Review of OARUSB04G vs. URC6440 (revised)
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This is great news, I've been thinking about trying one of these remotes, and now that the extender has been released, it seems like a great time! Thanks to all involved.
I've noticed that the OARUSBO4 is cheaper here in the US than the URC 6440, and I"m a little confused by some of the posts in this thread. Can I use the new extender for the OARUSBO4 too, or is it just for the URC 6440?
Thanks again!
I've noticed that the OARUSBO4 is cheaper here in the US than the URC 6440, and I"m a little confused by some of the posts in this thread. Can I use the new extender for the OARUSBO4 too, or is it just for the URC 6440?
Thanks again!
The OARUSB04G has two buttons with unusual behavior. It's mentioned in the manual that tranx wangled out of OFA. For example the button at the lower right of the remote is labeled with the symbol of an upward arrow. This button can be programmed so that each press of the button sends a new signal, up to 21 different signals. The intent here is to allow a user of AV equipment to cycle through the inputs or modes on their receiver using repeated presses of the input button. In RMIR, one can define functions and assign them to the phantom buttons named button51 through button65. The built in setup code Audio 2857 (Denon receiver) has 14 (!) such functions assigned. It does not appear that functions assigned to these phantom buttons will work if part of a STB or DVD upgrade.
I'm new to the JP1 community, but I'm definitely a fanatic. I've been digging into my new OARUSB04G, and the expertise and tools available here are invaluable. I chose that particular programmable remote (my first) based on discussion in this forum. Thank you!
I have a question about the phantom buttons defined in the RDF for the OARUSB04G:
I understand the phantom buttons for the LKP functions assigned to the Rewind and FastFwd buttons (SkipBack and SkipForward); I understand the 21 phantom buttons on the up arrow/Audio Input key (buttons 0x51-0x65) thanks to the post above. Can you shed some light on which physical button on the remote is used to access phantom 'button6E'? That particular button is unassigned on all of my devices.
Once I finish setting up my HTIB device to my satisfaction, my next task is to record some macros in order to define new activities similar to the Watch TV and Watch Movie. I can see how it would be beneficial to have more than 2 activities on this remote...
So I'm also interested in helping to test any extenders that are developed for the OARUSB04G. I read with great interest the mathdon/tranx thread as they worked on the extender for the 6440 --- fantastic!
Thanks again,
Tyson
I have a question about the phantom buttons defined in the RDF for the OARUSB04G:
I understand the phantom buttons for the LKP functions assigned to the Rewind and FastFwd buttons (SkipBack and SkipForward); I understand the 21 phantom buttons on the up arrow/Audio Input key (buttons 0x51-0x65) thanks to the post above. Can you shed some light on which physical button on the remote is used to access phantom 'button6E'? That particular button is unassigned on all of my devices.
Once I finish setting up my HTIB device to my satisfaction, my next task is to record some macros in order to define new activities similar to the Watch TV and Watch Movie. I can see how it would be beneficial to have more than 2 activities on this remote...
So I'm also interested in helping to test any extenders that are developed for the OARUSB04G. I read with great interest the mathdon/tranx thread as they worked on the extender for the 6440 --- fantastic!
Thanks again,
Tyson
Hi TDome. First, you and I are in similar positions, as relative newcomers.TDome wrote:....Can you shed some light on which physical button on the remote is used to access phantom 'button6E'? That particular button is unassigned on all of my devices.....
That said it seems to me that the main characteristic of the phantom buttons is that they are not represented by any physical buttons.
Therefore the 'title' of a phantom button, e.g. 'button6E', is just an independent way of identifying a particular phantom button, as a 'slot' for something or other, such as a macro or keymove, to be assigned.
The title can then be used in the setup dropdowns for keymoves, (by which means a function can be allocated on the phantom button) or the setup dropdowns for macros (by which a macro can be allocated to the phantom 'slot') or in the dropdowns for DIMs and DSMs (by which that function or macro could be can be utilised in its turn).
