Extended Macros in the URCs 7980, 7880 and 7955

[mathdon]

I prefer the 1056003 remotes with the mini extender.

I have one of these and I like it. I had some trouble finding a version of the extender that worked for me, but eventually I did.

I think there is a slight misprint in what jeajea wrote. He is referring to the Atlas 1056B03 (see the eBay link he gives), which is a JP2 remote for which there is only one extender. This is the mini extender that adds DSMs and keymoves only. As you write of finding a version of the extender that worked for you, are you perhaps referring to an earlier version of the Atlas that uses the JP1.3 Common Extender?

[Ed]

I prefer the 1056003 remotes with the mini extender.

I have one of these and I like it. I had some trouble finding a version of the extender that worked for me, but eventually I did.

I think there is a slight misprint in what jeajea wrote. He is referring to the Atlas 1056B03 (see the eBay link he gives), which is a JP2 remote for which there is only one extender. This is the mini extender that adds DSMs and keymoves only. As you write of finding a version of the extender that worked for you, are you perhaps referring to an earlier version of the Atlas that uses the JP1.3 Common Extender?

Ah, yes. You're right, Graham. Sorry for the confusion. My remote is the Atlas OCAP with the black cover, 1056B01. I could not get the pause protocol to work with the JP1.3 common extender, so I eventually ended up using version 2.11 of the extender, which has worked well for me.

I guess I'll have to take a closer look at the link jeajea provided. I had a quick look, and what I saw looked exactly like what I have.

[jeajea]

My issue with macros on the internal device buttons is that when switching devices, I don't want any macro associated with the other devices to execute.
For example, going from TV to BLU I don't want the STB macro to run.

I also considered shifted device and decided it was too confusing for other users.

The "too many" button problem is actually that the button labels don't match the original remote.

Can the 7880 blu-ray be used to control devices such as Android TV boxes that don' have IR input?
Currently I buy a flirc-usb that adds $23 for each TV box.

https://flirc.tv/more/flirc-usb

[Ed]

My issue with macros on the internal device buttons is that when switching devices, I don't want any macro associated with the other devices to execute.
For example, going from TV to BLU I don't want the STB macro to run.

I also considered shifted device and decided it was too confusing for other users.

Yep. That's where I ended up.

The "too many" button problem is actually that the button labels don't match the original remote.

Some of the buttons on my 1056B01 (see my above response to Graham) don't have any labels at all. By the way, I looked at your link above again and my remote looks absolutely identical to your 1056003.

Can the 7880 blu-ray be used to control devices such as Android TV boxes that don' have IR input?
Currently I buy a flirc-usb that adds $23 for each TV box.

https://flirc.tv/more/flirc-usb

As far as I know, the 7880 only transmits IR signals, so it can't control a device that doesn't have an IR input. That said, I bought an adapter for my daughter's Firestick that accepts IR input and converts it into usable input to the Firestick. I have a flirc dongle I used with my Raspberry Pi that I control with an IR remote.

[mathdon]

My issue with macros on the internal device buttons is that when switching devices, I don't want any macro associated with the other devices to execute. For example, going from TV to BLU I don't want the STB macro to run.

Have you actually tried this? The investigation that led to my finding the extended macro behaviour also led me to believe that this issue has been addressed. I believe that a macro on such an internal device button has a slight delay - I don't know how long - before being sent, to allow you to skip over devices without activating the macro. So the macro will be sent only for your final choice, when you stop scrolling through the device list.

I have not put this to the test, so would be interested if either of you try this out.

BTW to jeajea: Please do not compose your posts in MS Word or similar. The punctuation symbols cause the preview to crash. I have had to change your apostrophes in my quote of yours above in order to get preview not to delete my post. If you want to compose them elsewhere and copy them, use Notepad or similar.

[Ed]

Have you actually tried this? The investigation that led to my finding the extended macro behaviour also led me to believe that this issue has been addressed. I believe that a macro on such an internal device button has a slight delay - I don't know how long - before being sent, to allow you to skip over devices without activating the macro. So the macro will be sent only for your final choice, when you stop scrolling through the device list.

