Cant get JP1.2 Atlas remote to connect via serial

harrypt · Post by **harrypt** » Sat Mar 03, 2007 4:39 pm

Hi all. First post here, I'm still learning so hopefully someone can help me. Hope I'm giving you all the background info you need. Let me know if you need more.

I have the Atlas DVR remote with JP1.2. Tag inside the remote reads 1055-XXX-0001-001. One came with my Scientific Atlanta 8300HD DVR box from Time Warner and I bought several more off some little online auction house. I bought the JP1.2 serial cable from the DIY site. I cannot get any of them to connect.

I've tried on 2 computers. 1. a desktop running WinXP and 2. an old laptop running Win2k. They have slightly different symptoms. I've check that pin 1 is in the correct position. I've tried different battery configurations. Still nuttin. I have not yet tried the USB to serial adaptor.

I am running IR v7 beta3.

LAPTOP:
When I hit Download, the light on the remote blinks but I get "Failed to open JP1.2 interface" error. When I run the test.exe I get a blinking light and the following:

C:\desktop\remote\test\tester
tester version 0.01
Parsing command list file tester.dat
Openning COM1
DCB paramaters:
DCBlength-28
BaudRate=38400
fBinary=1
fParity=0
fOutxCtsFlow=0
fOutxDsrFlow=0
fDtrControl=1
fDsrSensitivity=0
fTXContinueOnXoff=0
fOutX=0
fInX=0
fErrorChar=0
fNull=0
fRtsControl=1
fAbortOnErrror=0
fDummy2=0
wReserved=0
XonLim=2048
XoffLim=512
ByteSize=8
Parity=0
StopBits=0
XonChar=17
XoffChar=19
ErrorChar=0
EofChar=0
EvtChar=0
wReserved1=0
Got 00 instead of an ACK!
JP1.2 remote found!
C:\desktop\remote\test\tester

DESKTOP:
When I hid download, I get a blinking light on the remote followed by "Failed to open JP1.2 interface". When I run the test.exe I get no blinking light but the following output:

Parsing command list file tester.dat
Openning COM1
DCB paramaters:
DCBlength=28
BaudRate=38400
fBinary=1
fParity=0
fOutxCtsFlow=0
fOutxDsrFlow=0
fDtrControl=1
fDsrSensitivity=0
fTXContinueOnXoff=0
fOutX=0
fInX=0
fErrorChar=0
fNull=0
fRtsControl=1
fAbortOnError=0
fDummy2=0
wReserved=0
XonLim=2048
XoffLim=512
ByteSize=8
Parity=0
StopBits=0
XonChar=17
XoffChar=19
ErrorChar=0
EofChar=0
EvtChar=0
wReserved1=0
Openning COM2
DCB paramaters:
DCBlength=28
BaudRate=38400
fBinary=1
fParity=0
fOutxCtsFlow=0
fOutxDsrFlow=0
fDtrControl=1
fDsrSensitivity=0
fTXContinueOnXoff=0
fOutX=0
fInX=0
fErrorChar=0
fNull=0
fRtsControl=1
fAbortOnError=0
fDummy2=0
wReserved=0
XonLim=2048
XoffLim=512
ByteSize=8
Parity=0
StopBits=0
XonChar=17
XoffChar=19
ErrorChar=0
EofChar=0
EvtChar=0
wReserved1=0
Openning COM3
Openning COM4
Openning COM5
Openning COM6
Openning COM7
Openning COM8
Openning COM9
Unable to connect

C:\Desktop\test temp\debugging version>pause

I've been reading and reading but can't find much about JP1.2. Can anyone advise me on what to try or where to read for more answers?

Thanks!

kupakai · Post by **kupakai** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 12:40 am

From our previous conversations, you seem pretty knowledgeable about computers, but just to cover the bases, did you check to see if the serial ports are enabled on your desktop?

