Help: Extender?

tranx · Post by **tranx** » Thu Jul 19, 2012 11:36 am

Hi

As a beginner of a week or so, on Windows7 64bit and with help from the experts here I have been able to configure RCA RCRP05BR for five devices with RMIR (which installation includes RM and presumably links to it when RMIR is in use). I like it and am weaning her off her Harmony but she is not quite convinced yet

I have looked at the readme for the extender and collected IR 8.03, text for RCA RCRP05B Pause, Exinstall 2.1, and checked in my Uninstaller to find I have apparently got Windows Visual C++ run time, in 2 versions '2005', 5 versions '2008' x86, and 2010 x86 !!

First shouldI/can I uninstall all these Visual Cs except '2010'?

Next, are the other programs in the collection compatible?

Then what is the "base" remote configuration mentioned by the extender readme: is it my rmir file for the current devices?

I have added the RDF file to the unpacked IR folder which has MAPS in it and Exinstall too but do I need to download and place the RM program into the same folder? (I did plonk it and its jar file into the same folder but could not see it to link to in the file>set directory tabs)

...and what then please?

I have looked at How Easy is JP1 and other introductions but am not clear from those and the extender readme exactly what to do to get the extender installed.

This is all presumably because of poor PC literacy coupled with my limited experience with JP1, but also found the references to different versions and programs covering the extended (npi) development of everything quite confusing.

Help!

Regards
Chris

Post by **vickyg2003** » Thu Jul 19, 2012 12:29 pm

Hi again Chris,

I can give you some enlightment.

The instructions you are reading were all written prior to RMIR's being stable enough to use. So all instructions are based on IR and Extinstall.

RMIR has added extinstall capabilitiles, and from the JP1.2 testing I did, it seemed to work just fine. However I don't have any experience with the JP1.3 extenders, but I don't know if anyone has done a RMIR extender install with the RCA extender to know how it works.

Then what is the "base" remote configuration mentioned by the extender readme: is it my rmir file for the current devices?

In the documentation you read it would have been your .ir file.

I'm going to move this topic to the extender section, so that unclemiltie is sure to see it.

Post by **mathdon** » Thu Jul 19, 2012 12:35 pm

I would like to reply to just a small part of your post and will leave experts on the RCA RCRP05B and its extender to deal with the rest. You write

I have been able to configure RCA RCRP05BR for five devices with RMIR ... I have looked at the readme for the extender and collected IR 8.03, text for RCA RCRP05B Pause, Exinstall 2.1

I presume that the readme for the extender said to use IR.exe and ExtInstall to install it, but this was written before RMIR supported extender installation. The current versions (both the official one and the development one) of RMIR do support extender installation, and moreover RMIR now incorporates ExtInstall so you do not need that as a separate program. Since you have already become familiar with RMIR, I would suggest that you use it for the installation.

If you open the File menu in RMIR, you will see the option "Install extender ...". Open your current .rmir setup file for your remote, open the File menu and click on "Install extender ...", select the .hex file for the extender with the file chooser that then opens, click the "Open" button on the file chooser and the extender should install. Your original .rmir file is not changed and at this stage no new file has been created, but RMIR will now hold the setup for the extended remote. You can now just upload this to the remote to complete the installation, or use "Save as" to save this as a new RMIR file (or both).

Edit: Vicky replied while I was writing this, so our two messages overlapped. RMIR will install both JP1.2 and JP1.3 extenders, so my (and Vicky's) advice still holds.

tranx · Post by **tranx** » Thu Jul 19, 2012 1:13 pm

Cor that was quick. Thank you.

Will see if further pearls o.w. are cast before rushing in, although I want to...
,

Post by **vickyg2003** » Thu Jul 19, 2012 2:04 pm

No need to gather up the PAUSE protocol, as its already included in the extender package.

I ran some tests on with the RCA Extender 1.5/

I took one of your RMIR files from the diagnosis area and ran a merge in IR and a merge in IR. The part I that I was concerned about, the device protocol area seems to merge just fine. So this extender merges just fine. I like to see to believe. So I've now tested RMIR with the 8811 extender that I use, the extenders I wrote (URC-7800, Comcast 1067A , the Atlas JP1.2, and the URC-8820) and now Unclemilties RCA. All the extenders have installed just fine with RMIRs extender install.

However your RMIR file from the diagnosis area did have some key conflicts and the redundant macros, and keymove conflicts were removed during the install process.

The keypart here is to get the extender protocols in place, and that is happening.

tranx · Post by **tranx** » Thu Jul 19, 2012 2:45 pm

Sounds good. I wondered about the Pause protocol, good.

When trying the Install Extender>
pointed to 3A79ext-notes.hex in the folder with unpacked v8.03

and got:-

followed by:-

So put 3A793A79 (RCA RCRP05B black extender V1.05).rdf into the RDF folder within the RMIR folder, and bingo:-

Edited (I see that you explained: the conflicts and redundant macros were removed automatically and you are doing the protocols) - thank you.

PS
Current unextended image is: http://www.hifi-remote.com/forums/dload ... e_id=11128
,

Post by **vickyg2003** » Thu Jul 19, 2012 3:02 pm

There are three files in that zip.

README.txt
3a79ext-notes.hex
3A793a79 (something or other 1.05).RDF

The reason you are getting the remotee not found is that the 3A793a79 RDF was not in the RDF folder prior to opening RMIR.

Before working with the extender read the README very carefully. If you have any questions ask.

It is normal to lose the device button assignments.

