Help getting started

General discussion and comments that don't fit in the other topic areas.

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Help getting started

Postby MurrayW » Sun May 18, 2003 7:44 pm

I just got around to installing my 56 kHz USB UIRT and want to start out simple. What I'm looking to do at first is use it and my HTPC as a learning universal remote (I'll do more later). I want to be able to press the power button on my RCA DTC100 remote to turn on the DTC100 stb, my Mitsubishi monitor and my Onkyo receiver.

I've installed the latest driver, firmware and girder plug ins and have an IR emitter that is stuck to the IR window of my receiver and connected to the UIRT.

I "learned" my power button IR code from my Onkyo remote. What do I need to do next to transmit this code through the IR emitter when I press the power button again. It doesn't appear as if it is transmitting the signal through the emitter (the emitter light does not flash -- but the UIRT lights up when it senses the remote control signal).

I'm sure that I am missing something that is very basic and if someone could help me out with a few step-by-step instructions I would really appreciate it.

thanks,

Murray
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Postby jrhees » Sun May 18, 2003 9:41 pm

MurrayW,

I'll try a simple explanation, but I believe others can explain it better:

There are two types of things you need to handle in Girder, a) Events, and b)Commands.

'Event's occur when the USB-UIRT sees you press a remote control button. Each time an event occurs, the Girder simulated 'LED' will light up and you'll see an event code (12-digits) appear in the Girder status bar.

'Commands' are actions you want to take place. An action for the USB-UIRT is transmitting an IR code to another piece of equipment -- like to your Onkyo receiver. To create a command, you create a command in Girder, choose the USB-UIRT plugin for that command, and then 'Learn' the IR code you want to transmit. On the same screen where the 'Learn' button is, you'll see a 'Test' button you can test transmission to see if the learned code works OK.

Once you have a command, you will likelay want to connect it to respond to an 'Event'. So, say you want to transmit 'Onkyo Power On' command when you get a 'RCA Power ON' event:
1. Highlight the command you created above which has been set up to transmit the Onkyo Power On code.
2. On the Girder *main screen* press the 'Learn' button.
3. Girder will say 'Waiting for IR code'. At this point press your RCA power button.
4. Now your RCA power button event will trigger the Onkyo Power Command.

Hope this helps,

-Jon
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Postby MurrayW » Sun May 18, 2003 11:29 pm

Jon,

I've played around with it a little more and understand the difference between commands and events. So are you saying that I have to know the code for the power on command and am not able to have the USB UIRT learn it from my Onkyo remote? This is what I am observing:

1. Create a girder command.
2. Select the Plugins tab.
3. Select the "USB-UIRT" driver item.
4. Click Settings button.
5. Click Learn

At this point there is a screen that gives me 2 learning possibilities -- import which works (but I haven't been able to find many codes for my Onkyo -- especially not the on/off) and the other option to point my remote 6" from the UIRT and have it read the IR. This does not work. The USB UIRT does not light up and nothing happens. It seems to me that this should be working and that I should be able to have it learn the on/off command from my Onkyo remote. After I do that (at least with the imported commands) I figured out how to create an event with my RCA remote that controls the Onkyo.

So basically, I need to know why the learn from IR function is not available to me for a command.

thanks,

Murray
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Location: Austin, TX

Postby jrhees » Mon May 19, 2003 1:31 am

Murray,

You're doing things right... When you get to the stage of trying to learn and the LED does not light up, try placing the remote a bit closer or further away -- experiment a bit. The 'learn' sensor on the USB-UIRT provides very accurate learning but at a price -- very sensitive to range and aiming. The little detector inside the USB-UIRT is jst to the left of the indicator LED (but not quite to the center of the unit). Try aiming your remote directly at that spot and start 1 foot away and move closer until the LED starts lighting up, then keep moving closer until it no longer lights (which will tell you you've gotten too close). Back up from that point an inch or so and you'll be set to learn.

If this still doesn't work, please verify if your other remotes don't cause it to light up for learning.

-Jon
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Postby MurrayW » Mon May 19, 2003 5:12 am

Jon,

Thanks for all your help. It was my remote. I replaced the batteries earlier, but I think my son had put his used batteries back into the package -- anyway when I but the 3rd set in the learn worked like it is supposed to!

