Questions from a newbie (built in codes, keymoves, ...)

[kawayanan]

Hello everyone! First of all, thanks to all the people who have contributed here. I've been able to do a lot with my new remotes because of your contributions.

I recently got two URC-6131n's. They have been factory upgraded (have the pins, but not more memory). I was able to build a simple parallel JP1 cable with stuff I had lying around and about a buck at Radio Shack. It works fine (have downloaded and uploaded - it likes no batteries at all in the remote). I think I got the basics.

I (currently) have three things I want to control with my nice new remotes.

1) My old Sharp TV. This is straightforward, but will come up because of a keymove. A built in TV code for Sharp works (0093).

2) My custom MythTV PVR (this is the reason I got interested in JP1's). I have a MS MCE remote and IR sensor controlled by lirc that I use with this.

3) A cheap, essentially generic home theater system (DVD, radio, surround, etc). It is a "JSI model JS5001". This one may be a pain. I'll probably upgrade it before too long, but it would be nice to get it working.

I had a couple MCE codes added to the remote by One For All, but they weren't complete (using all the buttons of the remote). After reading a bunch of posts here (mostly by johnsfine - thanks! ), I was able to translate my lirc readout of the MCE remote and make a custom upgrade using RM. I uploaded it and it works nicely. I would like to combine some of the TV functions with this upgrade however. By this I mean, I would like to include the volume, input selection, and power keys for the TV in the MCE PVR setup. As far as I can tell, I should be able to do this with a keymove, or by creating a device combiner upgrade. For either however, I need the EFC, OBC, or Hex values for these buttons. This is my problem here.

First possibility, is there a way to get at the built in codes in the remote? When I download the remote I can see that TV code 0093 is selected, but I cannot find how to see the device info (ie codes for each button). If I can see the codes associated with the built in code 0093, I think a keymove would be simple.

Second possibility, I can record the remote in lirc (like I did with the MCE remote). I have it recorded, but don't know enough about the protocols and such to translate it. Here is what I have from lirc:

begin remote

name sharp_ir
bits 15
flags SPACE_ENC|CONST_LENGTH
eps 30
aeps 100

one 325 1775
zero 325 720
ptrail 318
gap 67106
toggle_bit_mask 0x0
toggle_mask 0x3FF

begin codes
mute 0x43A2
display 0x4362
power 0x425D
input 0x4322
1 0x4202
2 0x4102
3 0x4302
4 0x4082
5 0x4282
6 0x4182
7 0x4382
8 0x4042
9 0x4242
0 0x4142
100 0x4342
flashback 0x43D2
vol- 0x42A2
vol+ 0x40A2
chan+ 0x41DD
chan- 0x4122
menu 0x4012
display 0x4362
end codes

end remote

Anyone recognize the protocol here and can point out how to translate this and get the Hex or OBC's?

Third possibility, get a learning remote and use that to get the codes. I'm a cheapskate, but might entertain this. I would rather get a JP1 remote though since I have a working JP1 cable (and remotes). I would rather not have to get a JP1.x cable. From what I could find, that seems to be the 8810 or 8811 remotes. It appears that these are old and possibly not available anymore. Are there any cheap, still available, JP1 learning remotes I should look for?

The random JSI home theater system may be a bit of a problem. I can't find codes for it. As with the Sharp TV remote, I can get a lirc output, but I can't translate it to get the protocol/device or OBC codes. Here is the lirc output:

begin remote

name JSI_ir
bits 11
flags SPACE_ENC|CONST_LENGTH
eps 30
aeps 100

one 302 7202
zero 302 4691
ptrail 296
gap 119993
min_repeat 1
toggle_bit_mask 0x200

begin codes
Power 0x55E
Sleep 0x554
Eject 0x566
Mute 0x558
vselect 0x550
AVselect 0x560
DVD 0x563
Tuner 0x56E
1 0x575
2 0x56D
3 0x565
4 0x55D
5 0x574
6 0x56C
7 0x564
8 0x55C
9 0x573
0 0x56B
Mode 0x576
Tone 0x553
Title 0x557
Menu 0x567
Info 0x56F
Exit 0x570
Replay 0x577
Skip 0x572
Rewind 0x551
Forward 0x552
Vol+ 0x556
Vol- 0x555
Up 0x568
Down 0x56A
Left 0x571
Right 0x561
OK 0x569
Stop 0x562
Play 0x559
Pause 0x55A
Zoom 0x55F
end codes

end remote

Any ideas or help with these questions?

In summary:

• ---Can I get a full readout of the built in codes (the buttons and their OBC's for TV 0093 for example)?
  ---How to translate the sharp TV remote lirc output to device and OBC codes?
  ---Are there any JP1 (not JP1.x) learning remotes that can be readily gotten cheaply? (something like a 8810 or 8811)
  ---How to translate the JSI remote lirc output to device and OBC codes?