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vickyg2003
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Phantoms are always accessed via a macro on a physical key. If an extender is involved, then it could be accessed via a DSM, LKP, ToadTog....
Remember to provide feedback to let us know how the problem was solved and share your upgrades.
Tip: When creating an upgrade, always include ALL functions from the oem remote, even if you never plan on assigning them to a button. Complete function lists makes an upgrade more helpful to others.
Tip: When creating an upgrade, always include ALL functions from the oem remote, even if you never plan on assigning them to a button. Complete function lists makes an upgrade more helpful to others.
Anytime you see something like "button6E", that's an error in the RDF or map that needs to be fixed. We strive to name every button, real or phantom, and seeing the above means it got missed. That could very well be a physical or phantom button or the long press side of a physical or phantom button.
Last edited by mdavej on Mon Feb 16, 2015 3:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Thanks tranx for that explanation --- it makes sense that it can be used just like any other virtual button 'slot' to hold a command sequence.
My thinking was that since 'button6E' was numbered non-consecutively (the other phantom buttons that correspond to the various 'slots' on the 'up arrow' Audio Input key in the lower right are numbered through 0x65) that it may correspond to some other special key press.
Since the behavior of the 'up arrow' audio input key (it steps through the assignments on the aforementioned phantom buttons) is something that is embedded in the OARUSB04G firmware, I thought that perhaps whatever function was assigned to the button6E 'slot' may also be accessed by some special key press.
Perhaps the numbering scheme for the phantom buttons on the OARUSB04G simply correspond to pointers or offsets in the remote's memory...
TDome
My thinking was that since 'button6E' was numbered non-consecutively (the other phantom buttons that correspond to the various 'slots' on the 'up arrow' Audio Input key in the lower right are numbered through 0x65) that it may correspond to some other special key press.
Since the behavior of the 'up arrow' audio input key (it steps through the assignments on the aforementioned phantom buttons) is something that is embedded in the OARUSB04G firmware, I thought that perhaps whatever function was assigned to the button6E 'slot' may also be accessed by some special key press.
Perhaps the numbering scheme for the phantom buttons on the OARUSB04G simply correspond to pointers or offsets in the remote's memory...
TDome
Some comments about "phantoms" and about the OARUSB04G:
I don't know that we have an official JP1 meaning to the term phantom, but the situation that normally gives rise to a phantom occurs when a remote is made with some button left off the button sheet or off the printed circuit board. So if a macro step refers to such a phantom, the firmware treats it just like a physical button. For example, UEI may make versions of a remote with 2, 3, or 4 device buttons, and actually the internal firmware is the same for all three. Then the remote with only two devices will have two phantom device buttons, and these phantom button codes are inaccessible to the user no matter what buttons are pressed. JP1ers can access the button codes via macro generated in RMIR.
In that sense, the LKP rewind and FFWD button codes aren't exactly phantoms--the user can access these button codes. Neither are shifted buttons phantoms; there is a two button press sequence that gives the user access. Typically, I believe, shifted button codes are the non-shifted button number with bit 7 set.
In the OARUSB04G, we can see button codes $51 through $65 in the Audio button map, and $6E in the Cable and TV button maps. We know that the S51-$65 are accessible to the user by repeated presses of the Audio Input button. So far as I know, no one has done the experimentation to find out if these button codes are generally accessible from a macro. From my point of view, we don't know if these are similar to phantoms or more like shifted button, or something else. We also don't know how these may be affected by using the remote in Combo mode. Perhaps the fact that all of them have bit 6 set has significance. Given that level of uncertainty, we haven't labeled them in the RDF file.
I don't know how to invoke button $6E with button presses, but it presumably it would be done in TV or Cable mode.
