6131 Extender Behaves Differently When More Commands Added

tonymorehen · Post by **tonymorehen** » Wed Dec 27, 2006 9:55 pm

Remote: URC -6131nB00
Extender: 6131 2K Extender
TV: Legend LEP4218 (RC5 protocol, codes very similar to Phillips)

I want to set up a macro on the Power key that turns on/off the Legend TV and my cable box. However, the TV only turns on or off when it is the only command in the macro.

For example, this macro on the Power key works:
TV; shift-Power

This macro does not (nothing happens to the TV, the cable box power toggles):
TV; shift-Power; CBL/SAT; shift-Power;

This macro also doesn't work (TV does not turn on/off):
TV;shift-Power;Phantom1, where Phantom1 is bound by a special protocol to TV 1104, hex 10 ie a long pause.

Furthermore, a learning remote shows that the commands sent for the working and none working macros differ.

From IR learned signals tab, sequence is #, protocol, device, sub-device, OBC, Hex Command, EFC, Misc

Working macro:
1,RC5,0,-,12,CC or CD or CE, 044 or 036 or 060, T=0 U=1754:1790
2,RC5,0,-,12,CC or CD or CE, 044 or 036 or 060, T=0 U=1754:1790

The non-working macro with the pause learned signal is
1,RC5,0,-,12,CC or CD or CE, 044 or 036 or 060, T=0 U=1754:1790

In other words, there is no repeat of power command.

This points to the following workaround solution/macro:

TV;shift-Power;shift-Power; CBL/SAT; shift-Power

This works!

The learned signals are now:
1,RC5,0,-,12,CC or CD or CE, 044 or 036 or 060, T=0 U=1754:1790
2,RC5,0,-,12,CC or CD or CE, 044 or 036 or 060, T=1 U=1754:1790
plus the cable box signal.

This also corresponds to the power signal from the TV's original remote.

I'd suggest checking the interaction between the extender and the RC5 protocol.

Post by **vickyg2003** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 2:17 pm

Hi I'm a newbie and I read your post as part of my "learning experience".

It certainly sounds like a duration problem if it ALWAYS works when its the only or final keystroke in a macro. The extenders that I'm familiar with shorten the duration of all but the last keypress of a macro for faster macro execution. But when I went to read more about RC5 and duration problems, I came across this article on RC5 protocol signals and thought it might be related to a toggling problem too.

viewtopic.php?t=2639&highlight=rc5+duration+problem

johnsfine · Post by **johnsfine** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 2:41 pm

The problem is definitely duration.

The extender reduces all durations in a macro to minimum, except that it extends the last command of the maco if/while the button that started the macro is still pressed. In the original working macro, there is just one command, so it would be hard to release the button fast enough to avoid extending it. In the failing macro the signal that needs to be extended isn't last, so even a long press wouldn't extend it.

I'm surprised the solution of duplicating the command worked, because the toggle bit would change (which ought to confuse the device) and even with an extender the second frame should be too late. But since that did work, I guess you have dealt with the problem.

cartilage01 · Post by **cartilage01** » Tue Oct 20, 2009 8:00 pm

I have this same problem with the 6131 extension. Whenever I try to include the power button for my TV in any macro it will not work. I have buttons setup to send a power on signal along with command needed to setup for DTV or DVR watching. I cannot put the power on signal at the end of the macro since the TV must be on to select the input. Is there any way to increase the amount of time that the buttons signals are sent. I am OK with increasing the times of the macros to make this work. I have looked at the assembly code for the extension but cannot see what needs to be changed to add the time to the keys in the macros.

Sorry for awakening this dead thread but it fit so well.

Thanks,
Cartilage

Post by **ElizabethD** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 2:42 pm

Welcome to the forum!
At the end of the readme in the extender zip file are few instructions about debugging this sort of a problem. Did you try and what are the results?
I think you should post your IR file and/or say what setup code and what protocol is used for the TV and what model TV. That way someone might help you since there are solutions to this sort of issue.

cartilage01 · Post by **cartilage01** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 7:25 pm

Thanks for the reply. Yes I did try all of the things at then end of the extender.zip file. The TV that I have is a Pioneer PDP-6020FD I created the device myself using the IR codes that I got from the Pioneer site. I created it using KM v9.14 is uses the Pioneer MIX Protocol and devices 170 and 175. I plan on posting it when I work out this problem. I am pretty sure the problem is that if you put the command in a macro they do not work. All of the buttons work individually and they also work if you have them as the last button of a macro and hold the key. If the buttons are embedded into the macro they do not work even if there are delays added between them. I would include my IR file but I cannot see how to attach it.

