RM/RMIR v2.03 available

[mathdon]

Edit: Build 14 now available:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/controlremote/files/RemoteMaster/v2.03build14

After nearly two years in development, RM/RMIR v2.03 is now officially released.. The supported platforms are 32-bit and 64-bit Windows, Linux and Mac OS X.

This version supports all currently known types of UEI remotes, including XSight and Simpleset remotes for which UEI provides support via the EZ-RC.com and Simpleset.com websites. These remotes are supported directly via their USB interface, without the need for any cable other than the USB lead supplied with the remotes. In addition to the support of these additional types of remotes, a major change is that the full current set of RDFs, Maps and Images is included in the package. This enables the program to run "out of the box", without needing any additional downloads other than Java 1.6 or later. Also in this version, various bugs have been fixed and other improvements made.

This release introduces the concept of a build number to RMIR. The version number refers only to the RemoteMaster.jar file. The build number refers to the entire package. Minor bugs and improvements to RemoteMaster.jar will be released as new builds, but the inclusion of new or revised support files such as RDFs will also lead to new builds, even if the jar file is unchanged. The RMIR menu item "Help > Check for updates" will check for new builds as well as new versions. If a new build or version is available then this menu item displays a message containing a hyperlink that will take you straight to the available downloads for the update. New builds will have two packages available, a full package containing everything required and an update package that contains only those files changed since the first build of the version concerned. Just unzip the upgrade package ino the installation folder for any earlier build of the same version to update it to the new build.

New versions will be available only as a full installation package. To upgrade from an older version without losing your settings, delete everything in your installation folder other than the RemoteMaster.properties file that contains your settings. Then unzip the new installation package into that folder and you are done. If you want to re-create shortcuts in your installation folder then re-run Setup.vbs (for Windows) or Setup.sh (for Linux) as appropriate, but any shortcuts copied elsewhere, such as to the Windows desktop, will still work without needing to be recreated.

To install the full package afresh, for any OS first unzip it to a new folder that is not read-only and then do the appropriate one of the following:

• If your OS is Windows then run Setup.vbs by double-clicking or otherwise. This will create two shortcuts, one for RMIR and the other (named Remote Master) for RM. They will be created in your installation folder, but they are also copied to Start > All Programs > Remote Master if you are running a Windows version that has a Start menu. You may copy them to your desktop, or any other location, as you wish. Setup.vbs also creates file associations to open .rmir files in RMIR and .rmdu files in RM.
• If your OS is Linux then run Setup.sh from Terminal as a shell script. If the current directory in Terminal is the RemoteMaster installation directory then the command "sh Setup.sh" will run the script. It creates two .desktop shortcuts, one for RMIR and the other (named RemoteMaster) for RM. They will be created in your installation folder, but they are also copied to your $HOME/.local/share/applications folder to ensure that they appear on your Dash. Setup.sh will also add you to the dialout group of users, if you are not already in it. If you need to be added, then it will ask you for your sudo password as this step needs to be run with root privileges. This step is needed to enable RMIR to access USB serial ports without RMIR itself being run as root. Linux users will find further information in this thread in the JP1 forum.
• If your OS is Mac OS X then there is as yet no special installation procedure.

Please note the requirement that the installation folder should not be read-only. In particular, for Windows installations it should not be a sub-folder of Program Files. Various processes in RM and RMIR write files to the installation folder, so some features do not work properly if it is read-only.

With all three OS's, RMIR can be opened without using a shortcut by double-clicking or otherwise running the Java file RemoteMaster.jar. RM can be opened from RMIR with the menu item File > New > Device Upgrade. The instance of RM so opened is independent of the RMIR instance from which it is opened, so you can then close RMIR and leave RM open if you wish. RM can also be opened from a command line by running RemoteMaster.jar with an argument -rm. Please note that although it is optional to run Setup.vbs in Windows as RMIR and RM can always be opened in these ways, in Linux you need either to run Setup.sh or to use some other means to add your user id to the dialup group of users. This need only be done once ever, however, as it is a system setting that is not specific to the RemoteMaster program.

The inclusion of the RDFs, Maps and Images in the package means that the distribution zip file is now about 18.5MB. The RDFs are in a subfolder of the installation folder named RDF and the Maps and Images in one named Images. Both these folders have a further subfolder named .svn. These contain metadata describing the current contents of the folders. This is in preparation for a facility for push-button automatic updating in a forthcoming version. These subfolders are not used in the current version.