There was only one thing that I couldn't get the USB UIRT to learn -- the mute command from my Onkyo remote. The code that was recorded was only about 10 characters long, not the normal long string that the other commands gave. I'll paste in the code that I got when I was in the troubleshoot mode. Let me know if you find anything that reveals why the mute function didn't work.

thanks,

Murray

8750 5723 156 2C2D 0570 016 0580 056D 016 108B 0569 016 0586 056D 016 0586 0570 016 1087 056E 016 0585 056C 016 1087 056E 016 1084 0570 016 1084 0570 016 0587 056B 016 1089 056B 016 1086 056D 016 0587 0572 016 1084 0570 016 1084 0570 016 0582 056B 016 1087 056D 016 0588 056B 016 1087 0570 016 0585 056E 016 0585 056E 016 0585 056D 016 0585 056D 016 058A 056F 016 0583 056E 016 1085 056B 016 058A 056D 016 1087 056D 016 1087 056D 016 1087 056D 016 1084 0570 016 1089 056B 016 FFFF
0308 572B 156 1604 0570 016 FFFF
074E 5726 156 1601 0572 016 FFFF
074E 5727 156 1605 0568 016 FFFF
074E 5724 156 1604 0570 016 FFFF
074E 5726 156 1606 0568 016 FFFF
074E 5722 156 1609 056B 016 FFFF
074E 5724 156 1609 0568 016 FFFF
074E 572B 156 1604 0568 016 FFFF
8258 5720 156 1607 056B 016 FFFF
074E 5727 156 1605 056D 016 FFFF
074E 572D 156 15FF 056E 016 FFFF
074E 5726 156 1604 056D 016 FFFF
074E 5726 156 1605 056E 016 FFFF
074E 5726 156 1606 056B 016 FFFF
074E 5726 156 1602 056D 016 FFFF
074E 572B 156 15FF 056D 016 FFFF
074E 5729 156 1602 0570 016 FFFF
074E 5726 156 1606 056B 016 FFFF
074E 5726 156 1602 056D 016 FFFF
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Postby jrhees » Mon May 19, 2003 5:14 pm

Murray,

Could you post the code you were getting (the short one you referred to) when trying to learn the Mute button?

Thanks,

Jon
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Postby MurrayW » Wed May 21, 2003 3:47 am

jrhees wrote:Murray,

Could you post the code you were getting (the short one you referred to) when trying to learn the Mute button?

Thanks,

Jon


Jon,

Here it is: R074E81585614
thanks,

Murray
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Location: Austin, TX

Postby jrhees » Fri May 23, 2003 1:27 am

Murray,

it appears that for some reason when you were trying to learn your 'Mute' button that the receiver missed the first part of the code which is the non-repeated part. Try learning again making sure that the remote is properly positioned *before* pressing the button.

-Jon
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Postby MurrayW » Sat May 24, 2003 10:01 pm

jrhees wrote:Murray,

it appears that for some reason when you were trying to learn your 'Mute' button that the receiver missed the first part of the code which is the non-repeated part. Try learning again making sure that the remote is properly positioned *before* pressing the button.

-Jon


Jon,
No matter what I do I always get R074E81585614 for the mute. Is there anything else I should try or just wait for the new drivers with improved "learn" capabilities?

thanks,
Murray
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Location: Austin, TX

Postby jrhees » Sat May 24, 2003 10:58 pm

Murray,

I can't see why this is not learning (btw - you *are* using the latest drivers -- more improvements will be made from time to time, but you're using the latest).

I will decode your Debug IR and post a code which you can use. Stay tuned.

-Jon
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Postby MurrayW » Sun May 25, 2003 3:10 pm

jrhees wrote:Micah,

The 'learn' algorithm for the USB-UIRT is constantly being improved. A new firmware/plugin will be out in a few days which will likely fix your TV learn problem

Now I'll ask a dumb question: Since I have no time to figure this out for myself and I don't own a Pronto, what method do you use to read a .ccf and extract the pronto HEX code for a button (which is then imported into the plugin)?

Thanks,

Jon


jrhees wrote:Murray,

I can't see why this is not learning (btw - you *are* using the latest drivers -- more improvements will be made from time to time, but you're using the latest).

I will decode your Debug IR and post a code which you can use. Stay tuned.

-Jon


Jon,

Yes I am using the newest drivers. I guess it was the firmware not the drivers that will be updated soon.

thanks for your help,
Murray
MurrayW
 
Posts: 36
Joined: Tue Feb 04, 2003 11:16 pm
Location: Austin, TX

Postby jrhees » Mon May 26, 2003 12:28 am

Murray,

Give these codes a try for your 'Mute' button:

Paste into 'Code 1':
R0308815780AD1515154115151515154115151541154115411515154115411515154115411515154115151541151515151515151515151515154115151541154115411541154115

Paste into Code 2:
074E81585614

Set the frequency to 38KHz.

-Jon
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Postby MurrayW » Mon Jun 02, 2003 4:16 am

Jon,

Thanks a lot now my mute works so I will now be quiet and quit bugging you about this. If I come across a problem like this in the future, is there an easy way to decode the error so I don't need to bother you with it?

thanks,
Murray
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Posts: 36
Joined: Tue Feb 04, 2003 11:16 pm
Location: Austin, TX

Postby jrhees » Mon Jun 02, 2003 4:45 am

MurrayW,

What I basically did was 'clean up' the debug Mute code you posted. For some reason, it appeared the remote wasn't sending the code out consistently. And, since the USB-UIRT's learn algorithm wants to see consistent codes (to produce a more accurate code), it was ditching the first part of the code. Eventually, there will be a way to 'import' a cleaned-up Debug code, but not currently.

-Jon
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