JP1 Remotes

Stosh · Joined: 15 Dec 2003 Posts: 11 Location: Orleans, MI

As a newbie, and as my first shot at programming with an extender, I want the arrow keys on my 8810w to act as arrowup/dn on a single press, and pgup/dn on a double press for use with my Dish 4900 device. The wife wants the functions to be close together due to limited hand functionality.

It almost works great! I'm not having any problems differentiating between single and double keypresses (time is set to 1), and the keys work just as I hoped -- every other time.

Doesn't matter if they're single presses (5 seconds between presses) or doubles (5 seconds between double-presses) - they work every other time. The light is flashing each press, but the dish receiver isn't responding each time. I changed the time to 3, but no luck.

It also doesn't matter if I press other keys in between, every other keypress of the up/down key is ignored For example: "up, left, right, up, up" will only move the cursor on the screen up twice (the second up doesn't take). The left & right do work fine.

I also tried this as LKP with the same results. Having discrete keys for the four different functions works fine. Any comments or help would be appreciated!

Here's the details if you need 'em:

shift-0: up arrow
shift-1: page up
shift-2: down arrow
shift-3: page down
Key Move on SAT/up_arrow to TV/1106: $39 $9F $95
Key Move on Sat/down_arrow to TV/1106: $39 $96 $97

Thanks,
Stosh

raycmaple · Joined: 13 Nov 2003 Posts: 13

I tried this same approach (with a 15-2116) for my digital cable box, but eventually gave up after experiencing problems similar, but not identical, to yours. Also, I found after using it for a short while that there was a strong tendency to press the up/down arrow rapidly enough when scrolling through the channel guide that it got picked up as a false double press, even with the time set to 1. I couldn't consistently detect the single press. The wife didn't like that at all!

As an alternative, I ended up putting page up/down on the menu/exit buttons right next to the arrows, and moving menu and exit to the shifted buttons. (They are almost never used with my cable box anyway)

Good Luck,

Ray

Stosh · Joined: 15 Dec 2003 Posts: 11 Location: Orleans, MI

Finally, I think I'm onto something ... with the holiday and travelling, I've been tardy troubleshooting this problem.

I found that I can use LKP successfully on my TV - works right every time. Even started playing with toadtog, and just for grins, used short/long keypress for on/off. Works as I expect, and as I hoped.

Tried the same exact setup with my other components (Sharp VCR, Onkyo Amp & DVD, Dishnetwork 4900). The setup works fine with everything except the dish network receiver! I found that the power function is exhibiting the save behavior I saw earlier with channel up/down, in that it only works every other keypress. (that'll really hose up toadtog tracking, by the way!).

I used SAT/0775 to find my power and other function codes to use in the LKP commands.

Anyhow, I'm realizing that it must have something to do with the device. I'm using an 8810w with Extender3 and ldkp 1.3.

If there is anything I can post that may help with a diagnosis, please ask!

Thanks,
Stosh

usblipitor · Joined: 10 Oct 2003 Posts: 516 Location: Greenbelt, MD

I have an idea, and I would welcome comments. Since the extended remote is being ignored on every second press of the up arrow, but the OEM remote is not being ignored on every second press of the up arrow, maybe there is a difference in what is being sent every other time from the extended remote.

Proposal:

Get another learning remote, and use it to learn the signal that is being sent by your extended remote. Do the keypress that does "up", and save it on the learning remote to the 1 key. then do it again saving it to the 2 key, then do it again and save it to the 3 key, then the 4 key.

Now get the OEM remote, and press the up, and save it to the 5,6,7, and 8 key.

Then upload the learning remote to IR and either post the results of the learn tab here or put the IR.txt file over in the yahoo diagnostics folder. If there is a difference between what the extender sends and what the OEM sends, maybe that would be a good first step to solving this problem.

Mark Pierson · Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2003 12:32 pm Post subject:

I think this is a problem of duration. John mentioned the possibility of a solution in this post, but I can't find what that actual solution is.

Reading through the thread, the Device Combiner has been used to extend duration of the signals, but it sounds like John is suggesting something easier (or at least a lot less code).

John? Can you help here?
_________________
Mark

johnsfine · Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2003 1:32 pm Post subject:

Mark Pierson · Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2003 1:40 pm Post subject:

johnsfine · Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2003 2:01 pm Post subject:

Capn Trips · Expert Joined: 03 Oct 2003 Posts: 3990

I'm certainly not an expert, but am a long-time, relatively advanced user. Extenders on RS 15-1994 (Still the BEST!) and 15-2117, ToadTogs, LKP/DKP, Pause, Device Combiner - over the past 1.5 years I've used a LOT of the tools the good gentlemen have generated here. I had similar problems with my Dish PVR 501 - granted a different device than yours, BUT - my experience is the Dish units are particularly - uhhhh.... - "particular" about the signals they "like".

To get mine to work CONSISTENTLY, I have used the Device Combiner protocol to build an upgrade for the Dish unit and set a duration of 3. This seems to work pretty optimally. Also, I notice that Dish response is the first to suffer when my batteries start getting the slightest bit low. You might want to try those options (Device combiner upgrade and fresh batteries).

Finally, again, I'm unfamiliar with your particular unit, but I found Discrete ON and OFF for my Dish unit amongst the various files over at Yahoo - I bett you don't need to use ToadTog for that particular aspect of your setup. Check it out.

Stosh · Joined: 15 Dec 2003 Posts: 11 Location: Orleans, MI

Geez, I'm feeling like a putz here, 'cause I found another clue that I had overlooked at the beginning of my ordeal (newbie mistake!). Sorry to have had you guys chasing a red herring. Embarassed

I took another look at the up, down, pgup and pgdn signals coming from the oem remote by learning. I found that though the protocols are the same for all four keys, the device number is different for pgup and pgdn. The up key and down key are displayer(old)/0/0, but pgup key and pgdn key are dishplayer(old)/16/0.

I used NEC Combo in KM for my Onkyo amp which had a similar situation, but don't see anything like that in KM for dishplayer. A "device combiner" was mentioned - don't know what it is, but it sounds like a lead. I'm going to look into that to see if I can rectify this problem. Your comments are very appreciated.

If nothing else, I'm stubborn! pgup and pgdn will be mine! Muhahahaha!

Stosh

Stosh · Joined: 15 Dec 2003 Posts: 11 Location: Orleans, MI

Stosh · Joined: 15 Dec 2003 Posts: 11 Location: Orleans, MI

My final solution for all the issues I was having with the Dish Network 4900 satellite receiver:

Using Device Combiner with the single device, and setting the duration to 3 on all keys. Every key now works consistently, even using them via LKP & DKP.

I'll upload the KM file this afternoon. It also contains the discrete power codes for the device.

Thanks to all for your comments!

Stosh