including
+    /// type names, descriptions, and configuration snippets, and registers the factory for each device type. The type
+    /// names are converted to lowercase for registration.</remarks>
+    /// <param name="deviceFactory">The plugin device factory that provides the device types, descriptions, and factory methods to be registered.</param>
+    private static void LoadDeviceFactories(IDeviceFactory deviceFactory)
+    {
+        foreach (var typeName in deviceFactory.TypeNames)
+        {
+            //Debug.LogMessage(LogEventLevel.Verbose, "Getting Description Attribute from class: '{0}'", typeof(T).FullName);
+            var descriptionAttribute = deviceFactory.FactoryType.GetCustomAttributes(typeof(DescriptionAttribute), true) as DescriptionAttribute[];
+            string description = descriptionAttribute[0].Description;
+            var snippetAttribute = deviceFactory.FactoryType.GetCustomAttributes(typeof(ConfigSnippetAttribute), true) as ConfigSnippetAttribute[];
+            Core.DeviceFactory.AddFactoryForType(typeName.ToLower(), description, deviceFactory.FactoryType, deviceFactory.BuildDevice);
+        }
     }
 }

src/PepperDash.Essentials/ControlSystem.cs

@@ -14,57 +14,62 @@ using System;
 using System.Linq;
 using Serilog.Events;
 using PepperDash.Essentials.Core.Routing;
+using System.Threading;
+using Timeout = Crestron.SimplSharp.Timeout;
 
-namespace PepperDash.Essentials
+namespace PepperDash.Essentials;
+
+/// <summary>
+/// Represents the main control system for the application, providing initialization, configuration loading, and device
+/// management functionality.
+/// </summary>
+/// <remarks>This class extends <see cref="CrestronControlSystem"/> and serves as the entry point for the control
+/// system. It manages the initialization of devices, rooms, tie lines, and other system components. Additionally, it
+/// provides methods for platform determination, configuration loading, and system teardown.</remarks>
+public class ControlSystem : CrestronControlSystem, ILoadConfig
 {
-    public class ControlSystem : CrestronControlSystem, ILoadConfig
-    {
-        HttpLogoServer LogoServer;
+    private HttpLogoServer LogoServer;
 
-        private CTimer _startTimer;
-        private CEvent _initializeEvent;
+    private Timer _startTimer;
+    private ManualResetEventSlim _initializeEvent;
     private const long StartupTime = 500;
 
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Initializes a new instance of the <see cref="ControlSystem"/> class, setting up the system's global state and
+    /// dependencies.
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <remarks>This constructor configures the control system by initializing key components such as the
+    /// device manager and secrets manager,  and sets global properties like the maximum number of user threads and the
+    /// program initialization state.  It also adjusts the error log's minimum debug level based on the device
+    /// platform.</remarks>
     public ControlSystem()
         : base()
 
     {
+        try
+        {
+            Crestron.SimplSharpPro.CrestronThread.Thread.MaxNumberOfUserThreads = 400;
 
-            Thread.MaxNumberOfUserThreads = 400;
             Global.ControlSystem = this;
             DeviceManager.Initialize(this);
             SecretsManager.Initialize();
             SystemMonitor.ProgramInitialization.ProgramInitializationUnderUserControl = true;
 
             Debug.SetErrorLogMinimumDebugLevel(CrestronEnvironment.DevicePlatform == eDevicePlatform.Appliance ? LogEventLevel.Warning : LogEventLevel.Verbose);
-            
-            // AppDomain.CurrentDomain.AssemblyResolve += CurrentDomainOnAssemblyResolve;
         }
-
-        private System.Reflection.Assembly CurrentDomainOnAssemblyResolve(object sender, ResolveEventArgs args)
+        catch (Exception e)
         {
-            var assemblyName = new System.Reflection.AssemblyName(args.Name).Name;
-            if (assemblyName == "PepperDash_Core")
-            {
-                return System.Reflection.Assembly.LoadFrom("PepperDashCore.dll");
+            Debug.LogError(e, "FATAL INITIALIZE ERROR. System is in an inconsistent state");            
         }
-
-            if (assemblyName == "PepperDash_Essentials_Core")
-            {
-                return System.Reflection.Assembly.LoadFrom("PepperDash.Essentials.Core.dll");
-            }
-
-            if (assemblyName == "Essentials Devices Common")
-            {
-                return System.Reflection.Assembly.LoadFrom("PepperDash.Essentials.Devices.Common.dll");
-            }
-
-            return null;
     }
 
