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Xsight/Nevo firmware and config reliant on ez-rc.com?
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pelago



Joined: 01 Feb 2016
Posts: 14

                    
PostPosted: Mon Feb 01, 2016 10:10 am    Post subject: Xsight/Nevo firmware and config reliant on ez-rc.com? Reply with quote

Hello. I am looking to buy the Nevo C2/Xsight Colour remote, and I love that it is supported in an open-source software like RMIR.

However I am concerned to read on http://www.hifi-remote.com/wiki/index.php?title=Getting_started_with_Xsight_and_Nevo that in order update the remote's firmware, and to define a baseline configuration, we need to use the ez-rc.com website. I worry that at some point that website will go away.

Has anyone mirrored the firmware and found a way to upgrade the remotes offline, so to speak? Is it OK to create a baseline config on the remote itself and then use RMIR for the rest of the config, or even do everything from scratch in RMIR?
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mdavej
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 01, 2016 1:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

No attempt to save or upgrade the firmware without ez-rc has been made, as far as I know.

Ez-rc isn't required for anything else. It's just easier to start that way.

The firmware update isn't entirely necessary either. The base firmware works, but has some bugs when used with RMIR, mainly related to Assist mode.

EDIT: Per later posts, we can make a firmware update tool after all if necessary.


Last edited by mdavej on Tue Feb 02, 2016 8:58 am; edited 1 time in total
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pelago



Joined: 01 Feb 2016
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 01, 2016 3:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks. I'm guessing that the answer to my next question is no, but has anyone tried properly modifying the firmware, e.g. to add or change features? I understand that it's not open source, but people have managed to hack closed source things before, given the will.
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mdavej
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 01, 2016 3:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Seems like we hit a brick wall on that front a couple of years ago. I don't remember the issue exactly. But we'd love to have someone dig into it if you're willing.
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pelago



Joined: 01 Feb 2016
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 01, 2016 5:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sorry, it's beyond me. I know enough from reading about games console hacking or Android bootloaders etc. to know that there will be lots of security to prevent easy changes to the firmware.
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mdavej
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 01, 2016 7:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Getting RMIR to work on the configuration was a feat in itself. Hopefully RMIR will give you enough functionality as-is. The main thing missing is toad-tog functionality. But if your devices have discretes, you don't really need it. I haven't missed it. Most of the other functionality anyone would need in a remote is already there.
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The Robman
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Joined: 01 Aug 2003
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 01, 2016 9:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Pelago, you said that you are worried that someday the ez-rc web site might go away, which it might, but it's here now, so what is the issue? All we're saying is that you have to connect once and then you never need to connect ever again if you don't want to. You can do the rest with RMIR.

Of course, having said that, the ez-rc site is a great source for new upgrades, if you ever have trouble creating your own for any new devices that you might have, now or in the future.
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Please don't PM me with remote questions, post them in the forums so all the experts can help!
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pelago



Joined: 01 Feb 2016
Posts: 14

                    
PostPosted: Tue Feb 02, 2016 1:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The site might be here now, but I might want to buy a new remote (with out of date firmware) in the future. Plus I hear about remotes that get into a state where they need the firmware reflashed using ez-rc. If that site isn't around in future years, this might be a problem.

Regarding hacking the firmware, it was indeed power and input state tracking I was thinking it would be nice to have, plus maybe improving Activities in general. Favourites could benefit from showing channels from different sources. And I might be wrong about this, but does the Devices list only show three per page? Six devices per page would suit me better.
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mathdon
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 02, 2016 5:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

pelago wrote:
Has anyone mirrored the firmware and found a way to upgrade the remotes offline, so to speak?

Contrary to what mdavej said above, the answer is yes but it is not in RMIR as there is no need for it with ez-rc still available. Essentially what is possible is to download the firmware from one remote and upload it to another. But if ez-rc were to disappear and un-upgraded remotes were still being sold, we have the capability to create an upgrade facility.

pelago wrote:
Is it OK to create a baseline config on the remote itself and then use RMIR for the rest of the config, or even do everything from scratch in RMIR?

Yes, either. And since a factory reset does not remove any upgrade installed from ez-rc, you can at any time do a factory reset and then start the setup again from scratch using RMIR alone.

pelago wrote:
I'm guessing that the answer to my next question is no, but has anyone tried properly modifying the firmware, e.g. to add or change features?