The other thing is you ought to test your batteries. As much as you've been experimenting, you want to make sure your batteries are still good as new before doing the activating your extender. Low voltage during this procedure ican cause the install to fail. All the reads and writes you have been doing tend to drain the batteries really quickly. I replace my test remote batteries, about once a month, on my everyday remotes with backlight its once every other year. I'm not sure, but it seems like you've been experimenting enough to get yourself into alow voltaage situation.

tranx · Post by **tranx** » Thu Jul 19, 2012 3:41 pm

Will do. I have been using eneloop 2100mah batteries throughout which maintain 2.3v cf. 2.4v for a fairly fresh alkaline example. Instead of gradually draining like alkalines, I believe they don't go down untill nearly depleted.

The question is whether 2.3v is likely to be borderline anyway, even though it is well maintained and can be ensured by recharging before activating the extender, and Learning was no problem with the eneloops? - Otherwise it is off to the shops again

I think I got it wrong, you just said that the 'protocols were happening' so can I just copy the old setup codes?

PS
I see in the readme that "...EXTinstall will change your setup codes when it installs the extender, you will have to set them back after installing" !!

Post by **vickyg2003** » Thu Jul 19, 2012 4:02 pm

Hmm, I think we are cross talking here. You just reassign the setup codes to the buttons.

The person you really want to talk to is unclemiltie. Last I heard, he was out on the West Coast, so you guys ought to be about 8 hours out of synch.

tranx · Post by **tranx** » Fri Jul 20, 2012 2:28 am

In the meantime I adjusted the setup codes and saved the result:
http://www.hifi-remote.com/forums/dload ... e_id=11129

It seems that something may have gone wrong with device DMR-EX-85 because the protocol has automatically changed from 'Panasonic Combo' to 'Denon-K'. This occurred before the old device codes were copied from the non-extended .rmir

Post by **vickyg2003** » Fri Jul 20, 2012 6:14 am

tranx wrote:It seems that something may have gone wrong with device DMR-EX-85 because the protocol has automatically changed from 'Panasonic Combo' to 'Denon-K'. This occurred before the old device codes were copied from the non-extended .rmir

I'm kind of on the fringe of understanding what RMIR does when it mereges an extender, so I don't know why it re-evaluates the Panasonic as the Denon-K at this point. I get why this happens when you download from a remote, just not why it would happen with an extender merge.

What I can tell you is that the chunks of code that I believe are the extender 653-7FF and 8ff- 9CC look to be intact, your courtesy macros are looking good, and your protocols compare to what IR imported.

Since you have the correct upgrade, I'd suggest deleting and reinstalling the upgrade.

If you didn't have the upgrade, there is a process for recovery.
You'd open the "Options" Menu
Select "Options" on the menu
Check "Preserve Control"
Open the Upgrade
Select the "EFC and Function Hex" from the Preserve Box
Note the Fixed data
Change the Denon-K back to Pansonic Combo
Manipulate the Device until you had the same fixed bytes.

All this is necessary because RMIR has a "device concentric" design, while IR has a ROM concentric design. RM could not care less what Protocol you are using, and so just downloads what is there. This is the main reason I don't use RMIR.

Post by **mathdon** » Fri Jul 20, 2012 1:34 pm

tranx wrote:It seems that something may have gone wrong with device DMR-EX-85 because the protocol has automatically changed from 'Panasonic Combo' to 'Denon-K'.

Denon-K and Panasonic Combo use the same protocol executor, so I think you would have found that everything still worked correctly. It is only the displayed identification that is wrong, not the binary code. The time that problems might have arisen is if you then edited the upgrade within RMIR, as there are differences between the two protocols in the way the data bytes are constructed.

vicky2003 wrote:I'm kind of on the fringe of understanding what RMIR does when it merges an extender, so I don't know why it re-evaluates the Panasonic as the Denon-K at this point.

The result of the merge is, to RMIR, a new ROM image with a new RDF so it re-interprets this as if it were a new download. It then restores user notes, etc., to items that are common to the old and new setups. It has difficulty distinguishing between Denon-K and Panasonic Combo as the executors are the same, but I thought I had found a way of doing this from fixed data. It seems that it does not work in all cases, though

.

vicky2003 wrote:RM could not care less what Protocol you are using, and so just downloads what is there.

Surely it is IR that does this, not RM??? RMIR needs to identify the protocol as it allows you to edit the device upgrade, something you cannot do in IR.

Post by **mathdon** » Fri Jul 20, 2012 2:40 pm

mathdon wrote:It [RMIR] has difficulty distinguishing between Denon-K and Panasonic Combo as the executors are the same, but I thought I had found a way of doing this from fixed data. It seems that it does not work in all cases, though .

I think I've found a bug that is causing this not to work. It appears that at present it only works if the Denon-K/Panasonic Combo protocol is in the remote as an upgrade. I've corrected it and it seems now to work properly, but I'll do some more testing before uploading it. When I do, I hope that tranx will be able to try his merge again to check that it works in his case.

tranx · Post by **tranx** » Fri Jul 20, 2012 4:38 pm

vickyg2003 wrote:...your courtesy macros are looking good, and your protocols compare to what IR imported.

Since you have the correct upgrade, I'd suggest deleting and reinstalling the upgrade....

Yes everything works fine and thanks for checking.

Luckily I do have the preliminary stuff up to date and am using it so there's no problem. The repair method is of interest, to explain things.

Have been getting on with JP1 and URC7950 for another room, which seems ok too.

Thanks again for the custom fixes.

tranx · Post by **tranx** » Fri Jul 20, 2012 4:42 pm

mathdon wrote:...I've corrected it and it seems now to work properly, but I'll do some more testing before uploading it. When I do, I hope that tranx will be able to try his merge again to check that it works in his case.

Hi mathdon.
Much appreciated I will look out for it.

Regards
Chris