     /// <summary>
-        /// Entry point for the program
+    /// Initializes the control system and prepares it for operation.
     /// </summary>
+    /// <remarks>This method ensures that all devices in the system are properly registered and initialized
+    /// before the system is fully operational.  If the control system is of a DMPS type, the method waits for all
+    /// devices to activate, allowing HD-BaseT DM endpoints to register  before completing initialization. For non-DMPS
+    /// systems, initialization proceeds without waiting.</remarks>
     public override void InitializeSystem()
     {
         // If the control system is a DMPS type, we need to wait to exit this method until all devices have had time to activate
@@ -72,29 +77,31 @@ namespace PepperDash.Essentials
         bool preventInitializationComplete = Global.ControlSystemIsDmpsType;
         if (preventInitializationComplete)
         {
-                Debug.LogMessage(LogEventLevel.Debug, "******************* InitializeSystem() Entering **********************");
+            Debug.LogMessage(LogEventLevel.Debug, "******************* Initializing System **********************");
+            
+            _startTimer = new Timer(StartSystem, preventInitializationComplete, StartupTime, Timeout.Infinite);
+
+            _initializeEvent = new ManualResetEventSlim(false);
 
-                _startTimer = new CTimer(StartSystem, preventInitializationComplete, StartupTime);
-                _initializeEvent = new CEvent(true, false);
             DeviceManager.AllDevicesRegistered += (o, a) =>
             {
                 _initializeEvent.Set();
             };
+
             _initializeEvent.Wait(30000);
-                Debug.LogMessage(LogEventLevel.Debug, "******************* InitializeSystem() Exiting **********************");
+
+            Debug.LogMessage(LogEventLevel.Debug, "******************* System Initialization Complete **********************");
             
             SystemMonitor.ProgramInitialization.ProgramInitializationComplete = true;
         }
         else
         {
-                _startTimer = new CTimer(StartSystem, preventInitializationComplete, StartupTime);
+            _startTimer = new Timer(StartSystem, preventInitializationComplete, StartupTime, Timeout.Infinite);
         }
     }
 
     private void StartSystem(object preventInitialization)
     {        
-            Debug.SetErrorLogMinimumDebugLevel(Serilog.Events.LogEventLevel.Verbose);
-
         DeterminePlatform();
 
         // Print .NET runtime version
@@ -148,7 +155,6 @@ namespace PepperDash.Essentials
         CrestronConsole.AddNewConsoleCommand(DeviceManager.GetRoutingPorts,
             "getroutingports", "Reports all routing ports, if any.  Requires a device key", ConsoleAccessLevelEnum.AccessOperator);
         
-            //DeviceManager.AddDevice(new EssentialsWebApi("essentialsWebApi", "Essentials Web API"));
 
         if (!Debug.DoNotLoadConfigOnNextBoot)
         {
@@ -247,11 +253,6 @@ namespace PepperDash.Essentials
             PluginLoader.AddProgramAssemblies();
 
             _ = new Core.DeviceFactory();            
-                _ = new Devices.Common.DeviceFactory();
-                _ = new DeviceFactory();
-
-                _ = new ProcessorExtensionDeviceFactory();
-                _ = new MobileControlFactory();
 
             Debug.LogMessage(LogEventLevel.Information, "Starting Essentials load from configuration");
 
@@ -400,8 +401,8 @@ namespace PepperDash.Essentials
                 {
                     var prompt = Global.ControlSystem.ControllerPrompt;
 
-                        var typeMatch = String.Equals(devConf.Type, prompt, StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase) ||
-                                        String.Equals(devConf.Type, prompt.Replace("-", ""), StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase);
+                    var typeMatch = string.Equals(devConf.Type, prompt, StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase) ||
+                                    string.Equals(devConf.Type, prompt.Replace("-", ""), StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase);
 
                     if (!typeMatch)
                         Debug.LogMessage(LogEventLevel.Information,
@@ -554,5 +555,4 @@ namespace PepperDash.Essentials
             return false;
         }
     }
-    }
 }

src/PepperDash.Essentials/Factory/DeviceFactory.cs

@@ -14,18 +14,18 @@ using PepperDash.Core;
 using PepperDash.Essentials.Core;
 using PepperDash.Essentials.Core.Config;
 
