Need help with 8810 and IR/KM with keyboard

[86turbodsl]

I have an IR keyboard I'm trying to use with my homebrew pvr. I got a 8810 from Walmart and have a JP1 cable, and I can talk to the remote through IR.
I read the howto, but don't really understand it all that well. I'm not a programmer, so this stuff is kind of foreign to me.

I have learned several keys (the arrow keys) and don't know what to do to create a function code that will free up my learned memory.

Can anyone help?

[johnsfine]

Keyboards can be a little trickier than other original "remotes", so maybe we should initially skip the step of talking you through interpreting what you see in IR's learned signals tab, and go straight to the step of uploading your .ir file to the diagnosis folder.

1) Learn several signals. It's nice to include some consecutive digits if the original device has digits.

2) For keyboards, it's nice to have an example of the same original key learned once with a long press and once with a very short press (using two different keys on the JP1 remote).

3) Download the eeprom contents to IR.EXE and use its file/save command to create a .ir file

4) Upload that .ir file to the diagnosis folder at
http://www.hifi-remote.com/forums/dload ... &cat_id=35

5) Copy the URL of the link to your file that gets created in step 4.

6) Post a message with that URL, with the brand and model of the keyboard, and describing which original keys were learned to which JP1 remote keys (in all cases where the key labels don't match). If you did step 2, say which keys are which for that.

[86turbodsl]

http://www.hifi-remote.com/forums/dload ... le_id=1333

Here is the link.

I have several keys learned.

These are all on the AUX device key,
and
number 1, 2, 3 are all short keypresses.
L1 is a long 1 keypress
L2 is a long 2 keypress
L3 is a long 3 keypress
L4 is a long 4 keypress

The arrow keys on the remote were mapped to the direction keys
on the keyboard. Left to left, up to up, etc.

The select key was mapped to the enter key on the keyboard

The exit key was mapped to the escape key on the keyboard.

the keyboard is mainly marketed by directron.com a large mail order
computer store. I used to know what the OEM vendor was, but can't
remember at this time, and I couldn't find it on google just now. I do know
that it's not any of the ones listed on the files section

[johnsfine]

That keyboard matches the Solidtek keyboard that Jon recently figured out based on an email conversation with a Pronto user and I think also a thread here.

I just posted the newest DecodeIr.dll so you can now get decodes of those learned signals.

I wasn't paying attention to the thread here that might have been that, so I think Jon may have a protocol executor for this, but I'm not sure (I keep forgetting which keyboard is which).

I expect Jon will jump in with all the answers, but I'll try to help if he's too busy.

BTW, when you look at the learned signals tab, using the new DecodeIr.dll, ignore all the decodes other than Solidtek16. Later, I'll investigate whether the generic RC6 decoder can be tuned to avoid giving the spurious decodes it gives for a few Solidtek signals. I already tuned the generic RC5 decoder to get rid of the spurious RC5 and Streamzap decodes that the older DecodeIr saw in these signals.

BTW2, the way Solidtek signals are reported through the interface between IR and DecodeIr (which wasn't designed for keyboards) any press or hold of a key is reported as subdevice 0, while any release of a key is reported as subdevice 1.

[johnsfine]

What are you trying to get the 8810 to do?

The 8810 has fewer keys than the keyboard and has limited memory, so it won't be practical as a replacement for an entire keyboard. But if you only need several specific keys, it should be practical.

[86turbodsl]

I run a homebrew PVR using software called Mythtv. The IR keyboard was required to run the computer, but most of the time the PVR software runs, and only a few keys are needed. Plus I like the backlighting on the remote for nightime TV watching. The IR keyboard / learning remote thing works very very well. I upgraded from a dead Jensen 8 device learning remote to the 8810, and found the 8810 had far less memory than the Jensen, but was much more well supported.

Most of your posting was over my head, but I'll start researching it.

[jon_armstrong]

Here is the link to the upgrade, but you may want to substitute the protocol upgrade posted at the bottom here.

John, that is the executor where I would like some ideas on how to increase the timing an additional 70 mSec between the first and subsequent command. There is a also disassembly of the executor posted at the second link above.

In decoding the keyboard commands learned with the Pronto, there was a very consistent gap of 200 mSec between commands 1 and 2 and then a gap of 39 mSec thereafter. When the key is finally released the break bit is set (and appropriate check nibble bit) and then the final break is sent. Right now with only a ~133 mSec gap the second command comes a little too fast and about 50% of the time you get a second character.

86turbodsl, John Fine also figured out a tricky check nibble for the mouse commands and I'll post that device and protocol upgrade in the next few days. It uses a slightly different IR protocol and you can just key move the 6 commands (Right-Left-Up-Down,Left Mouse Button, and Right Mouse button) to Device with the rest of the KB.

[86turbodsl]

Ok, I got the latest decodeir.dll installed, and now all my learned commands show up as solidtek16. I still need to figure out what to actually *DO* with that info though.

I'd ideally like to set it up so I can hold remote keys down and make them repeat too, but first things first, let's get it upgraded.

Thanks for the excellent help here guys!

[jon_armstrong]

You shouldn't have to do very much with the information, unless one of the keys is misssing in the upgrade. In fact it's probably better to continue discussion in the other thread since it's in the Keyboard section, and I will probably forget eveything about this protocol in six weeks, so it gets all the information in one place.

[86turbodsl]

I replied with my problems in the other thread. I'll follow it there from now on. Thanks.

[jon_armstrong]

You have to open it in KM first, then select your model remote, go to the buttons tab select where the buttons go, then upload the device upgrade into IR. In this case you don't need to load the protocol upgrade since you have already done that, right?

[86turbodsl]

Ahhhhhh. I'll have to load Excel onto this computer then...

It's about the only computer around here still running Windows.
I hadn't bothered to dig out Office on latest reinstall.

Thanks, I'll have to get to that tomorrow.

[gfb107]

Note that you can open that upgrade in RM rather than KM if you'd rather use Java than Excel.

[jon_armstrong]

Greg, I haven't kept up but, can RM open a KM that uses a custom protocol? I'm still tinkering with the protocol and I will create a protocol.ini entry when it's done. In fact, that will be important since there is a check nibble that I am computing externally and RM can do that nicely.

[gfb107]

Yes, RM can open KM upgrade files that use Manual Settings, as long as the protocol code is included in the upgrade (in the Notes), which is always the case for custom protocols.