? about searching for codes

jon_armstrong · Post by **jon_armstrong** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 12:19 pm

trpltongue wrote: I plan on incorporating all these into a Pronto Neo. I have not used or even researched the ToadTog so I don't know if it will work with the Neo?

No, it won't work by using the ToadTog in your OFA remote and teaching that to the NEO. If the NEO has some sort of similar feature then that might work, but I have no idea whether it does. If you are using a computer with your projector or have a home server running 24/7 you may be able to control the projector with RS-232. Get something like the USB-UIRT and Girder to teach (and recognize) IR commands to a PC and when the appropriate command is recognized it sends out the desired RS232 command.

Or, you could just use the 2116 to control your HT setup. I use a predecessor remote (the 15-1994) to control 13 different components in my HT setup. I will assure you that there is nothing from an IR command standpoint that the NEO can do that the 2116 can't.

I used to use a very complex home automation system to control my HT and replaced it with the 15-1994 and it now works much better.

Post by **The Robman** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 1:15 pm

trpltongue wrote:Anyhow, I did manage to find a few more functions. I found discrete inputs selection ...

Anyhow, I have the EFC's written down at home. What's the best way to get the new EFC's integrated into an upgrade for others to use?

Go ahead and post them in this thread for starters, then at least we'll have them. If you also want to create an upgrade that includes them, that would be great too, but if you don't want to, that's fine, one of us can do it.

trpltongue · Post by **trpltongue** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 2:31 pm

Jon,

I really like my 2116, the only difficulty is that only I know which buttons do which things

I'm looking at getting the Neo to simplify my wife and In-laws lives a bit.

I actually thought about implementing a fulltime server to control the PJ as it does have RS-232 control with full discrete commands, but it's a bit much to do JUST to control the PJ. I already have an HTPC, but it is not on 24/7. I suppose I could leave it on 24/7 and use a usb/uirt. I'll have to think about that. I'm already using Girder so adding in the 232 control wouldn't be difficult.

Rob,

I'll definitely post them up here and I'll probably add the file to the JP1 group. I guess anyone can add files?

Russell

Post by **The Robman** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 2:53 pm

Hey Russell,
In my opinion, with some well thought out programming, you should be able to get any JP1 remote to the point where almost anyone can use it, with only a little bit of help from the expert.

Granted, if someone wants to use the DVD's "Angle" function, they would have to know what button it's programmed to, but how often do you need a button like that?

What sort of functions do you have programmed to mis-labelled buttons, that your family members need to use on a regular basis?

Once you have the remote fully programmed, with clever macros doing most of the work, it's a good idea to draw up a cheat-sheet that lists what each button does in each mode (apart from the obvious, that is) along with a list of what buttons you need to press to perform programmed tasks (eg, to "watch a DVD" press P then DVD, things like that).

If you've put the right amount of thought into the programming, using the remote should mostly be intuitive, but the cheat-sheet is there for those occassions when the spouse, baby-sitter, etc gets stuck.

trpltongue · Post by **trpltongue** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 3:01 pm

Rob,

The real difficulty is with the new DVR that we got. There are a number of buttons such as A, B, and C that don't have a real good place to be mapped to. I love and will keep my 2116, but for my wife and in-laws sake, I am getting a Neo as well. The Neo is just so much easier for any joe-blow to pick up and use, once it's been programmed. All of my labels can be customized to have a meaning for those not familiar.

It's just a lot easier for my family with the Neo.

The other difficulty is the dual displays that I have. A projector and a tv. One nice thing about the Neo is the ability to have user input..."Do you want to watch a movie on the TV or the Big Screen?" and to fire off macros based on that.

