JP1 Remotes

Having trouble getting started...

So far, I went to the JP1 help and did the following:

1. downloaded the IR.exe program from the tools folder

2. downloaded several RDFs, into a separate folder, and unzipped them

3. downloaded the DecodeIR.dll & placed it in the same folder as the IR.exe

4. connected the remote with the USB interface device I bought from Rob (also bought the remote from Rob, FWIW), started the IR program, selected Remote, Download from remote

5. nothing happens. I get a prompt "ready to download from remote", I click yes, and get a window that says "unable to open device, please check connection"

I wondered if the remote has to have a button pressed to have the screen illuminated, and I've done this to make sure the remote is "awake" before I try to download. Also, the computer makes the typical sound when the USB cable is connected, but when I click on the "safely remove hardware" icon, only my internal DVD device is listed. Also, trying from "my computer" I do not see a device listed.

You didn't mention whether you have installed the driver for the USB cable, so I'm guessing that you didn't. You can download it from here.

Yes, I haveve done that. Prior to doing so, The USB selection on the Interface was greyed out.

Does anyone here, who has more experience with the USB cable than me, have any ideas?

Did you do the run the interface->Check Interface function? When I was first getting started I was doing things like plugging my plug so that I was missing a set of pins, or plugging the cable in the wrong side up. Either of those two things are really easy to do as a beginner.

The USB may be different, but w/ the parallel, the only place I've seen instructions for which way to plug the cord into the remote is w/ the cord trailing toward the bottom of the remote. When I first got mine, I messed w/ it for a while before I tried turning it around. Mine has to be plugged in w/ the cord trailing up (toward the batteries). If you haven't tried plugging it in the "other" way, that's worth a shot.

Just FYI, Alvin returned the remote and USB for a refund, so I hooked them up myself and have verified that they work perfectly, so I have no idea what he was managing to do wrong.