Interesting problem with new device upgrade for Anthem AVM?

[whompus]

If you want the z1 and z2 functions all in one upgrade. This can be done with device combiner. You would need both the anthem and the device combiner protocols in the protocol upgrade section in ir.

[rmassey]

Cool, OK I'll read up on device combiners and see what I can come up with.

[Capn Trips]

Try this upgrade:

Code: Select all

Upgrade Code 0 = CC A2 (Misc Audio/1186) Anthem AVM 30 PwrOnOff_123 (KM v8.43)
 23 00 C1 BA 22 00 01 11 00 41 51 00 81 91 00 0F
 10 0C                                          
End

Code: Select all

Upgrade Protocol 0 = 01 23 (S3C8+) Anthem (KM v8.43)
 43 8B 21 8B 1A 87 C4 80 80 04 08 08 01 2E 03 78
 01 2E 01 1A 2E CC 0F A0 07 BC 08 03 00 C3 3C 08
 03 18 04 02 01 28 05 02 02 60 C0 0E 20 10 09 06
 F6 FF 67 29 03 F6 FF 72 49 04 F6 FF 7D 69 05 F6
 FF 88 29 06 F6 01 0A FB 1D E6 29 C4 E6 1C 2E E6
 1D E0 F6 01 49 E6 23 02 F6 01 49 E4 25 1C E4 26
 1D F6 01 49 8B DE AF 08 03 1C 08 E0 C0 10 C2 1A
 FA AF 08 04 1C 08 E0 C0 10 C4 1A FA AF 08 05 1C
 08 E0 C0 10 C6 1A FA AF 08 06 1C 08 E0 C0 10 C2
 1A FA AF
End

The buttons are mapped precisely as you had them.

I think it ought to work.

For any reader's interest, here is what I did. I used the KM upgrade prepared by rmassey, noting that the EFC and HEX values were all being duplicated (EFCs 010 and 138, HEX 01 and 11), so I recorded the EFC/Hex values generated for unit codes 0, 1, and 2. I got the following matrix:

Unit Code 0:
On - EFC 010/Hex 01
Off - 138/11

UC1:
On - 008/41
Off - 136/51

UC2:
On - 006/81
Off - 134/91

I then clicked the "Swap OBC/EFC" button at the top of the functions page, entered these "calculated" EFCs, and got a KM file with the following display on the functions page:

Code: Select all

Functions	EFC	   OBC  ov  Hex
Main On	  010		001	0	01
Main Off	 138		017	0	11
Z2 On	    008		001	1	41
Z2 Off	   136		017	1	51
Z3 On	    006		001	2	81
Z3 Off	   134		017	2	91

Note that although now the OBC's duplicate, you get unique Hex codes for each function, and it determines the unit code for you. No Device Combiner required, all one upgrade file.

It appears that you have to build the upgrade using EFC mode, so KM (and maybe RM) need to be updated to reflect this, but the decoder doesn't display EFCs, so the decoder needs to be updated/corrected.

But as a workaround, I think this ought to work.

[Capn Trips]

In fact, upon further thinking, it appears that this is what you would have to do in Device Combiner, anyways, since it only accepts EFC's and not OBC's, so you'd still have to figure out the EFCs as I did above, and the protocol and fixed data would be identical for all of the three "devices" you're combining.

So there's really no benefit to using DC, as it generates an enormous protocol upgrade.

Further, if your receiver has separate volume controls for Zones 2 and 3, you are likley to be able to generate the required EFCs using the same technique above.

[rmassey]

Hey Thanks CT. I did notice that the EFCs and Hex were not being updated from the unique OBCs, I just had no idea how to force KM into doing so. So is this perhaps a defect in KM or the decode.dll?

I'll give your upgrade a try. I appreciate your input.

BTW, no unique volume/mute for Z2 and Z3 so no worries there.

[Capn Trips]

Well, imho there is a twofold (at least) problem.

(1) IR using the current decodeIR.dll does NOT decode the Anthem signals as Protocol/device/Unit Code/OBC/HEX/EFC. It only gives you Protocol/Device/OBC - and the OBC's seem to be unique, but are not used to extract the unique unit code info by KM. So decodeIR.dll needs to be updated to reflect this;

(2) KM (I didn't look at RM) using the Anthem protocol, apparently takes into account unit codes, but they are only able to be entered for each function when you use EFC mode, not OBC mode - and, in fact, appear to be immaterial, as each EFC seems to correspond to a unique OBC+unit code combination.

It seems to me that the simplest "correction" to the tools would be:
(1) ensure decodeIR.dll is updated to display not only the OBC, but also the EFC in IR's learned tab; and
(2) put a note in KM for the Anthem protocol and in the Anthem protocol Help specifying that EFC mode should used exclusively, and that the unit code will then be automatically displayed in the "ov" column.

[johnsfine]

I haven't tried to backtrack the sequence of events. Clearly when I added Anthem support to DecodeIr, either there wasn't an executor available or I wasn't aware there was an executor available. EFC output from DecodeIr only exists when I have identified a primary executor for the protocol and used it to derive the rules for EFC numbering.

Do I understand correctly that KM is using the bottom six bits of what DecodeIr calls OBC as KM's "OBC" and the top two bits of DecodeIr's OBC as KM's "unit", but all eight bits transform in the usual way to EFC?

If that is the way we want to do it, then RM's protocols.ini should be changed to have unit as a column on the functions sheet. I don't think it needs default unit on the setup sheet. Would the default unit for an upgrade ever be nonzero?

And (still assuming this unit/OBC split makes sense) DecodeIr should be changed to take those two bits out of the OBC value and put them as unit=N in the misc column.