Russell

Post by **The Robman** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 4:10 pm

Several other RS and OFA remotes have buttons that are supposed to be learning or macro buttons, that have labels like L1, L2, etc. These would be good buttons for functions like A, B and C. Of course, the 15-2116 doesn't have such buttons, which is one of it's weaknesses. I would recommend something like PIP, SWAP and MOVE for the ABC buttons. If these are buttons that you don't need very often, but want to be able to remember where they are when you do need them, maybe you could use shifted REW, PLAY and FFWD. These buttons are 3 across, so it should be quite easy to remember them.

trpltongue · Post by **trpltongue** » Fri Oct 01, 2004 6:17 am

Rob,

All good points. I had thought about PIP SWAP and MOVE, but the new DVR box we got has PIP built in so I now find myself using those controls quite often

The other thing I had thought about was shifted REC, STOP, PAUSE. Once again though, only I would know what they are and how to use them.

The Neo really is a great remote. I can import CCF's with a little work and can customize the heck out of it. I have already started programming it and I don't even have the remote yet. It wasn't terribly expensive either ($80 for an open box special). I just think that if I'm going to spend the time programming it, I might as well make it stupid easy to use. No cheat sheets for my in-laws, or explaining how you do a shifted command lol!

I'll still use the 2116 to teach commands to the NEO but the NEO will be the main remote for my family. It's just too easy to use with the customizeable LCD and user inputs/notifications. For example, my Xbox requires that you flip a homemade switch for Hidef or Standard def mode. With the Neo I can have the macro tell the user that they need to switch the button and wait for them to hit okay before it continues the macro...super cool.

Thanks for the ideas though, I'll use them when programing the 2116 for myself. Oh, and I'll be putting that new PB6100 file up in the files section this weekend. I didn't get a chance to do it last night with the Pres. Debate.

Russell

johnsfine · Post by **johnsfine** » Fri Oct 01, 2004 6:48 am

trpltongue wrote: ToadTog so I don't know if it will work with the Neo?

It has no ToadTog support, and as others have explained you can't learn a ToadTog from one remote to another.

The approach to issues like that on remotes like the Neo is a little cruder, but gets the job done as long as you have very few toggle states that need to be monitored and they don't significantly combine with each other.

Design the navigation among NEO screens so that the position within the navigation implies the state of device toggles. Duplicate screens and/or send commands when switching screens in order to enforce those assumptions.

I think the Neo has those abilities, but I'm basing most of that idea on information about other Pronto models, so I wouldn't know if the Neo is missing something for even that crude substitute for ToadTog.

trpltongue · Post by **trpltongue** » Fri Oct 01, 2004 11:01 am

John,

Yeah, my approach so far has been multiple screens and user input for occasional confirmation. I think it'll work out okay, just a bit cludgy.

I wish the Pronto team had some great software developers that were also remote afficianados so that they would know how people use the remotes. There are lots of little "quirks" that could be made better.

Russell

Post by **The Robman** » Fri Oct 01, 2004 11:32 am

The main difference between UEI remotes and any PC programmable other remote that I know of is that the other remotes only store learned signals, they don't give you any opportunity to write executable code.

UEI remotes use "executors" to recreate IR protocols, which allows us to write new code in assembler to do fancy things, such as ToadTog, which we load into the remote in the form of executors. The remote thinks it's about to send an IR signal but instead the assembler code does something else. It wasn't designed to work this way, but it's still pretty cool.

trpltongue · Post by **trpltongue** » Wed Oct 06, 2004 6:18 am

Sorry it's taken me so long, I've been sick as a dog.

The new codes that I learned are:

EFC......Function

059......RGB input
056......Composite input
123......S-video input
116......Y/Pb/Pr input

Several other EFC's also worked, but they were repeats of other codes. Keystone and preset repeated a few times.

I will try to get these new codes into a device upgrade but I'm not sure when. I still feel pretty crappy.

Russell

Post by **The Robman** » Wed Oct 06, 2004 5:48 pm

I have added the four new EFCs that you provided to the Benq_PB6100_projector.txt upgrade file.

trpltongue · Post by **trpltongue** » Thu Oct 07, 2004 7:47 am

Thanks Rob!