Also, you can test individual COM ports with the tester by using the command line, going to the folder with "tester_debug.exe" and typing:

tester_debug COMx

where "x" is 1 or 2 or whatever port number you have the JP1 cable connected to (make sure "COM" is in capital letters). The laptop might have a built in modem that might be interferring with JP1 programs, so try isolating the COM ports in the test.

harrypt · Post by **harrypt** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 9:14 pm

Well, I've been working on this just with the laptop because it is such a simpler machine.

Wasn't able to get the "tester_debug command to work properly but I did disable all other ports and the modem in device manager. Now I get reults only for one port in the test. All others report not found. And as it is returning the results, the light on the remote starts blinking. So I am assuming it is querying the right port. But I get exactly the same results as above.

I also picked up a USB to serial adaptor. I then disabled all ports except the virtual USB COM port. Test.exe queries the remote, light on the remote blinks, lights on the USB are blinking all during and it comes back with exactly the same results as above.

ARGH! So close... I don't know what else to try.

harrypt · Post by **harrypt** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 9:39 pm

Still trying everything I can think of, I re-enabled the COM port and plugged directly into there. First run upon re-enable the test did not give me the "Got 00 instead of an ACK!" error. Opened IR.exe and still got the "Failed to open JP1.2 interface" error.

Went back and ran test again and this time ai get "Got 02 instead of an ACK!". Don't know if this is a clue or not.

kupakai · Post by **kupakai** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 9:25 am

I'm not sure what else you can try, but maybe it is a hardware problem. As I mentioned before, someone else was get similar symptoms as what you are having (getting some response from the remote, but getting a "Got 00 instead of an ACK!"), and it turned out that one of the wire had come off the board (it was either pin 1 or 6, I think 6). Do you have a way to check the electronics? Maybe some experts here can help you diagnose the cable. If not, at least check for any physical problem.

harrypt · Post by **harrypt** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 9:50 am

All the wires are attached on the cable. It is the new PCB cable so there isn't much to physically break. I can't find too much info about building and testing the 1.2 cables. Lots about JP1, less about 1.x and even less about 1.2.

I'm good enough to do some testing if I had some instructions, but not good enough to decode the circuit myself.

Nils_Ekberg · Post by **Nils_Ekberg** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 10:14 am

A couple of things to think about that you may have already gone through.

1) Do you have the latest jp12serial.dll. It should be dated 11/30/06

2) Have you tried reversing the cable connection in the remote.

3) Is the remote working like it should? The times that I got the "Failed to open JP1.2 interface" was when I had left the remote in a weird state. After a factory reset it worked fine.

4) Have you looked to see what the "Interface Driver/Status" is.

harrypt · Post by **harrypt** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 10:38 am

Thanks for the reply!!

Nils_Ekberg wrote: 1) Do you have the latest jp12serial.dll. It should be dated 11/30/06

I'll have to check this tonight, maybe not, I'm using the one that came with the latest beta of IR.exe.

Nils_Ekberg wrote:2) Have you tried reversing the cable connection in the remote.

Yes, tried this with no change in results.

Nils_Ekberg wrote:3) Is the remote working like it should? The times that I got the "Failed to open JP1.2 interface" was when I had left the remote in a weird state. After a factory reset it worked fine.

The remote is working fine but I'm not sure about what "state" it is in. I read about getting it into learn state or something like that in one of the JP1.2 white papers but my understanding was that this is all done by the software and there is nothing I do manually to change the state.

How do I factory reset?

Nils_Ekberg wrote:4) Have you looked to see what the "Interface Driver/Status" is.

See question above.

Thanks for your help.

Nils_Ekberg · Post by **Nils_Ekberg** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 10:52 am

The state of the remote could have been impacted by the multiple tests of the connection so a reset may be worth trying.

I am not sure about this remote but typically a factory reset is:

1) Press and hold the set button until something blinks twice or more
2) enter 9 8 1 and it should blink a couple of times again