USB-UIRT and Homeseer Installation

[0tisFrump]

The following is from a post on the Homeseer board; no solution yet so I thought I would try here also.

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Please bear with me if this seems like a dumb question but how do I configure the USB-UIRT? I received mine and installing it was to be my weekend project (yes, I know it shouldn't take the entire weekend but Murphy's Law...) Anyway, I plugged it into an open USB port, Windows found it as new hardware, and I pointed it to the files I downloaded from the USB-UIRT web site. I went into Homeseer Updater, installed the plugin, and restarted. In Interfaces, I only have COM ports available as selections for the USB-UIRT. Another post on the Homeseer board said to select any unused COM port so I choose 8. When I create a new Event in Homeseer, there is a tab for IR functions with the ability to test. Right now, I don't have any IR commands or devices configured so the only way I have to check whether it is working is with the Test button. When I click Test and look at the Log, there isn't an entry showing that anything happened. Am I missing some part of the install or is this normal?

I also can't find any documentation for using the plugin in Homeseer so I'm not quite sure what needs to be done. I went to View-->Interfaces-->IR and selected USB-UIRT and COM 8. I clicked OK then restarted Homeseer. Next I went to View-->IR Setup(?) which I'm guessing is where I can have it learn a command. As a test I selected Aux1 then the L button next to Power On. I pushed the power button on my hand-held control but nothing ever happens. If I click Cancel and push any button on this same control, the LED on the USB-UIRT flashes so I think it must be receiving data OK, it just doesn't know what it is. I also looked at the Homeseer log and found this:

6/26/2005 4:10:09 PM~!~startup~!~Loading configuration XML file
6/26/2005 4:10:10 PM~!~startup~!~Restoring device status
6/26/2005 4:10:10 PM~!~startup~!~Initializing text to speech
6/26/2005 4:10:37 PM~!~startup~!~Initializing Telephone Interface
6/26/2005 4:10:47 PM~!~startup~!~Waiting for HomeSeer Phone to start up ...
6/26/2005 4:10:55 PM~!~startup~!~Initializing X10 Interface
6/26/2005 4:10:55 PM~!~startup~!~Initializing Infrared Interface
6/26/2005 4:10:55 PM~!~Startup~!~IR Label file (config\irlbl.cfg) missing or corrupt, creating new file
6/26/2005 4:10:55 PM~!~Startup~!~IR Zone file (config\irzones.cfg) missing or corrupt, creating new file

Are the 2 files (irlbl.cfg and irzones.cfg) missing because of some error during installation of the plugin? The log indicates that new ones will be created but if I do a search I can't find them. Could the lack of these files account for the plugin not working properly? Is there any kind of Help documentation for using the plugin? Thanks, Alan

[jrhees]

Alan,

Most of your questions are Homeseer-specific (such as the files you're asking about) and hove nothing to do with the USB-UIRT plugin. The plugin itself has very little to do with Homeseer's operation.

However, I think I can help in one area. When you press the 'L' button to learn a code from your remote, the reason nothin happens is likely due to the way you are positioning your remote. When LEARNing, the remote must be held very close to the USB-UIRT (around 4 inches) and must be aimed directly into the face of the USB-UIRT at a point just to the left of the Red LED.

-Jon

[0tisFrump]

OK, I moved the remote closer and successfully got Homeseer to learn the commands. I know you're not a Homeseer expert, but do you know anything about the COM port that I should select? Since this is a USB device it seems like it wouldn't even be looking for a COM port but Homeseer needs to know how to communicat the the USB-UIRT somehow.

Alan

[jrhees]

As far as I know, the COM port selection should have no effect. The developers of HS said that they would remove this selection for USB devices in later versions or something....

-Jon