You have to be careful with use of the term "firmware". There are two sorts of firmware in all UEI remotes with USB ports, protected and non-protected firmware. The protected firmware is not accessible through the USB port. It is only the non-protected firmware that is accessible and upgraded by the ez-rc upgrade process. This consists of a set of databases concerning setup codes, protocols, regional settings etc but no code, that is all in the protected firmware. So features cannot be added or changed by modifying the firmware that is accessible through the USB port.
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Graham
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pelago



Joined: 01 Feb 2016
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 02, 2016 6:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the explanation, Graham, and that is reassuring that there will be a way to cope if ez-rc goes down.

Shame that the protected firmware (i.e. the program code) cannot be upgraded, not even by ez-rc. Unless there's an internal JTAG port or similar, I guess we're stuck with the current feature level. Which is fine for a cheap consumer device like this, of course, it's just a shame as I can see the potential for improvements.

Are there any active open-source/open-hardware remote control projects out there, I wonder?
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mdavej
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 02, 2016 9:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks, Graham. Very interesting. If you need any firmware files for future reference, let me know. I think I have almost every model (Xsight 12G, 15G, 18G, Nevo C2, C3). I'm only missing the Euro version of the 12G (URC-8620) and the URC-8610.

There are pads in the battery bay of the Xsight that look like they could be JTAG. Not sure though.

Pelago, if you want an open source remote project, check out some other JP1 remotes and their Extender code. That's typically how we add new functionality. Or check out a phone/tablet based remote app. I think Samsung Galaxy has an IR port and can also do IP control with the right app.
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Barf
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 04, 2016 4:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

pelago wrote:

Are there any active open-source/open-hardware remote control projects out there, I wonder?

I am not sure exactly what you are looking for, but please have a look at the Arduino activeties, e.g. my guide for building a sending/receiving/learning "remote" for the prize of a small pizza. Links to firm-/software projects therein, all open source.
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evlampiy



Joined: 04 Feb 2016
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PostPosted: Sat Mar 05, 2016 9:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I just met the problem with the brand new Nevo C2. It just came boxed from Ebay. When I turned it on it just hangs with the remote control icon on the screen. Nothing helped. Visiting EZ-RC.com and upgrading does not help. The upgrade is going smooth but nothing changed. You always get back to the same screen with the remote icon. Hopefully the USB worked partially normal. (When I say partially I mean the remote is visible by PC but the screen always says USB connected. It does not mater if it is really connected or not) After spending about two hours on googling I finally found the secret key combination which puts the remote to the factory reset mode or something like that. After applying this combination EZ-RC.com upgrades everything from scratch and the remote starts working normally. The update process takes much longer than regular though. All written above points me to some thoughts why we do need the firmware and boot loader files offline. First of all we have to know what versions of the firmware modules are installed and if they are compatible to each other. Online site does not tell you what is on your device. The second - if there are some bugs or incompatibility issues then we can solve them by ourselves without sending the remote back to the seller or manufacturer. Another awful thing is the IE with all ActiveX requirements. What do I do if I do not use Windows at all? Do you think it would be illegal to put these firmware and boot loader files somewhere on this site and make them available to public?
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The Robman
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Joined: 01 Aug 2003
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PostPosted: Sat Mar 05, 2016 10:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Which instructions did you use to reset the Nevo, was it these (from the wiki):
Quote:
Home, Settings, Reset. Press Reset again or enter 981 then Reset for a full reset
If the remote is unresponsive, it may be stuck in firmware upgrade mode. To recover from that on the Xsight Color, press the Power, 1 and 3 buttons while putting the battery back in. On the Xsight Touch, press Power and OK while putting the battery back in. Then re-connected to PC and continue with the firmware upgrade

If it was something else, please list them so I can add them to the wiki. If it was these, I'll update the wiki to mention the Nevo too.
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Rob
www.hifi-remote.com
Please don't PM me with remote questions, post them in the forums so all the experts can help!
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evlampiy



Joined: 04 Feb 2016
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PostPosted: Sat Mar 05, 2016 11:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes it was 1+3+Power+Install Battery. After that Nevo C2 beeps several times and shows blank white screen.
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