I don't know if jeajea has tried this, but I have, and it works as you've described, Graham. I actually misread jeajea's response above and thought he was referring to changing devices within a macro. This is the point at which I decided not to put a macro on a device key.

On a more careful reading of jeajea's post, I see now that he meant macros associated with devices encountered in the process of moving from one device to another using the "Device" key. That's not a problem.

[jeajea]

I didn't actually try putting macros on multiple 7880 internal device buttons.
I was unware there was a built in delay.
However, depending on the delay built into the remote isn't very fool proof.

I don't understand the issue with using a device button with a macro in another macro.
Remotes without an extender usually don't execute mested macros.

The B01 and B03 (003 was a typo) do look the same from the front.
It may even be possible to use B03 to "repair" buttons on a B01.

There are at least two versions of the B03.
The one I linked has the backlight feature.
The other version has blue volume and channel buttons and no backlight.

[Ed]

However, depending on the delay built into the remote isn't very fool proof.

You're right, it's not foolproof. Navigating to the appropriate device without stopping wasn't that big a deal for me; the main issue for me is training my "user" to keep the remote pointed at the equipment until it fires.

Remotes without an extender usually don't execute mested macros.

I've been using remotes with extenders for so long that I either forgot this or never knew it in the first place.

If I can just put macros on device "buttons" in the tried and true way -- with device switching inside macros using device buttons -- then I'm inclined to abandon the activity functionality completely and thereby regain use of the "Power" button. I will definitely try that. If that works, then, together with the new functionality Graham has discovered and detailed in this thread, this remote becomes "almost" as functional for me as the RCRP05B or the 1056B01 and comes close to OARUSB04G.

[StephenR0]

If I can just put macros on device "buttons" in the tried and true way -- with device switching inside macros using device buttons -- then I'm inclined to abandon the activity functionality completely and thereby regain use of the "Power" button. I will definitely try that. If that works, then, together with the new functionality Graham has discovered and detailed in this thread, this remote becomes "almost" as functional for me as the RCRP05B or the 1056B01 and comes close to OARUSB04G.

I have tried to do as you describe, but haven't found a way to get a macro on a device button to execute. If you find a way, I would appreciate knowing how.

[Ed]

If I can just put macros on device "buttons" in the tried and true way -- with device switching inside macros using device buttons -- then I'm inclined to abandon the activity functionality completely and thereby regain use of the "Power" button. I will definitely try that. If that works, then, together with the new functionality Graham has discovered and detailed in this thread, this remote becomes "almost" as functional for me as the RCRP05B or the 1056B01 and comes close to OARUSB04G.

I have tried to do as you describe, but haven't found a way to get a macro on a device button to execute. If you find a way, I would appreciate knowing how.

Of course. I do believe I tried this and had it working for my daughter, but I just checked back at her RMIR files and I don't have macros on her device keys. (Her devices lack discretes and her TV is extremely slow to respond to a "Power on" command, so macros weren't particularly useful for her.) So, maybe it won't work. But I'll try.

[mathdon]

I have tried to do as you describe, but haven't found a way to get a macro on a device button to execute.

I have looked into this again and see that it is only macros on activities that work as I described. The delay is 3sec before the macro fires, as described in the instruction leaflet. The remote unfortunately does not support macros on devices.

[Ed]

I have tried to do as you describe, but haven't found a way to get a macro on a device button to execute.

I have looked into this again and see that it is only macros on activities that work as I described. The delay is 3sec before the macro fires, as described in the instruction leaflet. The remote unfortunately does not support macros on devices.

Well heck. I guess I was putting macros on the activity keys, not the device keys, to get the behavior I described earlier. Sorry for any confusion.

[StephenR0]

So, when I tried this, since I couldn't get macros on the devices, I put DSMs on the input key. This worked very well, but it does take an extra key. In the end I went back to using activities and put a tv power macro on the input key. I find that I'm just as irritated by the activity power key as you are. An extender for this remote would be very welcome. If I could have device macros and an ability to have a macro return to the device before it was called, I would be happy. I would have no idea where to start to write one, though.