The full list of supported remote interfaces is now JP1, JP1.1, JP1.2, JP1.3, JP1.4, JP2, JP2.1, JP3, XSight (both types, mini-USB with S3F80 processor and micro-USB with MAXQ622 processor) and Simpleset (also referred to as JPS and also with MAXQ622 processor). The JP2, JP2.1 and JP3 interfaces also refer to remotes that use a Maxim processor, the MAXQ610 for JP2 and JP2.1 and the MAXQ612 for JP3, the difference between JP2 and JP2.1 being that JP2.1 uses a 5-pin in-line connector external to the remote rather than the familiar 6-pin connector in the battery compartment.

JP2.1 remotes need an adapter to convert the 5-pin connector to the standard 6-pin one. Detailed instructions for making such an adapter are given here. The interfaces JP2, JP2.1 and JP3 can all be connected with a standard JP1.2/3 interface cable (JP2.1, of course, by means of the adapter) but only one that uses the FTDI chip. Cables with chips of other manufacturers such as Prolific have difficulty communicating with the Maxim processors. This is discussed in some detail in this thread. The JP1.4 interface uses the Samsung S3F80 processor and should work correctly with any JP1.2/3 interface cable.

When using XSight remotes (and similar ones such as Nevo) with Windows 8.1, Enhanced Power Management needs to be disabled for the USB port concerned. A registry fix to do this is available here. This fix is needed to enable use with EZ-RC.com as well as with RMIR. It is particularly important if EZ-RC.com attempts to do a firmware upgrade of the remote, as without it the process is likely to be terminated before completion, leaving the remote in an unusable "bricked" state. If this happens, try the two procedures suggested in this post which have rescued XSight remotes from this situation for other users.

This RMIR version is available only as a Java file. Support for the separate stand-alone Windows compilation produced from the Java code with Excelsior JET has now finished. This multi-platform Java version requires a Java 1.6 or later runtime environment, either 32-bit or 64-bit. The release package includes the following support files:

• DecodeIR v2.45 and jp12serial v0.20 as library files for Windows (32-bit and 64-bit), Linux and Mac OS X.
• digitmaps.bin with digit maps up to number 630.
• protocols.ini including support for remotes that use a Maxim processor.
• The RDF File Specification, Version 4.
• The RDF File Specification, Version 5 as an Addendum to Version 4.

An update to any of these files will result in a new build being released, so there is no need for separate updating of any of them. Version 4 of the RDF File Specification covers RDF files for remotes with interfaces up to JP1.3. Version 5 is required to support remotes with interfaces from JP1.4 onward.

Please visit the JP1 Community Wiki for information about how to use RMIR. A link to the Tutorial in the Wiki is also included in the Help menu. Please note that as this project is supported solely by volunteers, the Wiki may not be up to date. This version of RM/RMIR contains many new features required to support the newer types of remote. At the time of its release, these are not covered by the help files contained in the Wiki. RM/RMIR itself, however, shows notes and tooltips (the text shown when you hover the mouse pointer over a button or table entry) designed to make its use as self-explanatory as possible.

The download package is available in the following folder. Just click on it to start the download. The corresponding folder for future builds will contain both the full and upgrade packages.

• http://sourceforge.net/projects/controlremote/files/RemoteMaster/v2.03build2 - (~18.5MB)

Please see above for installation instructions.

Links:
The RemoteMaster project home page.
JP1 Community Wiki
Tutorial (part of the Wiki)
RMIR XSight Support (development thread)
RMIR Simpleset Support (development thread)
RM/RMIR v2.03 Alpha 28 available (development thread)
RMIR: Prototype IR function in RM (development thread)
RM/RMIR v2.02a now available (announcement thread for last official version)
ChangeLog.txt (also included in the downloadable files)

[unclemiltie]

Graham

Congratulations on the huge step forward. I can attest to only a tiny bit of the new support, which allowed for a couple of new features on the JP1.3 common extender that Graham was incredibly responsive in building into this new release even though it was "on the road toward" release.

[tranx]

I am sure that the new RMIR as a refined package will be a great help for starting with JP1, as will the build concept for keeping things up to date, and to me the URC 6440 extender has also been a revelation.

Thanks so much for all of that!

[mdavej]

Graham,

I can't thank you enough for the huge amount of time and effort you've put into this. We're very lucky to have you (and 3FG and so many others that blazed the trail).

I'm hoping to pitch in on updating the wiki manuals soon.

[CyberSimian]

RM/RMIR v2.03 is now officially released

This is excellent news. Developing something as complex as RMIR involves an incredible amount of work, and without your dedication we would all be much worse off.

Thank you very much.

