Modified Binary File for Panasonic DMRE95 (and maybe others)

[tompyd]

Hi Rob,
Thanks for all of support your site provides.

I have a sling box connected to a Panasonic DMRE95H.
I am not real familiar with remote codes, but i downloaded the C0340 file from the files section. It still wasn't to my liking, so I edited it with a Hex Editor and modified it. There still are some functions missing (channel up and down) for instance.
I have some questions though....the remote master software shows codes that don't agree with the hex values in the binary file.
I have tried to correlate the data from the keymap and rm files, but I can't figure it out. Is there a list somewhere of all the codes for the pansonic dmr family?
Do you know how to un-gray the "menu" and "Last" buttons?

I have created a map of the file in excel which shows what each byte in the binary file controls for the panasonic remote. I have also tried plugging in different values for buttons and have stumbled upon some codes, but I must have sent some wild code in the process, because it wiped my guide and cleared my clock! So now I'm afraid to continue plugging in random values lest I do something really bad (I hope there's no self destruct IR code

If you are interested I can send the modified C0340 file and the excel sheet.

[johnsfine]

i downloaded the C0340 file from the files section.

When you mention downloading (or uploading) a file, it is polite to give the URL of the file. Anyone having trouble understanding your post might want to look at the file, and it isn't obvious where the file is.

so I edited it with a Hex Editor and modified it.

WHY? RM provides such a good UI for editing upgrade files.

the remote master software shows codes that don't agree with the hex values in the binary file.

I would need to see those files in order to understand that.

[tompyd]

Sorry for the delay in responding, I never received the notification that a reply was posted (gotta look at the darn spam filter...)

i downloaded the C0340 file from the files section.

When you mention downloading (or uploading) a file, it is polite to give the URL of the file. Anyone having trouble understanding your post might want to look at the file, and it isn't obvious where the file is.

the url is :
https://www.hifi-remote.com/forums/dload ... le_id=3066

so I edited it with a Hex Editor and modified it.

WHY? RM provides such a good UI for editing upgrade files.

I have downloaded the RM, but I'm not sure how to use it properly. I opened up the binary file and modified various bytes and determined the mapping that way. Anyway, here is the mapping (it looks much better in excel) When I opened the file in RemoteMaster, its codes were other than the hex values seen in the binary file below:

Byte Value Description
01 FF Header Data?
02 6F Header Data?
03 B3 Header Data?
04 84 Header Data?
05 61 Header Data?
06 6F Header Data?
07 9B Header Data?
08 28 Header Data?
09 28 Header Data?
10 16 Header Data?
11 1F Header Data?
12 AD Header Data?
13 9D Header Data?
14 6F Header Data?
15 F6 Header Data?
16 BB Header Data?
17 2B Header Data?
18 DE Header Data?
19 ED Header Data?
20 2B Header Data?
21 EE Header Data?
22 48 #0
23 EC #1
24 4C #2
25 DC #3
26 3C #4
27 E4 #5
28 44 #6
29 D4 #7
30 0C #8
31 E8 #9
32 1C Ch Up
33 1C Ch Dn
34 3F Power
35 C4 Menu
36 2E i
37 1E Select
38 0E Exit
39 06 Up
40 16 Down
41 F6 Left
42 2A Right
43 6D Guide
44 68 PgUp
45 50 PgDn
46 6D Cust10
47 F8 Cust11
48 2E Cust12
49 0E Cust13
50 50 Cust14
51 68 Cust15
52 DA Play
53 D6 Pause
54 E6 Rew
55 46 FF
56 EE Stop
57 EA Rec
58 F8 KeyEnt
59 5A Next
60 CA Prev.
61 BA LiveTV
62 AF Cust20
63 5F Cust21
64 9E Cust22
65 24 Cust23
66 6C Cust26
67 66 Cust27

[tompyd]

Sorry, I should also explain that the values I just posted were from the file I modified, which is for the Slingbox remote command.

Here are some of the codes that I was able to determine.
The Hex value is the value for the byte in the binary file.

Hex Function
76 Flexible Recording
5F Record Schedule
66 Erase (66H)
6C Input Select
BA TimeSlip (BAH)
7E Select DVD (7EH)
9E Select HDD (9EH)
AF VCR+ (AFH)
3B Audio L/R/LR
39 SD Card
59? PC Card
3E Fast Forward ?
2F Power Off?
1C Info Display (1CH)
CC Channel Display for 2 sec
24 Setup (24H)
C4 Menu (C4H)
64 Create PlayList (64H)

My new assignments for the menus and buttons are:
Cust 10 TV Guide (6DH)
Cust 11 Title Menu (F8H)
Cust 12 Sub Menu (2EH)
Cust 13 Return (0EH)
Cust 14 Blue / Dubbing (50)
Cust 15 Green / Create chpt (68H)
Cust 20 VCR+ (AFH)
Cust 21 Record Schedule (5FH)
Cust 22 Select HDD (9EH)
Cust 23 Setup (24H)
Cust 26 Input Select (6CH)
Cust 27 Erase (66H)
--------------------------
Page Up = Green (68)
Page down = Blue (50)
Menu = Title Menu (F8H)
i = Submenu (2EH)
Exit = Return (13H)
Enter Key = Title Menu (F8H)
Ch Up =
Ch Down =
Live TV= TimeSlip (BAH)

[The Robman]

What you are doing is kinda like editing a spreadsheet using a binary editor rather than just opening it with Excel. Plus, as you don't understand how to format the keymap bytes (which are part of what you call Header Data) you're limited to using the buttons that were programmed as part of the original binary file, you can't activate any new buttons.

