JP1 Remotes

Not sure if this is possible or not. Is there anyway to program any 'logic' into the remote?

For instance...this is what I'd like to do.

I only watch digital stations, so like 2-1, 4-2, 5-2, 7-2, 13-2, 30-1, etc.
I can access these stations directly by typing in the "number, -, number" on my TV remote.

I'd like to be able to just press the number '4' for instance and have a macro put in the rest ('4', '-', '2'). This would be fairly easy...until I get to my double numbers such as 13 and 30.

I'd like to be able to push a number and have the remote wait a specified time. If no other buttons are pushed, it would perform the macro assicated with that button. However, if another button were pushed, then it would do something different. This way I could get my single digit numbers to work and also my double digit numbers.

I know that I can just push the channels in manually, but my wife can't remember all the sub-channels. So it would be nice to be able to just push the main channel number and have the remote finish sending the appropriate subchannel.

Any ideas?

FYI...I'm using the URC-9910 and of course have it extended.

How would the remote know when to use sub channel 1 or sub channel 2?

Well, I only watch one sub-channel per major channel.
So I don't care about 4-1 or 4-3...just 4-2.

So I would program the sub-channel into the macro used for each button. So each number button would have its own unique macro (or semi-unique...I could just have a macro to call for the two sub-channels I use, 1 and 2).

Basically, it would be easy to do if I didn't have channel 13 or 24 or 30.

I could just program a macro for each number button that would send the appropriate sequence to the TV.

However...trying to use some basic logic seems to be harder if even possible to do.

bobn4burton wrote:Basically, it would be easy to do if I didn't have channel 13 or 24 or 30.

Then how about programming a single-digit macro onto all of the numeric buttons and programming macros onto shifted numeric buttons for those channels. For example...

shift/1 = 13
shift/2 = 24
shift/3 = 30

Yeah...I can easily do that.

Just trying to figure out a way to make it as user friendly as possible for my wife.

It's easier for me to teach her to just push a 1 followed by a 3 for channel 13. But I'm thinking this may not be possible.

Maybe I can make a +10, +20, +30 button. This would essentially let me shift all of the double digit channels.

bobn4burton wrote:Maybe I can make a +10, +20, +30 button. This would essentially let me shift all of the double digit channels.

If you do that, you will need to use the same sub channel for all major channels that end in the same number.

For example, if you use sub-channel 1 for channel 2 (ie, 2-1) you would have to use sub channel 1 for channels 12, 22, 32, 42, etc. You see?

Yeah...

Just out of curiousity, what happens if you have a pause programmed and hit another key mid-pause?

So if I were to implement a long 1-2 second pause within a macro...what happesn if I hit another non-related button?
Does it continue with the pause/macro and then execute the additional button pressed at the end?
Does it just ignore the new button press?
Or does the button press cancel the macro and execute whatever button you just pushed?

You can't press any new buttons while a macro is running, the remote will ignore them. If you are using a pause protocol, even though an IR signal is not being sent, the processor is still running and is therefore not looking for new button presses yet.

OK, here's an alternative idea for you. The main problem you have in trying to come up with a solution here is that you don't know whether the user wants to select a 1-digit or a 2-digit channel. If you can live with having to press 01 in order to select channel 1, I have a proposal.

You could program macros to each of the numeric buttons where the steps are:

number (ie, the numeric button)
shift
shift

The two presses of the shift (ie, SETUP) button will put the remote in a mode where, if you press a numeric button next, it will treat it as shifted.

Then, you should program macros to each of the shifted numeric buttons as follows:

number (ie, the numeric button)
dash
subchannel number

This method would have the same limitation that I mentioned earlier, where all channels that end with a 2, for example, would have to use the same sub channel.

Hmmm...good idea. I didn't know about that double shift trick to make the remote treat the next button as shifted.

I will give this a try and see how it goes!

Thanks for your help!

Normally, a single press of SETUP will make the remote treat the next button as shifted, but the numeric buttons are a special case as they require 2 presses of the SETUP button. This is because the remote will treat a single press of SETUP followed by numeric buttons as an EFC code (ie, what we call the SETUP+nnn method that can be used to test EFCs).

Since you're using the extender, take a look at the LKP (Long Key Press) special protocol. You can define either side as the "normal" numeric buttons, and the other side as the channel selections. For example, a short press of [2] results in "2" while a long press of [2] results in "2-1". Your wife might not have a problem remembering that.

Mark,

I had thought about doing LKP...but I didn't think it'd work. However...my double digit channels are few enough that it just might. I really only have channel 13, 24 and 30. With both of your suggestions, I think I can get it working quite well!

Thanks...once I play with it some, I'll let you guys know how it turned out.