Thanks everyone!
Kawayanan

[mdavej]

Here are a couple of answers:
- HERE is a list of 0093 codes.
- The URC-8910 is a JP1 learner you can still get cheap at amazon.

[kawayanan]

Here are a couple of answers:
- HERE is a list of 0093 codes.
- The URC-8910 is a JP1 learner you can still get cheap at amazon.

Thanks for the quick reply! This website has nooks and crannies I hadn't found yet. Thanks for pointing out the advanced code list. I was easily able to do the keymoves and the MCE and TV upgrade is now complete and works like a charm.

The 8910 also looks like what I was thinking. I think that may be the next purchase at some point.

[johnsfine]

1) My old Sharp TV. This is straightforward, but will come up because of a keymove. A built in TV code for Sharp works (0093).

It takes a bit of effort to read each Sharp signal from Lirc.

Code: Select all

          mute                     0x43A2
          display                  0x4362
          power                    0x425D

To read those, you first convert from hex to binary, then group the rightmost 2 bits, the 8 bits to the left of those and the leftmost 5 bits:

Code: Select all

          mute                     10000 11101000 10
          display                  10000 11011000 10
          power                    10000 01001011 01

Next, reverse the bits in each group and convert to decimal

Code: Select all

          mute                     1 23 1
          display                  1 27 1
          power                    1 210 2

The first number is the device, the second is the OBC, the third is 1 if it is the first half of a Sharp signal and 2 if it is the second half of a Sharp signal. I don't know why Lirc is seeing only half of each Sharp signal, but the signal is redundant (all the info is in each half) so you can read either half.

I would like to include the volume, input selection, and power keys for the TV in the MCE PVR setup. As far as I can tell, I should be able to do this with a keymove

The EFC list for TV_0093 posted by mdavej should be easier than using the Lirc data (plus a Sharp upgrade in RM to translate OBC to EFC). But either would work to get the info you need for KeyMoves.

The random JSI home theater system may be a bit of a problem. I can't find codes for it. As with the Sharp TV remote, I can get a lirc output, but I can't translate it to get the protocol/device or OBC codes. Here is the lirc output:

Code: Select all

  bits           11
  one           302  7202
  zero          302  4691
  toggle_bit_mask 0x200

That is a RECS80 protocol, but there are a few of those. Look at the RECS80 section of DecodeIr.dll for more info.

I think the Lirc "one" and "zero" values are in microseconds. Based on that, your data is closest to the UEI protocol 0068.

Also notice "one" and "zero" are backwards (which is common for Lirc). "one" gives the values for '0' and "zero" gives the values for '1', so the hex data for individual functions is inverted (but then UEI RECS80 protocols also have inverted hex data). I'm not sure what the most direct translation would be.

Code: Select all

          Power                    0x55E

binary properly grouped = 10 101 011110
Ignore the first group. The second is device 5. The third is function 62.

Code: Select all

          Eject                    0x566

10 101 100110
device 5. Function 38.

(RECS80 is MSB, so convert from binary to decimal without reversing sequence.)

I checked devices.xls and it says the 6131 has no setup codes using pid 0068, so you would need to build it in RM.

[kawayanan]

johnsfine, I am impressed. Thats quite amazing that you can figure out how to translate the lirc output to find the OBC. I can see why no one has written a program to do it. There are way to many possibilities. lirc is great at what its for, but trying to use it to learn jp1 codes seems like nothing but confusion.

As I mentioned, I got the Sharp TV codes to do what I wanted from the advanced codes list. I'm happy now with the upgrade I made for the MCE and TV. We don't use the JSI home theater for much more that the surround sound most of the time. I think I won't mess with it until I just get a learning remote to find the codes. That seems like a much better way to go about it.

Thanks for all your help!

Kawayanan

[The Robman]

I would like to combine some of the TV functions with this upgrade however. By this I mean, I would like to include the volume, input selection, and power keys for the TV in the MCE PVR setup. As far as I can tell, I should be able to do this with a keymove, or by creating a device combiner upgrade. For either however, I need the EFC, OBC, or Hex values for these buttons.

You can use VPT (Volume Punch Thru) to handle the volume buttons, if you like. As for the other buttons, assuming that they are part of the TV/0093 code that you mentioned, you don't need to know the hex codes or EFCs for these buttons because the 6131 supports "key" type keymoves. That means in IR.exe you can select the "key" radio button rather than the EFC or HEX CMD radio buttons.

For all remotes, including those that don't support this kind of keymove, if you don't know the EFCs, etc you can still do the keymove on the remote itself (ie, you can "copy" a button from one location to another).

For example, to copy the MENU button from TV mode to RCVR mode, you would...

1) Press and hold the SET button; 2 flashes
2) Type 994; 2 flashes
3) Press TV, MENU, RCVR, MENU; 2 flashes