I have been looking at the assembly for the extender cannot see where I would but a delay to allow for the key to be held longer. I can see where it sends the normal keys but not the macro keys.

Post by **ElizabethD** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 11:03 pm

Look on top. File Section. Therein is a Diagnosis section. Click Upload, then fillin the information, including the path on your computer towards the bottom of the dialog. Click to add the file. Return do Diagnosis and on the right will be the most recent file. Click it, note the URL address and post that.

Someone here will need to tweak that Pioneer Mix for you to, perhaps, add few signal repeats. You will NOT find how to do it in the extender because resolutions such as this are protocol-specific, not universal.
It's also possible that such a fix has already been done for other users.

cartilage01 · Post by **cartilage01** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 7:49 pm

I have uploaded the IR file that I am using it is at

https://www.hifi-remote.com/forums/dload ... le_id=7406

This file has 2 macros assigned to the Thumbs Up and Thumbs Down. The the thumbs up turns on the VCR then TV with a really long pause in between (1.2sec) the second thumbs down turn on the TV then VCR with a really long pause (1.2sec) the thumbs up only works if you hold it and the thumbs down never does. I have tried a bunch of other things but this demonstrates what I believe the problem is.

Post by **vickyg2003** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 8:46 pm

cartilage01, the only time you need to add a pause between codes, is if they go to the same device. Extenders tend to cut the number of repeats sent to the bare minimum, with the EXCEPTION of the last key in a macro. It appears that the TV needs more repeats than the bare minimum, that's why having the TV Power as the last item in the macro makes it work. So if you can get by with putting the TV last in the macro, it will work otherewise we can tweak the protocol to make it send more repeats.

cartilage01 · Post by **cartilage01** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 9:20 pm

The problem is I can't always put it at the end of the macros. The way I use it right now is I have a button that does something like watch DVD. That would power on the TV turn on Stereo, change the input and then turn on the DVD player and switch the input to the TV input to DVD player. For all of this to work I need to have the TV on. The problem is the TV will not turn on at the beginning of a macro and the TV has to be on for the input to be selected. This all worked great with my old TV but this one is a problem but the TV looks fantastic.

What do I need to do to increase the repeat count. I did not see show you tweak this in the KM spreadsheet I am currently using KM v9.14.

Post by **vickyg2003** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 9:31 pm

What do I need to do to increase the repeat count. I did not see show you tweak this in the KM spreadsheet I am currently using KM v9.14.

Post a link to your upgrade. We use another program Protocol Builder (PB) to tweak the protocol in assembler language.

Also you have a TV code/0614 and a protocol that goes with it. I didn't see where these are still in use. Can we delete them to make room for a new protocol?

cartilage01 · Post by **cartilage01** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 10:10 pm

Post a link to your upgrade. We use another program Protocol Builder (PB) to tweak the protocol in assembler language.

Also you have a TV code/0614 and a protocol that goes with it. I didn't see where these are still in use. Can we delete them to make room for a new protocol?

I posted the KM file I used to create the upgrade it is at
https://www.hifi-remote.com/forums/dload ... le_id=7407

I think that the 0614 code was for my old TV so we can dump that. Thanks.

cartilage01 · Post by **cartilage01** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 6:05 am

Post a link to your upgrade. We use another program Protocol Builder (PB) to tweak the protocol in assembler language.

I just realized that you may be asking about the device I created for this. It uses the Pioneer MIX protocol with 2 devices 170 and 175. If it matters I could probably get away with only having device 170 commands in my macros.

Also I am interested in learning how to make the tweaks you talk about. I have written code in PowerPC and x86 assembly language so I can understand it in most cases. Is there a guide to how I can read to expain the magic PB usage.

Thanks,

Post by **vickyg2003** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 12:11 pm

Apparently we're going to need a heavy hitter like Rob or Mike for this one. Normally we can just tweak the repeats, but this protocol is complex and needs someone with more sc38 experience than I have.

Post by **vickyg2003** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 3:24 pm

Try this and see if your devices still work. I've added ONE frame, if we need more we'll work on this further.
https://www.hifi-remote.com/forums/dload ... le_id=7414