If some expert (preferably Rob) can confirm that I'm understanding all this correctly, I can make the DecodeIr and protocols.ini changes (at least I think I can make the protocols.ini changes. I haven't had time yet to try reestablishing my connection to SourceForge after their address change).

[The Robman]

If some expert (preferably Rob) can confirm that I'm understanding all this correctly, I can make the DecodeIr and protocols.ini changes (at least I think I can make the protocols.ini changes. I haven't had time yet to try reestablishing my connection to SourceForge after their address change).

I'm trying to use any spare minutes to look at the Sharp/Denon combo issue, so this one would have to come after that. Regarding the unit code, I would recommend that users be able to set the default value on the Setup sheet, so they don't need to re-enter it for every button as it sounds like the unit code will be the same for all buttons in most cases.

[johnsfine]

Regarding the unit code, I would recommend that users be able to set the default value on the Setup sheet, so they don't need to re-enter it for every button as it sounds like the unit code will be the same for all buttons in most cases.

If "unit" represents a unit, then I agree. But I thought "unit" actually means zone.

I don't have any multi-zone devices, but I would expect an upgrade for a multi-zone device to have at least as many commands in zone 0 as in any other zone, so it is simplest to default the zone to 0 and allow per function override of the zone on the functions sheet.

Can some people with multi-zone devices (especially these Anthem devices) please comment on whether I have those concepts right?

I'm trying to use any spare minutes to look at the Sharp/Denon combo issue

I'm glad you're doing that investigation. I was thinking about trying to find time myself to do that, but I'm swamped.

When you get that info, I assume it will split a set of executors that we now treat as equal, into two or more variants.

For RM we will need to:
1) Select new variant name(s) for any pid variants that are no longer equal to the primary one. (variant names only must be different if the translation rules are different, not if the executor code differs in a trivial way).
2) Edit the rdf files for all models whose built-in executors are not the primary variant.
3) Edit protocols.ini to add entries for the new pid variants.

I expect your focus will be on KM, but you will post or tell the info so others can do the above steps for RM.

[rmassey]

don't have any multi-zone devices, but I would expect an upgrade for a multi-zone device to have at least as many commands in zone 0 as in any other zone, so it is simplest to default the zone to 0 and allow per function override of the zone on the functions sheet.

Can some people with multi-zone devices (especially these Anthem devices) please comment on whether I have those concepts right?

I have very limited use of zone2 in my Anthem setup, and curretnly not using Zone3 at all. I do recall that not all Main remote functions will apply to Z2, Z3 operation. I can do some more research this week and let you know specifics or at least general usage senarios to help you craft an update to KM and decode.dll

I'm not sure I fully understand the last few posts here, but rock on guys. I will attempt to contribute and participate as much as possible, especially since I brought all this up in the first place. I do appreciate you all giving this some attention. No hurry here, like I said I can simply learn the Z2 OnOff cmds, but this is interesting and gives me a better understanding of how the tools work. I hope my post is of value to refine the development of these JP1 tools.

[johnsfine]

I have very limited use of zone2 in my Anthem setup, and curretnly not using Zone3 at all. I do recall that not all Main remote functions will apply to Z2, Z3 operation. I can do some more research this week and let you know specifics or at least general usage senarios to help you craft an update to KM and decode.dll

Actually that question about zones relates to the proposed change to RM, not KM nor DecodeIr.dll.

The question was more about how much a reasonable upgrade would use zone 0. If any reasonable upgrade would have a lot of zone 0 functions then the default of 0 makes sense. If it is likely someone would want an upgrade with few zone 0 commands and mostly commands of some other zone, then having the default on the setup sheet makes more sense. BTW, by "zone 0" I mean the zone internally encoded as 0. Since you seem to be using "Zone 2" and "Zone 3" as the names for the zones encoded 1 and 2, I assume the zone encoded 0 is named "Zone 1".

I can simply learn the Z2 OnOff cmds,

Maybe it was unclear in Capn Trips's post, but as he indicated you can include all zones in one upgrade using the existing software. You just need to find out the EFC numbers.

I believe you can set the unit (one less than the number in the zone name if I have that detail right) and enter OBC values and see the EFC for that command in that zone. Write down the EFCs so after changing the unit number to something else on the setup sheet you can reenter the EFC to include the Zone 2 (for example) commands in a Zone 1 upgrade.

[The Robman]

I'm trying to use any spare minutes to look at the Sharp/Denon combo issue

I'm glad you're doing that investigation. I was thinking about trying to find time myself to do that, but I'm swamped.

I answered this in the other thread (in order to not drag this one off topic)
https://www.hifi-remote.com/forums/viewt ... 4743#p44743

[whompus]

Dont know if it will help or not. Anthem has some ccf and ird files of the remote at there site

The remote itself looks like it could be UEI also.

[rmassey]

Actually that question about zones relates to the proposed change to RM, not KM nor DecodeIr.dll.

Understood, actually I have never used RM, only KM. Sorry for my confusion here.

Also yes, I did understand CT's comments about using Z2 cmds in one device, I just haven't had time to try it out yet. Wil give this a spin tonight.

Just to clairify terminology ( I think we speak the same language)

Anthem Main = Unit 0
Anthem Zone2 = Unit1
Anthem Zone3 = Unit2

which I think is what you said too..

I'll play around with the factory remote this week and try to give you a feel for if many Main buttons apply to Z2 & Z3, so you can make your design decisions to favor the most users.

[rmassey]

Dont know if it will help or not. Anthem has some ccf and ird files of the remote at there site

The remote itself looks like it could be UEI also.

It is from UEI, it has a JP1 connector and I have DL'd it into IR.