fix: check EISC for null prior to using

In some scenarios, it becomes necessary to have a plugin in Essentials use a Communications method that's defined in
SIMPL and bridged the opposite from what normally happens. The CommBridge method facilitates that sort of operation.

To use it: set the method in the Control configuration for the device to 'comBridge'. The bridge will be built with a key of "{deviceKey}-simpl", so it can be added to a bridge using that key.

.github/workflows/EssentialsPlugins-builds-3-series-caller.yml

@@ -10,8 +10,7 @@ jobs:
     uses: PepperDash/workflow-templates/.github/workflows/essentialsplugins-getversion.yml@main
     secrets: inherit
   build-3Series:
-    # uses: PepperDash/workflow-templates/.github/workflows/essentialsplugins-3Series-builds.yml@main
-    uses: PepperDash/workflow-templates/.github/workflows/essentials-3Series-builds.yml@plugins-build-workflows    
+    uses: PepperDash/workflow-templates/.github/workflows/essentials-3Series-builds.yml@main
     secrets: inherit
     needs: getVersion
     if: needs.getVersion.outputs.newVersion == 'true'

packages.config

@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 <packages>
-	<package id="PepperDashCore" version="1.4.0" targetFramework="net35" allowedVersions="[1.0,2.0)"/>
+	<package id="PepperDashCore" version="1.4.2" targetFramework="net35" allowedVersions="[1.0,2.0)"/>
 </packages>

src/essentials-framework/Essentials Core/PepperDashEssentialsBase/Bridges/JoinMaps/GenericIrControllerJoinMap.cs

@@ -819,6 +819,20 @@ namespace PepperDash_Essentials_Core.Bridges.JoinMaps
 					JoinType = eJoinType.Digital
 				});
 
+            [JoinName("EJECT")]
+            public JoinDataComplete Eject = new JoinDataComplete(
+                new JoinData
+                {
+                    JoinNumber = 69,
+                    JoinSpan = 1
+                },
+                new JoinMetadata
+                {
+                    Description = "EJECT",
+                    JoinCapabilities = eJoinCapabilities.FromSIMPL,
+                    JoinType = eJoinType.Digital
+                });
+
 			public GenericIrControllerJoinMap(uint joinStart)
 				: base(joinStart, typeof(GenericIrControllerJoinMap))
 			{

src/essentials-framework/Essentials Core/PepperDashEssentialsBase/Comm and IR/CommBridge.cs

@@ -0,0 +1,117 @@
+using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using Crestron.SimplSharp.CrestronSockets;
+using Crestron.SimplSharpPro.DeviceSupport;
+using Newtonsoft.Json;
+using System.Text;
+
+using PepperDash.Core;
+using PepperDash.Essentials.Core.Bridges;
+using PepperDash.Essentials.Core.Devices;
+using PepperDash.Essentials.Core.Config;
+
+
+namespace PepperDash.Essentials.Core
+{
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Implements IBasicCommunication and sends all communication through an EISC
+    /// </summary>
+    [Description("Generic communication wrapper class for any IBasicCommunication type")]
+    public class CommBridge : EssentialsBridgeableDevice, IBasicCommunication
+    {
+        private EiscApiAdvanced eisc;
+
+        private IBasicCommunicationJoinMap joinMap;
+
+        public event EventHandler<GenericCommMethodReceiveTextArgs> TextReceived;
+
+        public event EventHandler<GenericCommMethodReceiveBytesArgs> BytesReceived;
+
+        public bool IsConnected { get; private set; }
+
+        public CommBridge(string key, string name)
+            : base(key, name)
+        {
+
+        }
+
+        public void SendBytes(byte[] bytes)
+        {
+            if (eisc == null)
+            {
+                Debug.Console(0, this, "EISC not linked. Call LinkToApi before sending bytes.");
+                return;
+            }
+            eisc.Eisc.SetString(joinMap.SendText.JoinNumber, Encoding.ASCII.GetString(bytes, 0, bytes.Length));
+        }
+
+        public void SendText(string text)
+        {
+            if (eisc == null)
+            {
+                Debug.Console(0, this, "EISC not linked. Call LinkToApi before sending text.");
+                return;
+            }
+            eisc.Eisc.SetString(joinMap.SendText.JoinNumber, text);
+        }
+
+        public void Connect() {
+            if (eisc == null)
+            {
+                Debug.Console(0, this, "EISC not linked. Call LinkToApi before connecting.");
+                return;
+            }
+            eisc.Eisc.SetBool(joinMap.Connect.JoinNumber, true);
+        }
+
+        public void Disconnect() {
+            if (eisc == null)
+            {
+                Debug.Console(0, this, "EISC not linked. Call LinkToApi before disconnecting.");
+                return;
+            }
+            eisc.Eisc.SetBool(joinMap.Connect.JoinNumber, false);
+        }
+
+        public override void LinkToApi(BasicTriList trilist, uint joinStart, string joinMapKey, EiscApiAdvanced bridge)
+        {
+            joinMap = new IBasicCommunicationJoinMap(joinStart);
+
+            var joinMapSerialized = JoinMapHelper.GetSerializedJoinMapForDevice(joinMapKey);
+
+            if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(joinMapSerialized))
+                joinMap = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<IBasicCommunicationJoinMap>(joinMapSerialized);
+
+            if (bridge != null)
+            {
+                bridge.AddJoinMap(Key, joinMap);
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                Debug.Console(0, this, "Please update config to use 'eiscapiadvanced' to get all join map features for this device.");
+            }
+
+            Debug.Console(1, this, "Linking to Trilist '{0}'", trilist.ID.ToString("X"));
+
+            eisc = bridge;
+
+            trilist.SetBoolSigAction(joinMap.Connected.JoinNumber, (b) => IsConnected = b);
+
+            trilist.SetStringSigAction(joinMap.TextReceived.JoinNumber, (s) => {
+                var textHandler = TextReceived;
+
+                if (textHandler != null)
+                {
+                    textHandler(this, new GenericCommMethodReceiveTextArgs(s));
+                }
+
+                var bytesHandler = BytesReceived;
+
+                if(bytesHandler != null)
+                {
+                    bytesHandler(this, new GenericCommMethodReceiveBytesArgs(Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes(s)));
+                }
+            });
+        }
+    }
+}