The zip file that you downloaded not only includes the JU and PL bin files, it also includes the RMDU file that the user used to create the bin files. The easiest way to change the button arrangement is to open the RMDU file using RM and change the button assignments on the Buttons tab.

You can read up on RM here...
http://www.hifi-remote.com/jp1/help/rm.shtml

[tompyd]

Thanks for the quick reply.

I opened the Panasonic DVD Recorder DMR-EH50.rmdu file, but the problem is that it does not have all of the codes. i.e. channel up/down do the same thing as arrow up/down. (How are the assignments for the functions set?) The 'menu' button, though assigned, is grayed out on the slingbox remote.

Also, there is no timeslip; vcr +; erase; input select; etc. By editing the hex files, I am able to put new values for the number keys, for instance. I then load the new file into my sling box and see what the new values do. With this method, I was able to discover the codes for the functions listed above, but I also sent some codes that did other things, i.e. erase the guide, and also a code that locked the DVD drawer shut. Since I have no idea what all of the IR codes are for the unit, I'm kinda shooting in the dark.

I still can't find the proper channel up/down; status display; and the commercial skip codes. If I'm using your software improperly, I apologize, but I'm an engineer, and we are notorious for never reading the manual, but rather re-engineering a solution. I had tried your software earlier and could not open the file properly until i loaded the
BINPL (Slingbox with UEI PL Chip).rdf in the proper directory.

At least now I can open the file with the remotemaster.jar.

[The Robman]

... Since I have no idea what all of the IR codes are for the unit, I'm kinda shooting in the dark... If I'm using your software improperly, I apologize, but I'm an engineer, and we are notorious for never reading the manual, but rather re-engineering a solution. ...

If a user was using some of your software in the way that you're using ours, I think you'd lay a big "RTFM" on them. Am I right?

[tompyd]

Of course, but otherwise I still don't have a solution to finding the proper codes, aside from reading them from a jp1 remote (which I don't have) or capturing them with an ir decoder, right?

I have asked both slingbox and panasonic for the codeset for the DMRE95H and neither had it available.

In order to use your software, one needs to import a file that already has those codes assigned, and the one from the files section is missing them, so at least my method has allowed me to get functionality for most of the missing codes. I still would like to have ch +/- and commercial skip though.

[The Robman]

In order to use your software, one needs to import a file that already has those codes assigned

Incorrect. Think about it, where do you think those upgrade files come from in the first place, they are created by users just like you. Many of them got the code data by either capturing it from their OEM remotes, but some of them got the codes by trial and error.

there is no timeslip; vcr +; erase; input select; etc. I still would like to have ch +/- and commercial skip though

The trouble is, you are using a file for the DMR-EH50, which may not have all of the buttons that the DMR-E95H has, so it might be worth trying a file for a more similar model, such as the DMR-E85H. I downloaded this DMR-E85H file for example, and it includes all of the buttons that you mention.

[tompyd]

Thanks.
Now I opened it and used the slingbox remote.
I checked all of the key assignments (some had to be re-assigned for the change in remote) but the page - and enter key are grayed out.

I'll continue playing.

[The Robman]

If you are assigning a function to a button in RM and it's not showing up in the Slingbox, that's a seperate issue. There have been alot of changes in the Slingbox software recently and it's possible that it's out of sync with our software now. This is something that I'm already trying to track down.

[tompyd]

My version has the enter key enabled, but does not have the last or menu buttons. I've looked at a couple that have page down disabled but have last enabled.

It's weird.

[tompyd]

Rob,
I figured out how to enable the buttons. I was able to modify the binary file and now the only button "grayed out" is the Menu button. Everything else works. I even stumbled upon a new menu for the slingbox called:
"Misc" with a submenu called "Input". That appeared when I changed the byte for enabling the buttons.

Now that I know how to use your program, I was able to import the binary file to a remote master update file.
Thanks.

[The Robman]

Could you provide more detail on what you did to get each button active as it will help me track down any inconsistancies between the Slingbox and the RDF.

[tompyd]

Byte 8 of the binary file was 28. When I was messing around with your software, I noticed that it changed to 2C. I played around with different values and found 2E was the best I could do. I don't know if any other bytes do anything, I'm happy with it for now...

btw...i posted the whole thing in the files section
https://www.hifi-remote.com/forums/dload ... le_id=3341

Thanks again for your help.
Tom