Noob questions for RCU810 JP1 mod

[prod]

New member here, done some reading and realize I need to do a lot more
I have an RCU810 and the memory seems very limited, so I would like to try soldering on the JP1 connector and doing some reprogramming.

I have used the remotes IR learn function to operate most of my older vcr and prologic receiver functions, but now the memory is full. Would using IR.exe allow me to store more codes?

Would taking apart the remote and soldering the JP1 connector risk erasing any learned codes? Many of the buttons on the original remotes dont work anymore, so I dont want to lose anything.

[Capn Trips]

Would using IR.exe allow me to store more codes?

Short answer: YES.

Long answer:

If you are appropriately careful, I would expect that soldering the connector ought not erase your learned codes.

Having said that, it is almost CERTAIN that you would recover a great deal of your learning memory by building your own upgrades based on the learned functions, and uploading them via JP1 to the EEPROM.

In the first place, the UPGRADE uses FAR less memory than a learned key.

In the second place, the EEPROM memory is parcelled out such that memory used for upgrades is not available for learning and vice versa.
(Similarly, memory designated for Keymoves and Macros is yet a THIRD distinct memory area)

Even if you lose the currently learned functions, it is most likely that you can reproduce the signals using the tools and database of codes available here in the file section. Learning several keys from an OEM remote (even if some of the OEM keys fail to work) is usually enough info to build the upgrade, and even if it does NOT match one of the ones in the database, a subsequent code search at that point is not particualry onerous.

Finally, the RCU 810 has available a software mod called an extender, which can greatly enhance ("enhance" is in the eye of the beholder, of course) the capabilities of your remote, but that's graduate-level JP1-ing.

[prod]

Thanks for the response
I was wondering why this remote has 2K eeprom but I can only store about 40 learned codes.
So would an upgrade that I make myself replace the preset codes for other manufacturers?

Time for me to find the soldering iron and try this out.
Is there a step-by-step procedure here for making my own upgrade?

[Capn Trips]

OK. As I mentioned above, the EEPROM memory is partioned. For the RCU 810, it is as follows:

Learning memory: 1022 bytes
Upgrade memory: 761 bytes
Keymove/Macro memory: 213 bytes

Although these numbers may vary WIDELY, in general, a single learned function consumes about 25-50 bytes, so you can usually get around 20-40 total learned functions stored before that portion of the memory is full.

A single KEYMOVE (by which you can assign an advanced code to another button) consumes between 5-6 bytes, so you can usually have up to 40 keymoves, as well. A macro can be pretty long (5-20 bytes), and if you use a bunch of macros to set up your system, as many do, you may find that the limit on this memory is stifling.

An entire device upgrade with a full set of button assignments (around 30 or so, depending upon device mode chosen) may occupy anywhere from 40 to 140 bytes (also depending on how complex the protocol is and if an additional protocol upgrade is required to supprt the device upgrade), so upgrades are almost always the most efficient method to get the device and button mappings you desire. You can install between 8 and 12 device upgrades, depending upon their size.

Digression: When you use the extender, all of the learning memory is converted. A small amount of it becomes unavailable (to run the extender itself), but the vast majority is converted into Keymove/Macro memory. For the RCU810, this results in:

Learning memory: n/a
Upgrade memory: 761 bytes
Keymove/Macro memory: 912 (or 917) bytes

The extender being just a SOFTWARE load into the EEPROM, you can still learn and decode signals by deactivating the extender, but you are unable to USE learned signals directly in the remote with the extender activated. But you don't need to use learned signals directly when you simply use the decoded learned data to build an upgrade (much more efficient, remember?), AND you have LOTS of room for keymoves and macros to customize your remote. Further, there are other benefits to running the extender (like faster macro execution, greater flexibility in how to construct macros, keymoves onto buttons that would not normally permit it, and the availability of special functions like ToadTog, Long/Double Keypress, etc.) ... but I digress.


The step-by-step procedure is described in the links in the Beginners - Read this thread first sticky post linked in my sig below.

[classicsat]

Upgrades are in addition to the stock codes.

There are plenty of howtos, I think.

Step one would be seeing if someone has made an upgrade.

If not then you'd have to read an decode the learned signals. the software pretty well decodes that now.

You would plug that decoded data into RM, then its output back into IR. If it is a few keys for a device that has a code, you can just as easy use a keymove.