[mathdon]

An extender for this remote would be very welcome. If I could have device macros and an ability to have a macro return to the device before it was called, I would be happy. I would have no idea where to start to write one, though.

Don't even think about writing one. This remote is far more complex than any remote for which an extender has been written, largely due to the Bluetooth support. I did write the two versions of the Bluetooth extender that fix issues with the UEI Bluetooth implementation. Those fixed bugs in Bluetooth features that UEI never used and so were incompletely implemented. An extender that changes the way this remote operates is orders of magnitude more difficult. To give you a taste of it, the remote has a 17-layer event-driven operating system running on an emulated 32-bit model processor which in turn runs on the underlying 8-bit real processor.

I will say this, however. If I ever write another extender, it will be for the URC-7880 and URC-7980. I put a great deal of effort into understanding these remotes in order to write the Bluetooth extenders and would like to capitalize on that by writing a normal extender for them. I have put much thought into whether or not it is possible. There is one feature that underlies most other features of extenders. That is the implementation of nested macros. I have not yet seen a way to do that. I have not given up on it, but don't hold your breath .

[Ed]

Well, I've begun to dig into my 7880 and had a couple observations and questions. I've added the extender (versions 1 and 2) and apart from a stupid mistake (documented here), that went well. Then I began adding device upgrades and building macros to operate my living room setup. This setup consists of a TCL Roku TV, a Yamaha RX-V385 receiver, a Raspberry Pi 3b running OSMC (Kodi), and a Samsung BluRay player. The Pi is powered on all the time and is controlled by a FLIRC that I've mapped between Kodi and IR functions in a Samsung TV upgrade.

The first thing I did was confirm that you can't put macros on a device or shifted device key. As noted, that's a shame.

I had some questions/observations for Graham on how RMIR works:

It allows you to put a global or device specific macro on a device key (but not a shifted device key) when it probably should not. I've not tested if a DSM will work on a device key but I'm guessing it does not.

It won't allow a controlled macro (global or DSM) on an activity key. Normal macros are allowed on activity keys.

It allows a normal macro to be bound to a shifted activity key, but they don't work. Shifted activity keys seem inaccessible; i.e., you can assign functions to them in RMIR, but you can't access those functions in a macro or by "pressing" the shifted activity key directly; i.e., Magic, then repeated presses of Activity until the proper activity is lit. There's also no way to set up key groups for shifted activies.

So, I thought I'd pause my work with this remote and see what kind of experiences others have had.

Here is the basic idea of what I'm aiming to do

Set up macros on the "WatchTV", "WatchMovie", and "Custom" activities. I would plan to make judicious use of controlled macros to speed things up when possible and slow them down when necessary.

WatchTV would turn on the TV and receiver, and turn off the BluRay player, all via discrete commands (faking a discrete off on the Samsung with Play, Power) and configure inputs and outputs for the TV and receiver. Key 3 would define the button group assignments.

WatchMovie would turn on the TV, Receiver, and BluRay via discretes (Play for BluRay). Nothing needs to be turned off in this case. Inputs to the receiver and TV would be configured for BluRay viewing. "Key 2" would define the button group assignments.

Custom would turn on the TV and receiver and turn off the BluRay player with discretes. Key 2 would define the button group assignments. The RPi (or the Samsung TV upgrade that controls the RPi via FLIRC) is classified as a "Media" device with Key 2 defining the button groups.

I would assign discrete off commands to the power key for the TV and the receiver and power toggle to the power key for the BluRay player. In this way, I think I could reclaim the power key on the remote to shut off devices that are assigned in an activity. There is not discrete off for the BluRay, so may cause some consternation.

I would also want to have DSMs to move between Roku applications while in "WatchTV" mode.

There are almost certainly several other things I'd do, but if I can get the above working, I believe I'd have a remote that's pretty competitive with my OAR, should it ever quit on me.