src/essentials-framework/Essentials Core/PepperDashEssentialsBase/Comm and IR/CommFactory.cs

@@ -50,6 +50,9 @@ namespace PepperDash.Essentials.Core
 					case eControlMethod.Com:
 						comm = new ComPortController(deviceConfig.Key + "-com", GetComPort, controlConfig.ComParams, controlConfig);
 						break;
+                    case eControlMethod.ComBridge:
+                        comm = new CommBridge(deviceConfig.Key + "-simpl", deviceConfig.Name + " Simpl");
+                        break;
                     case eControlMethod.Cec:
                         comm = new CecPortController(deviceConfig.Key + "-cec", GetCecPort, controlConfig);
                         break;

src/essentials-framework/Essentials Core/PepperDashEssentialsBase/PepperDash_Essentials_Core.csproj

@@ -165,6 +165,7 @@
     <Compile Include="Comm and IR\ComSpecJsonConverter.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Comm and IR\ConsoleCommMockDevice.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Comm and IR\GenericComm.cs" />
+    <Compile Include="Comm and IR\CommBridge.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Comm and IR\GenericHttpClient.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Comm and IR\IRPortHelper.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Config\Essentials\ConfigUpdater.cs" />

src/essentials-framework/Essentials Core/PepperDashEssentialsBase/PepperDash_Essentials_Core.nuspec

@@ -4,17 +4,17 @@
     <id>PepperDashEssentials</id>
     <version>1.5.6</version>
     <title>PepperDash Essentials</title>
-    <authors>PepperDash Technologies</authors>
+    <authors>PepperDash Technology</authors>
     <owners>pepperdash</owners>
     <requireLicenseAcceptance>false</requireLicenseAcceptance>
     <license type="expression">MIT</license>
     <projectUrl>https://github.com/PepperDash/PepperDashCore</projectUrl>
-    <copyright>Copyright 2020</copyright>
+    <copyright>Copyright 2025</copyright>
     <description>PepperDash Essentials is an open source Crestron framework that can be configured as a standalone program capable of running a wide variety of system designs and can also be utilized as a plug-in architecture to augment other Simpl# Pro and Simpl Windows programs. Essentials Framework is a collection of C# / Simpl# Pro libraries that can be utilized in several different manners. It is currently operating as a 100% configuration-driven system, and can be extended to add different workflows and behaviors, either through the addition of further device "types" or via the plug-in mechanism. The framework is a collection of "things" that are all related and interconnected, but in general do not have dependencies on each other.</description>
     <tags>crestron 3series 4series</tags>
     <repository type="git" url="https://github.com/PepperDash/Essentials"/>
     <dependencies>
-      <dependency id="PepperDashCore" version="[1.4.0, 2.0.0)"/>
+      <dependency id="PepperDashCore" version="[1.4.1, 2.0.0)"/>
     </dependencies>
   </metadata>
   <files>