-- from CyberSimian in the UK

[alanrichey]

Hi Graham

Many thanks from me and hundreds of Slingbox users

Having a slight problem though. RM running fine on my WIN8.1 machine but I have one laptop runing the Technical Preview of WIN 10 and it won't run under that. Obviously not a major issue at the moment but it will be later in the year when it gets released.

I've uploaded the master.err file at http://www.hifi-remote.com/forums/dload ... e_id=13330. Hoepfully that will help you figure out the problem.

Al

[mathdon]

Hi Al

This is very puzzling. Are you using the protocols.ini file that comes with RMIR v2.03 build 1 or do you use a customised version? Every non-blank line in protocols.ini is either a protocol name enclosed in [] or a property specification consisting of a name, an equals sign and a value. The error file you posted appears to say that it has found a property specification that doesn't contain an equals sign. As far as I can tell, this appears to be either in the Zaptor protocol or in the following one but I am not absolutely certain of this.

There is no such line in the protocols.ini of v2.03 build 1. If you are using a customised version, could you please post it for me to look at. If you are using the supplied one, is it possible that it has become corrupted in installation into Win 10?

[alanrichey]

Graham

Sorry about that, should have checked the error file more carefully then I would have seen that.

The problem was that the Code.S3C80 code for the Zaptor (no repeat) was spread over several lines but I hadn't put the \ at the end of the lines. Once I added those it was fine.

The WIN 8.1/WIN10 connection was a red herring, the protocols.ini I was using on my WIN8.1 machine didn't have the protocol in.

Looking good

Cheers

Al

[mathdon]

I have now posted build 2 of RMIR v2.03. This new build is available both as a complete installation file and as an upgrade to build 1, both from the link just given.

The main changes are:

• Minor amendments to the RDFs for Nevo C2 and Charter OCAP C4000
• Addition of RDF for URC-6440 Extender v1.01
• Support for decimal point in Favorites channels for XSight remotes
• Addition of a Replace button, to supplement Add and Insert buttons, in Macro editing for XSight remotes.

There is also a small number of minor bugfixes.

[mathdon]

I have now posted build 3 of RMIR v2.03. This new build is available both as a complete installation file and as an upgrade to either earlier build, both from the link just given.

The main changes from build 2 are:

• When File/Exit says data has changed and prompts user to save, ensure saving completes before RMIR exits.
• When File/Exit is performed while an Upload, Download etc. task is running, display warning and ask for confirmation.
• On File/New, display message explaining that the recommended starting point for a new setup is to do a factory reset and then download it.
• Ensure that after a download or file load, the "changed" status correctly reflects the setup state.
• RDFs for XSight remotes modified to remove devices 16-18 from 15-device remotes and to add one phantom button.
• Entry for Samsung36 protocol in protocols.ini has been slightly revised.

There is also a small number of minor bugfixes.

[mathdon]

I have now posted build 4 of RMIR v2.03. This new build is available both as a complete installation file and as an upgrade to any of the earlier builds, both from the link just given.

The main changes from build 3 are:

• Handling of key moves shared between a real and a virtual device button for certain early remotes.
• Revised entry for the Sejin-M-N protocol in protocols.ini to allow specifying an alternate subdevice number with Sejin-1 signals.
• Revised RDF, Map and Image files for the Nevo C2 remote.

There is also a small number of minor bugfixes.

[tranx]

Thanks very much mathdon. The update reminder from that website actually arrived first - it's a very smooth arrangement

[Pulse]

Thanks very much for all this hard work, great stuff!

I havn't played with RMIR or JP1 for a while and going through a re-learning curve. In this new version v2.03 build 4 I dont seem to be able to use the "learned signals" section I get this error here

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ol5ea2oifmtbb ... e.PNG?dl=0

pasting in a code from the IR widget like this

00 00 1A 00 D1 04 01 AC 01 CB 03 68 03 8B 03 6B 01 C4 01 B4 B4 D8 8B 00 00 10 12 00 30

whereas if I drop back to v2.02a it accepts it fine

running setup.vbs all went fine and looking at the master.err it looks like the correct DecodeIR.dll is found (\Windows-amd64\DecodeIR.dll)

Im on Windows 7

Have I done something stupid?

Keep up the great work

[madmalkav]

Have anyone tested the program with Windows 10 x64? I'm trying to have some fun with my Xsight Touch but it doesn't seem to dump ok from the remote, it only shows the remote model on the program title bar and some stuff in the raw data section.

PS: I already tried the Build 5 jar and the reg patch on the other thread.

PSS: it was the USB cable, everything seems to work now.

[alanrichey]

I've been using it without any problems, but I only use the RemoteMaster part of it to build BIN files. Anything else I can test for you ?