RMIR - problems with extender for URC-6440 - SOLVED

JezW · Post by **JezW** » Tue Dec 01, 2015 8:09 am

So to conclude, I've now tried:

-Blank RMIR file from factory reset REMOTE
-Older version of Java
-Different computer
-Re-installing RMIR

Post by **vickyg2003** » Tue Dec 01, 2015 9:23 am

Even though I'm not an expert in RMIR and have no experience with this BIN type of remote, I have given RMIR a nervous breakdown many times.

I suspect I've had graham pulling his hair too.

When I do run into trouble with RMIR, I read the error file, but Graham has already found nothing of interest there. The next thing I try is to break down things into very small steps, closing RMIR over and over to isolate where things are going wrong in RMIR.

Try start RMIR
Download
Save
Close RMIR
Open RMIR
open the saved image
Does it look right?
Install the extender
Does it look right?
Save the file
Close RMIR
Open RMIR
Open the extended file
Upload the extended file
Disconnect
Close RMIR
Is the remote behaving?
Open RMIR
Download from the remote
Is it what you are expectin?

BTW: I thought your video was great. I'm a sucker for the accent. Great job.

mdavej · Post by **mdavej** » Tue Dec 01, 2015 9:31 am

If it makes you feel any better, I could never install the extender either via the method in the instructions. I did eventually get it installed, but can't remember exactly what I did. Seems like there is some step missing going from the extended RMIR file to the setup.bin that gets loaded.

Graham, can you start fresh and post your steps exactly? Maybe something in the instructions is missing or wrong.

tranx · Post by **tranx** » Tue Dec 01, 2015 10:01 am

I tried from scratch on an old 6440 unextended image, and was surprised to run into problems at the stage which 'Installed Extender', by using the Hex file, to the saved unextended .rmir.

The first time it took several minutes and seemed to have stalled while nothing had changed in the activities tab. The second time it took less time and said something like 'complete' at the end, but again activities had not been expanded.

During these attempts the remote was connected following copying the extender settings.bin to the remote, so I disconnected it and put it away. Then had another go which completed the Hex patching in an instant without any 'completed' message, but still did not do the conversion.

I tried using the old image without renaming it and it was probably unrelated that subsequently the conversion kept on working fine. Probably not much help but that Hex step was inconsistent for a while.

tranx · Post by **tranx** » Tue Dec 01, 2015 10:59 am

1.) 6440 old image conversion ('Extended' the Image)
Restarted the desktop and copied an old unextended .rmir image file to desktop.

Opened it (Remote Master 2.03 Build10)

Clicked file> install extender: "the data has changed do you want to save before proceeding"

'No': browsing window opened

browsed to 'URC-6440Extender104.hex'

'Open': apparently an instant and successful conversion
Repeated the same process several times and it was successful

Saved the converted ('Extended') Image with a new name
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.) 'Extend'ed the remote

Connected 6440 and (to clear the remote) Copied the unextended reset file (renamed to 'settings.bin') to 6440 by dragging it to the remote's window

Copied the extended reset file (renamed to 'settings.bin') to 6440 by dragging it to the remote's window
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3.) Opened the converted ('Extended') Image with RMIR and uploaded it to the 'Extended' remote

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Same process for OARUSB04G and a different (OARUSB04G) old image file
and it's conversion succeeded first time but with "data has changed"

Post by **mathdon** » Tue Dec 01, 2015 11:09 am

I've been out for the day and haven't had time to follow all the latest moves. However, since I now have the .rmir file that you were trying to upgrade, I thought I had better try upgrading it myself, fully in the expectation that all would go smoothly.

IT DIDN'T! I GOT EXACTLY THE SAME BEHAVIOUR YOU WERE GETTING

.

So there is something in your .rmir file that the upgrade procedure doesn't like, which points to a previously undiscovered bug in RMIR. So a very big MEA CULPA

. Finding and fixing it is now my highest priority. Watch this space.

Post by **mathdon** » Tue Dec 01, 2015 12:08 pm

OK, found the problem - and it is probably the equivalent problem that mdavej had for the OARUSB04G. The extender doesn't think it is for your remote, and RMIR doesn't fail gracefully with an error message in this case.

If you open the extender RDF, the file "2570A1 (URC-6440 Extender v1.04).rdf", you will see that after the [General] section there is the following:

Code: Select all

[Extender]
OEMSignature=257001

257001 is the signature of the URC-6440 R01 remote, and you have the more recent URC-6440 R02 with signature 261202. RMIR checks the signature of the remote on which it is installing the extender, and accepts either the listed OEMSignature (an unextended remote) or the signature of the extender itself (in which case it is upgrading an earlier version of the extender). It aborts if any other signature is found, but without an error message.

The temporary fix is to edit the RDF with a text editor and change that line to

Code: Select all

OEMSignature=261202

All will then work. I need to amend RMIR for the next build to accept multiple OEMSignatures as valid, and the extender RDFs for the Simpleset remotes to list the known variants. I need also to make RMIR give an error message when the extender installer sees a remote that it does not accept. But these will take time, so in the meantime please make the fix given above, and please accept my apologies for all the hassle you have experienced as a result of this problem.

JezW · Post by **JezW** » Tue Dec 01, 2015 12:49 pm

mathdon wrote:My apologies for all the hassle you have experienced as a result of this problem.

Seriously, it was no trouble at all.

But the good news is...

IT WORKED FIRST TIME

Post by **mathdon** » Tue Dec 01, 2015 1:14 pm

By way of mitigation for the OEMSignature issue, until these Simpleset remotes came along, extenders were very specific to a single model of remote so only one OEMSignature was ever needed. The structure of Simpleset remotes permits an extender to cover more than one variant of a remote, the variants being sufficiently different that UEI uses different signatures but the similarities being enough to permit a common extender.

Many thanks to JezW for sticking with this, so making me do so as well, as I was getting close to writing this off as one of those mysteries that would never be resolved.

I hope to post a new build of RMIR in the next few days that includes the various fixes I mentioned.

JezW · Post by **JezW** » Tue Dec 01, 2015 1:24 pm

Ha, no problem Dave.

One of the things that was deleted was just me giving another thank you to Graham for all the help with this and for putting up with me

Also - Tranx, in my post at 1.02pm I forgot to include the link to the thread I was mentioning:

http://www.hifi-remote.com/forums/viewt ... 0&start=15

The Robman wrote:
At least, not this time, though I did reformat an earlier one so we could see that you were quoting and replying to Graham.

I did notice that one, thank you

tranx · Post by **tranx** » Tue Dec 01, 2015 3:01 pm

JezW wrote:...Also - Tranx, in my post at 1.02pm I forgot to include the link to the thread I was mentioning: http://www.hifi-remote.com/forums/viewt ... 0&start=15...

Thanks for coming back about what I had missed, with apologies