JP1 Remotes

[sirjp1]

I have an Inteset INT-422. Any ideas on the delay introduced by each step in a macro? Does it matter what the IR code is and is the delay smaller for device selection steps?

[vickyg2003]

One of the huge advantages/disadvantages of the jp1 traditional extenders is they have fast exciting macros. Part of the speed comes from reducing the number of repeats each signal sends. Typically a remote sends 3 repeats for each signal. The longer the signal frame, the more time it takes. In addition the remote typically introduces a delay between signals. The longer a macro takes, the more unreliable a macro becomes. Your users don't keep the remote pointed at the device, or the dog or the kids walk between the remote and the device.

[sirjp1]

Unfortunately my Vizio TV seems to require a good 12 sec. after power on for it to accept an input change command. And I thought my old Samsung was bad at 8 sec. I guess the "smarter" they get the more time it takes to boot them.

I'm used to the Harmony settings "power on delay", "delay between commands", "delay between devices", etc. Anything customizable like that for JP1 remotes? mdavej already introduced me to the Pause protocol rmdu, just trying to see if there's anything beyond that.

[binky123]

The delay between each macro key execution is about 0.26 seconds.

[pH7_jp1]

The Pause protocol on the Special Functions tab of RMIR is the best way to get very long delays, like you want.

Lately, I have taken a different approach to this problem. I program the Power key as a master system toggle. It will power everything off or just turn on the primary devices for our usual activity. (In our case, watching cable.) It does not do any of the input switching. So, in the normal case of watching cable at the end of the day and starting to watch cable at the start of the next day, it works fine, no delay necessary.

Each of the device buttons are programmed as an "activity" to "Watch cable", "Watch DVD", etc. These macros send the input selection commands for that activity. They have discrete on commands for the correct devices followed immediately by the input selection commands no extra delay included. Since the devices have already been turned on by the master power on, the discrete ON commands are redundant. This works for us nearly 100% of the time. I have included some very short pause commands for a couple of devices where needed in the "activity" macros.

[pH7_jp1]

Sorry to split this into 2 posts, but one other thing I have done lately helps with this problem as well. The TV is the thing that has the really long delay. I have rewired my system so that there is only one HDMI input to the TV, the one from the output of my receiver. My receiver can handle an input change commands almost immediately after the discrete power on command. The TV displays the picture from the correct input when it finally gets around to it.

On one of my systems I got around the lack of input switching discretes and solved this timing issue by adding an inexpensive HDMI switcher, so again the TV stayed on the only input full time.

[sirjp1]

Thanks for the tips above. Unfortunately for me I use the OTA tuner in the TV (TV Input) and 1 HDMI input connected to the AVR. I have no choice but to switch the TV input between TV and HDMI1. I used to do TV tuning via an HTPC in the past and it was much better, the TV always stayed on HDMI1, it was really just a dumb monitor.

I too use the device buttons as macros/activities (thanks to a friend who opened my eyes to it). The macros are all idempotent, so if you hit one and it doesn't work first try, wait a few seconds and hit the button again, easy fix for wife & kids. My Power button is an "all devices off" macro. Again, if they don't all turn off, just hit it again. I'm starting to like the no state tracking, unlike Harmony.

One thing I found to help when switching activities is to set up the macros like this, at the end of the macro:

[Ed]

I'll jump in to say I struggle with delays and pauses in macros as well. I too have a Vizio TV. I also have a Onkyo receiver that takes some time to power up, and I route all my sound through it.

I have my remote set up with LKPs on the device buttons when I want to turn things on and configure inputs, etc., and a normal key press to shift the remote to control a device without changing inputs, as when I want to change the TVs aspect ratio when watching certain DVDs. My power button is also "all off".

My problem is when I try to implement a pause within a macro that also has LKP, it flat won't work due to problems documented elsewhere. I've given up on that. Maybe I should use a shifted, or double-shifted device key for turning things on from "cold" and configuring inputs, and include a pause in that macro (that would not have an LKP)? Then I'd use the LKP as I'm doing now, assuming the slow devices are already on. That would drive my wife nuts.

I've been thinking about this a lot and haven't come up with a clean solution for myself, but in the end I always come back to, "if it doesn't work, just press it again". No sense in going through a lot of work if all you need to do is press a button twice, right?

Ed

[sirjp1]

What is LKP? And what are the issues associated with it?

And yes, pressing the button twice is the most reliable solution, better than the Harmony help button that asks you a million useless questions instead of just doing it for you in particular if it can tell you have discrete codes.

[Ed]

LKP = Long Key Press. Sorry for not being clear.

[mdavej]

LKP = Long Key Press, available only in extenders. I personally haven't had any pause issues with LKPs. I guess it depends on the extender. Some may interrupt the macro if the held button repeats, cutting the pause short.

A workaround for an LKP pause problem is to simply swap the LKP macro with the SKP (short) macro. For example if a short press does device mode selection and a long press does your activity macro. Just make the long press select the device and the short press run your macro.

I find sirjp1's technique to work best, where all power and input commands are at the beginning of the macro and repeated at the end to cover both cold start and warm start cases.

[Ed]

Thanks mdavej.

I'm not an expert, but I think the problem I was having is caused by repeats, cutting the pause short, as you note. My remote is the RCRP05B.

I like your workaround and wish I would have thought of it myself <smiles>. I think I'll combine that with sirjp1's approach and see what happens.

Ed

[sirjp1]

[Ed]

No problem, sirjp1.

mdavej,

Your idea on using the short press was so good I thought I'd jump right on it but, alas, I can't create create an LKP special function if I put entries in the "short press" column of RMIR. When I do, upon pressing "OK", RMIR converts it to a DKP and scrambles all the commands. I tried putting entries in the "short press" column one at a time and then pressing "OK" after each one, but eventually, RMIR changes LKP to DKP and scrambles the inputs.

There's obviously a bug somewhere in RMIR and I admit I haven't looked for a work around, but I thought I'd ask if you could right off hand point me to the right spot.

Thanks,

Ed

[pH7_jp1]

Ed,

Sorry the original topic has been distorted do much, but I had to comment.

I have programmed several RCRP05B using RMIR with the 1.05 version of the extender and have never had that sort of problem with LKP.

The only problem I ever have had was if I exceed the total number of commands. (I think it is that you can have no more than a total of 15 commands.) When I hit that limit, I create a separate DSM for each side and only have one command in the short and long side of the LKP.

I don't know if that was your problem or not. Hope that helps. I can post an example of working LKPs the diagnosis area if you think that would help.

Phil