I don't know that we have an official JP1 meaning to the term phantom, but the situation that normally gives rise to a phantom occurs when a remote is made with some button left off the button sheet or off the printed circuit board. So if a macro step refers to such a phantom, the firmware treats it just like a physical button. For example, UEI may make versions of a remote with 2, 3, or 4 device buttons, and actually the internal firmware is the same for all three. Then the remote with only two devices will have two phantom device buttons, and these phantom button codes are inaccessible to the user no matter what buttons are pressed. JP1ers can access the button codes via macro generated in RMIR.
In that sense, the LKP rewind and FFWD button codes aren't exactly phantoms--the user can access these button codes. Neither are shifted buttons phantoms; there is a two button press sequence that gives the user access. Typically, I believe, shifted button codes are the non-shifted button number with bit 7 set.
In the OARUSB04G, we can see button codes $51 through $65 in the Audio button map, and $6E in the Cable and TV button maps. We know that the S51-$65 are accessible to the user by repeated presses of the Audio Input button. So far as I know, no one has done the experimentation to find out if these button codes are generally accessible from a macro. From my point of view, we don't know if these are similar to phantoms or more like shifted button, or something else. We also don't know how these may be affected by using the remote in Combo mode. Perhaps the fact that all of them have bit 6 set has significance. Given that level of uncertainty, we haven't labeled them in the RDF file.
I don't know how to invoke button $6E with button presses, but it presumably it would be done in TV or Cable mode.
edited:
In a Combi Mode which includes any device on the AUDIO button as long as that has been labelled in RMIR as misc-audio type of device, they work the same as they do in the AUDIO device mode, commands on phantom buttons $51 through $65 being issued in a looping sequence when the input Audio Input button is pressed repeatedly.
It must have already been recognised that, in RMIR, allocating a command to the 'arrow' phantom button is just equivalent to putting that command on the Audio Input button(labelled with an the Arrow Symbol) itself, which is something which can't otherwise be done in RMIR (but a command can be learned). Ditto for the dash phantom and the TV Input button (also labelled with the Dash Symbol)
For some reason in TV device mode, or if the TV device is included in a combo mode, I cannot get TV inputs to cycle through TV Device's phantoms when the TV input button is repeatedly pressed, although this is described in the 'secret' manual.
In case it is not already clear and from checking that, I believe that those button codes are generally accessible from a macro, but if macros are put on those phantom buttons in a misc-audio type of device on the the AUDIO device button, only the first command in each macro is sent by repeatedly pressing the Audio Input button.3FG wrote:...In the OARUSB04G, we can see button codes $51 through $65 in the Audio button map, and $6E in the Cable and TV button maps. We know that the S51-$65 are accessible to the user by repeated presses of the Audio Input button. So far as I know, no one has done the experimentation to find out if these button codes are generally accessible from a macro. From my point of view, we don't know if these are similar to phantoms or more like shifted button, or something else. We also don't know how these may be affected by using the remote in Combo mode....
In a Combi Mode which includes any device on the AUDIO button as long as that has been labelled in RMIR as misc-audio type of device, they work the same as they do in the AUDIO device mode, commands on phantom buttons $51 through $65 being issued in a looping sequence when the input Audio Input button is pressed repeatedly.
It must have already been recognised that, in RMIR, allocating a command to the 'arrow' phantom button is just equivalent to putting that command on the Audio Input button(labelled with an the Arrow Symbol) itself, which is something which can't otherwise be done in RMIR (but a command can be learned). Ditto for the dash phantom and the TV Input button (also labelled with the Dash Symbol)
For some reason in TV device mode, or if the TV device is included in a combo mode, I cannot get TV inputs to cycle through TV Device's phantoms when the TV input button is repeatedly pressed, although this is described in the 'secret' manual.
An extender for the OARUSB04G is imminent. I will shortly be posting a new and substantially enhanced version of the URC-6440 extender, together with a corresponding one for the OARUSB04G. It will have both Shift and XShift support, 12 devices, 6 activities and many other features.jeajea wrote:Any progress on an extender for the OARUSB04G?
Graham