-namespace PepperDash.Essentials
+namespace PepperDash.Essentials;
+
+/// <summary>
+/// Responsible for loading all of the device types for this library
+/// </summary>
+public class DeviceFactory
 {
-    /// <summary>
-    /// Responsible for loading all of the device types for this library
-    /// </summary>
-    public class DeviceFactory
-    {
 
     public DeviceFactory()
     {
         var assy = Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly();
-            PluginLoader.SetEssentialsAssembly(assy.GetName().Name, assy);
+        PluginLoader.AddLoadedAssembly(assy.GetName().Name, assy);
 
         var types = assy.GetTypes().Where(ct => typeof(IDeviceFactory).IsAssignableFrom(ct) && !ct.IsInterface && !ct.IsAbstract);
 
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ namespace PepperDash.Essentials
                 try
                 {
                     var factory = (IDeviceFactory)Activator.CreateInstance(type);
-                        factory.LoadTypeFactories();
+                    LoadDeviceFactories(factory);
                 }
                 catch (Exception e)
                 {
@@ -45,5 +45,23 @@ namespace PepperDash.Essentials
             }
         }
     }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Loads device factories from the specified plugin device factory and registers them for use.
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <remarks>This method retrieves metadata from the provided <paramref name="deviceFactory"/>, including
+    /// type names, descriptions, and configuration snippets, and registers the factory for each device type. The type
+    /// names are converted to lowercase for registration.</remarks>
+    /// <param name="deviceFactory">The plugin device factory that provides the device types, descriptions, and factory methods to be registered.</param>
+    private static void LoadDeviceFactories(IDeviceFactory deviceFactory)
+    {
+        foreach (var typeName in deviceFactory.TypeNames)
+        {
+            //Debug.LogMessage(LogEventLevel.Verbose, "Getting Description Attribute from class: '{0}'", typeof(T).FullName);
+            var descriptionAttribute = deviceFactory.FactoryType.GetCustomAttributes(typeof(DescriptionAttribute), true) as DescriptionAttribute[];
+            string description = descriptionAttribute[0].Description;
+            var snippetAttribute = deviceFactory.FactoryType.GetCustomAttributes(typeof(ConfigSnippetAttribute), true) as ConfigSnippetAttribute[];
+            Core.DeviceFactory.AddFactoryForType(typeName.ToLower(), description, deviceFactory.FactoryType, deviceFactory.BuildDevice);
+        }
     }
 }

src/PepperDash.Essentials/PepperDash.Essentials.csproj

@@ -26,29 +26,6 @@
   <PropertyGroup Condition=" '$(Configuration)|$(Platform)' == 'Release|AnyCPU' ">
     <DebugType>pdbonly</DebugType>
   </PropertyGroup>
-  <ItemGroup>
-    <None Include="Example Configuration\EssentialsHuddleSpaceRoom\configurationFile-HuddleSpace-2-Source.json">
-      <CopyToOutputDirectory>Always</CopyToOutputDirectory>
-    </None>
-    <None Include="Example Configuration\EssentialsHuddleVtc1Room\configurationFile-mockVideoCodec_din-ap3_-_dm4x1.json">
-      <CopyToOutputDirectory>Always</CopyToOutputDirectory>
-    </None>
-    <None Include="Example Configuration\SIMPLBridging\configurationFile-dmps3300c-avRouting.json">
-      <CopyToOutputDirectory>Always</CopyToOutputDirectory>
-    </None>
-    <None Include="Example Configuration\SIMPLBridging\SIMPLBridgeExample_configurationFile.json">
-      <CopyToOutputDirectory>Always</CopyToOutputDirectory>
-    </None>
-    <None Include="SGD\PepperDash Essentials iPad.sgd">
-      <CopyToOutputDirectory>Always</CopyToOutputDirectory>
-    </None>
-    <None Include="SGD\PepperDash Essentials TSW-560.sgd">
-      <CopyToOutputDirectory>Always</CopyToOutputDirectory>
-    </None>
-    <None Include="SGD\PepperDash Essentials TSW-760.sgd">
-      <CopyToOutputDirectory>Always</CopyToOutputDirectory>
-    </None>
-  </ItemGroup>
   <ItemGroup>
     <PackageReference Include="Crestron.SimplSharp.SDK.Program" Version="2.21.128" />
     <PackageReference Include="Newtonsoft.Json" Version="13.0.3" />