Living with the URC-7880

MrMoody · Post by **MrMoody** » Mon Apr 11, 2022 8:39 pm

OK, I'm not sure if that limit should exist either (I think I've used shifted keys in a macro on a device button-would have to test to be sure), but that isn't what Simon's trying to do. Looks to me like he's just trying to fire shifted keys. Which work if you're on a device, but not if you're in an activity.

simonsezdothis · Post by **simonsezdothis** » Mon Apr 11, 2022 10:22 pm

Well ... I can confirm that the shift functions don't work at all. In any mode.
Looks like I can get around it for the main functions by using the Activity Keys, but the wait is a bit of a pain.

Can I assume the 7980 will be the same?

mdavej · Post by **mdavej** » Tue Apr 12, 2022 9:31 am

I can’t solve the issue, but my point is the RDF can and should prohibit programming things in RM which the remote can’t do. It is odd that shifted keys work only for certain users.

Post by **The Robman** » Tue Apr 12, 2022 11:44 am

mdavej wrote:I can't solve the issue, but my point is the RDF can and should prohibit programming things in RM which the remote can't do. It is odd that shifted keys work only for certain users.

I think there may be some confusion here. This is what Simon said:

simonsezdothis wrote:Hi.
I have just purchased one of these too, and am happy with it layout wise etc.
I need to use key moves on the shifted number buttons for each device.
For some reason I can't get ANY 'Shift' (I'm assuming magic +) functions to output IR regardless of if the assignment is in a device layout, or as a key move.

Is there a problem with this remote and 'Shift' functions? .. or is there another way with this one?

As MrMoody pointed out, to use shifted numeric buttons you have to hit MAGIC twice. The reason being, MAGIC followed by numbers is a way of testing EFC codes, eg, MAGIC+12345 will send the EFC 12345, so if you need to put shifted functions on the numeric buttons, you need to do MAGIC+MAGIC+the number button.

MaskedMan · Post by **MaskedMan** » Tue Apr 12, 2022 12:30 pm

In a macro can you have MAGIC + MAGIC+ the number button as step in macro, or will pressing MAGIC halt the programming of the macro?

mdavej · Post by **mdavej** » Tue Apr 12, 2022 1:27 pm

I'll just summarize my understanding so far:

- Shifted numbers should work with double shift, EXCEPT while in an Activity (they only need a single shift in RMIR)
- But Simon sez shifts don't work anywhere, ever

However, I looked and there is no bind parameter for just activities. So my idea wouldn't have worked anyway.

@MaskedMan, during manual macro programming, I think you only need one shift, even for numbers. So that shouldn't be a problem.

Post by **The Robman** » Tue Apr 12, 2022 3:56 pm

I think we need Simon to clarify if he actually tried shifted functions on any button other than the numeric buttons, and not in an Activity.

MrMoody · Post by **MrMoody** » Tue Apr 12, 2022 5:04 pm

Sorry for any confusion, don't take anything I've said as gospel until I can experiment and confirm it, and I won't have time for that until probably next week.

I have changed TVs and I'm not sure the receiver ever worked completely with this remote. The RDF has also changed since I loaded the remote, another complication.

Shifted Activities definitely send a different macro: the device lights blink a different pattern. None of the activity macros seem to work, probably because of the above. I have power discretes for a DVD on shift-Up and shift-Down that DO work pressing MAGIC then UP or DOWN (@Simon: not pressing at the same time just in case you didn't get that).

MrMoody · Post by **MrMoody** » Sat Apr 16, 2022 1:30 pm

OK, I had a little time to play with this.

First, note that my remote is a 7980, not a 7880. I doubt there is much difference, but I don't know this for sure.

-In a device mode, MAGIC then any key works as expected, sends defined shifted function.
-MAGIC,MAGIC, then number key also works.
-Shifted keys work in all macros including ones bound to activities.
-In Activities, shifted keys SEEM to work but they are not (always) correct:
I have WatchMovie set up with Key 2 (TV/AUD/BLU) and a macro that ends with BLU. Pressing MAGIC,UP sends the shift-Up function from DVD instead of BLU. The last SIGNAL sent in the macro is for device DVD, but again the last KEY in the macro is BLU and the defined button group is also BLU. I haven't tried yet to work around this bug.
-Macros bound to a Device "key" do not work.
-Shifted device keys don't work for macros, which seems to be because there is no way to shift them: the shift bit is already on.
-Macros can be bound to activities as expected.
-A different macro can be bound to a shifted activity and works. The device combination behaves the same as for the unshifted one. It's possible it could be made to work with 10 activities with different combinations by changing the RDF or RMIR.
-NEC1-f16 works on buttons but does not work in macros. I suspect it is too many bytes per key. I've seen this problem in other remotes.

Post by **The Robman** » Sat Apr 16, 2022 5:02 pm

For the activity macros, would a possible work around be to have the last signal in the macro be from the final device mode? In your case, send something from BLU before the macro ends?

Post by **mathdon** » Sun Apr 17, 2022 7:08 am

If this discussion eventually agrees on changes that need to be made to the RDFs of the URC7880 and/or URC7980, please make a post in the New Remotes & RDFs thread about them.

MrMoody · Post by **MrMoody** » Sun Apr 17, 2022 4:19 pm

The RDF included with 2.14.4 seems correct. Assuming it hasn't changed since then we are good as far as I'm concerned. I would just caution against restrictions being added to any RDF without confirmation of the behavior.