JP1 Remotes

[mathdon]

A few more details about URC-6440 Extender 0.05. The Shift key (short press of List) now works in a consistent manner in all contexts. A single Shift puts the next key in shifted mode, even for digit keys. This differs from the UEI standard behaviour, which requires a double shift on digits, but seems more logical and consistent. To send the signal with a known EFC you now use two Shifts followed by the 5-digit EFC. This usage also applies to setting up keymoves (keycode and EFC styles) with a 994 command and to keystrokes included in a macro with a 995 command. If using RMIR to create a macro, you can use either Shift,Shift,1,2,3,4,5 or Shift,Shift1,2,3,4,5 to include the EFC 12345. Here Shift1 is the name of the shifted 1 key which can be included in a macro as a single key. The latter form is preferred, though, as it is one keystroke shorter and is the form created by the 995 command. The 995 command has also been extended to enable creation of device-specific macros (DSMs), details in the ReadMe file.

The shift key now operates in a four-press cycle, i.e. four presses returns to the unpressed state. This enables a shift pressed in error to be cancelled, though it times out in any case after about 10 seconds. If the following key is a non-digit then two presses suffice, four are only required for digit keys. The LED flashes 1, 2, 3 or 4 times when shift is pressed, according to its position in this cycle. What this means, of course, is that the flashes occur when you release the List key after a short press - it flashes on release since until you release it, the remote doesn't know that it is going to be a short press.

Shift cloaking is now fully implemented. This is the property that if nothing is assigned to a shifted key then that shifted key sends the underlying signal of the unshifted key, even if the unshifted key has a macro, keymove or learned signal assigned to it. This also works when a volume key is redirected to a different device with Volume Punchthrough. The shifted volume key will send the volume signal of the original device.

This extender also fixes a bug in the original remote that meant that macros on combo keys did not always work, the malfunction being dependent on what else was set up in the remote.
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Graham

[tranx]

You have done plenty! but is there anything still on the drawing board? In passing you have referred to nested macros, and I guess that might be one route to flexible delays.

[mathdon]

Yes, nested macros is probably next on the list. There is also LKP (Long Key Press) hovering in my mind, and a few other things as well that I want to look into. But what is the flexible delays issue? What is it you would like?
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Graham

[tranx]

For use in sets of DSMs which include most of the same steps, and in case there is a limit to the number of commands permitted in a single macro, nested macros would be the favourite. Given that luxury, a set of do-nothing macros of various lengths could be nested individually as required, but the facility for variably timed 'delay commands' would be next favourite.

On the whole it has proved more convenient to judge delays of more than a few seconds by watching front panels to see when devices are ready, but would it somehow be possible for a 'timer' to tick in a macro in the background, while allowing other commands to be issued in the meantime?

[mdavej]

The processors in these remotes are single-threaded, as far as I know, making such a thing difficult. Better to simply rearrange your commands or use dummy commands for such delays.

[tranx]

HT for surround sound takes 42 seconds before CEC kicks in and the input for the TV/PVR needs to be changed, one PVR takes 27 seconds to warm up from low power standby and be ready for the 'on' power command, another takes 'only' 19 seconds, and a PVR/HDD recorder takes 55 seconds from mains power on for standby to be set up ready for 'on', and a further 32 seconds to come out of standby. Dummy commands are currently rather unwieldy for these sorts of delays but timed delay commands did work ok when using other remotes which had them.

[mdavej]

I think interrupt-able macros might be the best option and more do-able. What I would do is put all your power and input commands in twice - at the beginning for a warm startup situation and at the end for a cold startup. That way, if you're doing a warm startup, you could bail out of the long delays.

I think your situation is an unusual one as most modern devices have a much shorter startup time, and most PVRs run 24x7 and are ready in an instant. You'll probably just have to live with these long delays until you inevitably replace those old devices.

[mathdon]

Just a note to say that I have nested macros working. Not ready for release yet, but it means that it will come. I will look into timed delays. Most extenders have them but it is not something I have got round to with this one.
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Graham

[tranx]

Good news, thanks for the note.

[mathdon]

Hi, Tranx. I do not entirely understand how you would like to use delays in macros, but would the following meet your needs: a delay of a fixed (programmable) length that you insert into the macro, but which you can terminate by pressing any key. The rest of the macro would then run. So, for example, a macro of "1, 2, 30-sec pause, 3, 4" would send 1, 2, wait for 30 seconds and then send 3, 4. But if you pressed a key after 10 seconds of the pause, you would get 1, 2, 10-second pause, 3, 4. The key you pressed would not be sent. The programmed pause could be any length, set by you in each macro and a single macro could have more than one pause, possibly of different lengths.
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Graham

[tranx]

Hi mathdon. Delays of fixed (programmable) length, for use in macros, are just what I had hoped for.

In order to resume a macro 'early' it would certainly be a bonus to be able to interrupt such delays and continue with the following steps, thank you.

For occasional use, might it also be feasible to set up a particular button to jump out of the macro instead i.e. sometimes to exit the macro before its programmed completion? (with nested macros, semi-automatic browsing through a list of channels and synopses, in a loop, could be one possible use)

[mathdon]

[tranx]

That would be great

[mathdon]

[tranx]

[edited]