JP1 Remotes

I'm brand new to JP1, but I already think it's about the coolest thing I've seen in a while. I made up a simple interface cable last night and started playing, but I'm having trouble upgrading my DCP501-R remote. It appears to upload and download fine, but the actual functioning of the remote doesn't ever change. My initial goal is just to re-assign the device buttons and make up a couple of macros. No KM stuff yet. Here's how I went about trying stuff:

1. Did some testing and experimentation with a Millennium 4 provided with my cable box from Charter. I basically did what I want to do with my DCP501-R. That is, I re-assigned the VCR button to TV and changed the code. Then I wrote a couple of macros. I uploaded the changes back to the Millennium 4 and everything worked great, just as it should. This assured me that I am at least operating the software correctly and my pitiful soldering skills weren't the culprit.

2. Downloaded and saved original data from DCP501-R. The IR screen showed all of the device codes I had programmed manually before discovering JP1.

3. Re-assigned one of the device buttons to Cable, code 0476. That's the code for the cable box provided by Charter. Wrote one macro.

4. Uploaded to DCP501-R. Unhooked from JP1 and tested remote functionality. Nothing had changed in the operation of the remote

5. Hooked back up and did a download. All the changes I had made through IR were there on the screen. I thought I would try the shotgun approach, so I re-assigned every device button to Cable, code 0476 and uploaded again. Unhooked and tested. No change at all in remote functionality. The TV button still worked the TV, the VCR button still worked the VCR.

6. Downloaded again from the remote. All device buttons showed as being assigned to Cable, code 0476, as I had assigned in step 5.

Anybody have any idea what's going on here???

There are two error messages that I get. The first only happens on the _first_ download during a session of IR. Subsequent downloads are fine. The message is something about "'=' is not a valid integer value". After clicking OK, nothing on the IR screen is updated. Downloading again brings up the data from the remote.

The second error happens when I try to download from the DCP501-R (but not the Millennium 4) or load a saved IR file for the DCP. It says there is a fixed data conflict at address $0017 (I think - going off memory now).

I searched the forums for both messages. I found nothing on the first error, and a posting said that the second error is no big deal and can be ignored.

Hope this post isn't too long... I just wanted to put as much detail as possible.

I was thinking of making up a modified IR file, saving it, and uploading it to the remote. Then doing a download and comparing raw data on what came back vs. what was sent. However, I noticed a "verify writes" option. It looks like that means this comparison is already being done by IR. Is this true?

Thanks so much!

joshville wrote:5. Hooked back up and did a download. All the changes I had made through IR were there on the screen. I thought I would try the shotgun approach, so I re-assigned every device button to Cable, code 0476 and uploaded again. Unhooked and tested. No change at all in remote functionality. The TV button still worked the TV, the VCR button still worked the VCR.

These symptoms can occur if the remotes processor is not properly reset after an up/download. The reset is what causes the EEPROM to be re-read. I'm not familar with the DCP remote... does it have an LED that blinks? Does that LED blink twice at the conclusion of the upload? Are you trying to use the remote with the JP1 cable still attached? If so, does the LED blink when you disconnect it?

You can try removing the batteries, press the power button, and re-install the batteries. That should cause a reset (i.e. the LED should blink twice).

It doesn't have a single LED. There are LEDs behind each button that illuminate when you press a key depending on what mode the remote is in. For example, if the remote is in TV mode and you press channel, volume, etc. the TV button illuminates.

After each upload, one of the buttons blinks on, but only once (button labeled TV, I think). I have to detach the cable each time I test because my TV et al are in the other room.

I will try the forced reset you suggested (power button w/ batteries removed) this evening.

Thanks so much!

I repeated step 5 of the procedure I posted previously, except this time I tried the forced reset (remove batteries, power, reinstall batteries) between unplugging the remote and trying it on my equipment. The single button blinks on once when I put the batteries back in, but the remote still works just the same as before.

Any other ideas anyone?

I read the thread about the DCP501, but it seems to focus more on controlling the DCP501 box with other remotes. I am trying to control other boxes with the DCP501 remote.

Thanks!

-Josh

I've managed to get my Millennium 4 to operate my DCP501 box somewhat satisfactorily through KM. I really hate to give up on the DCP501 remote, though, since more of the functions I want to do are native to the 501, so I wouldn't have to remember things like pg+ is mapped to input source change to VCR2.

I found the problem with the "=" is not a valid integer. The RDF for the DCP501 has two '=' in a row under the [Buttons] heading, fourth entry. When I removed the extra '=', all the categories/buttons were different. I think maybe due to the error in the RDF file it was never loaded, and the download from my 501 remote was interpreted through whatever RDF was previously loaded, Millennium 4 in my case. Someone probably should fix the DCP501 (MGRAMGR0 (Motorola DCP501R).rdf) file in the downloads section.

I still can't get my 501 remote to respond to any of the changes I make in IR. I've tried uploading/downloading with and without batteries installed. I wonder if I screwed something up royally by doing uploads/downloads with the wrong RDF loaded?


Robman, if you're watching, did you ever get the 501 remote from Hongso to play with? If not I would be glad to loan you the one I have if you're still interested.

Thanks!

-Josh

joshville wrote:The single button blinks on once when I put the batteries back in, but the remote still works just the same as before.

The single blink would tend to indicate that the remote is ignoring the EEPROM because some value stored there is incorrect. If this remote is like other UEI-designed remotes, you should get two blinks when you put the batteries in. I don't know how you would do it on the DCP501 remote, but it sounds like you need to do its equivalent of a 981-reset so that it will re-initialize the EEPROM contents. One other possibility is that there is no EEPROM chip in the remote (or the one in it is defective).

You're the bomb! You were exactly right. It was not accepting the EEPROM, probably because I had screwed it up by uploading with a bad RDF. Who would be the person to get to fix the RDF in the distribution?

I did the 981 reset, and now I can upload/download with no errors. I do get a warning on upload that the signature is different, but I can now change device type assignments and codes through IR. I'd like to finish the RDF, but I'm not sure if it's doable or not. I read in another thread that the best way to do so is to record macros and look at them. It appears that my remote may not be macro capable. If it's not, I'm not sure if I want to keep working with it. Gotta make operation as simple as possible or my wife won't want to mess with it, and she'll get ticked off at me whenever she tries to watch TV! I went ahead and started another thread on that subject, since the direction I'm heading now is different from the subject line of this one. Hope that was not inapproprate.

Thanks again for all the help!

-Josh