XSight Lite with Ortek MCE Device

[CyberSimian]

I am trying to get the Ortek MCE device to work in an XSight Lite. I am using RMIR 2.06 (downloaded yesterday), with the OrtekMCE rmdu file downloaded from this web site.

Using RMIR works fine, and I upload the rmir file to the remote successfully. The problems arise when I test the buttons. Some buttons work correctly, but other buttons misbehave. I noticed the following:

(1) The RED button is defined as a shortcut to the "Recorded TV" panel in MediaPortal, and that works. The EXIT button is defined as "Return to previous panel", but that does NOT work on the first press; I have to press it a second time for the action to occur. The same happens with the GREEN button (I need to press it twice for the action to occur). In contrast, with the YELLOW and BLUE buttons I need to press EXIT only once for the action to occur.

(2) The SKIP_FORWARD and SKIP_BACKWARD buttons cause a playing recording to skip forward or backward by 5 minutes. I can press SKIP_FORWARD several times in succession, and playback skips by 5 minutes each time. But with SKIP_BACKWARD, the first press skips by 5 minutes, but subsequent presses are ignored until I press some other button.

(3) After pressing SKIP_BACKWARD, the STOP button no longer works at all, although the PAUSE button does. Pressing PAUSE then causes STOP to work.

Finally, I also have an XSight Color, and have loaded the Ortek definition into that, and it works correctly -- it has none of the misbehaviour exhibited by the XSight Lite. I want to use the Lite if possible, as I prefer it to the Color (the buttons are more to my liking on the Lite).

Any ideas as to what might be wrong? Thanks.

-- from CyberSimian in the UK

[mdavej]

Not sure what could cause that behavior. Zip your Ortek RM file, Color RMIR file and Lite RMIR file and upload here so I can take a look.

[CyberSimian]

Not sure what could cause that behavior. Zip your Ortek RM file, Color RMIR file and Lite RMIR file and upload here so I can take a look.

Thank you. I have uploaded a zip file containing the files in separate folders (so please unzip preserving folders). I hope that it has worked OK.

There is an Ortek rmdu for each Xsight, but the Ortek's files are somewhat different (there is a DIF file too). I am not sure that this is expected, since they should be the same definition (I think).

https://www.hifi-remote.com/forums/dload ... e_id=25281

Edit: the file is called "xsight_ortek.zip".

-- from CyberSimian in the UK

[mdavej]

That difference is expected since the target remotes have different button maps and different memory structures. But I really only need the one Ortek RMDU you started with, or a link to it, plus both your RMIR files.

[mdavej]

I'm going to enlist some more help on this. The Lite and Color use different processors, hence different protocol code. I suspect there is an error in the Lite (MAXQ622) code. Once we get the code corrected, I can post a fix for you.

I found the official protocol from UEI.

Here's our version:

Code: Select all

Upgrade protocol 0 = 01 ED (MAXQ622) OrtekMCE (RM v2.06 build 2)
 33 69 11 92 00 04 12 00 12 00 00 00 12 00 12 00
 00 00 36 0D 4A 00 12 00 00 80 54 57 18 00 00 14
 C6 C4 01 06 C4 C4 C6 13 C5 C5 01 55 F4 C4 FF 5D
 00 00 00 16 C4 D0 FE 10 C5 00 FF 59 F0 00 00 16
 C4 D1 FC 59 E8 00 00 14 C4 C5 01 51 C4 C4 00 05
 C5 C5 C4 10 C4 00 08 57 08 00 00 11 D2 D2 01 16
 C6 C5 01 05 D2 D2 C6 12 C5 C5 01 58 F0 C4 00 C2
 40 23 60 51 32 08 17 D0 D0 04 51 D2 D2 00 C2 50
 23 60 51 32 04 17 D0 D0 06 22 40 03 60 51 32
End

Here's the official version:

Code: Select all

Upgrade protocol 0 = 02 1B (MAXQ622) Manual Settings: 02 1B (RM v2.06 build 2)
 31 67 12 92 00 04 13 00 13 00 00 00 13 00 13 00
 00 00 5C 07 4D 00 13 00 00 80 38 17 D3 D1 08 17
 D5 D3 0C 56 2C D2 0E 56 20 D2 0C 56 14 D2 08 55
 08 D2 08 57 20 00 00 17 D4 D2 08 57 18 00 00 17
 D4 D2 0C 57 10 00 00 17 D4 D2 0E 57 08 00 00 17
 D4 D2 0F 42 40 23 00 71 72 42 50 23 00 73 74 42
 40 03 00 75 74 00
End

I need to do some testing, then can post a fix.

[mdavej]

Try adding adding this to your Lite and let me know if it works any better. It doesn't have every function yet. So this is just a proof of concept.

https://www.hifi-remote.com/forums/dload ... e_id=25283

[CyberSimian]

Try adding adding this to your Lite and let me know if it works any better.

Thank you for the update. I will load it into my Xsight Lite and do some testing. I will report the results tomorrow.

-- from CyberSimian in the UK

[CyberSimian]

Try adding this to your Lite and let me know if it works any better. It doesn't have every function yet. So this is just a proof of concept.

Here is my report:

(1) The new version fixes all of the misbehaviour that I noticed with the old version on my XSight Lite.

(2) I also have an XSight Plus, so I tried the new version in that, and I am pleased to report that that works correctly too.

(3) One comment about the supported functions: I was really surprised when I originally looked at the old version to see that it had 50 functions, but when I counted the buttons on the Ortek there were only 46 (ignoring the mouse controls). It took me a while to realise that the old version has four duplicates, i.e. the same button codes but with different names. The "MyXxx" functions duplicate the four colour buttons (Blue, Green, Red, Yellow).

It seems to me that this duplication is of no value -- it confuses users and provides no extra capability. So I would vote for removing the duplicates. Since most remotes these days have colour buttons, I would suggest removing the "MyXxx" definitions.

Finally, thank you for investigating this and creating a fix! I look forward to the finalised version becoming available.

-- from CyberSimian in the UK

[mdavej]

That's great news.

Your point is well taken about the duplicates, but I'm reluctant to change them since those describe the icons and function on the original remote. For example, if you're programming and just see "Red" in the list of available functions, you have no idea that its function is actually "My Videos". And we have a precedent for duplicate functions on other remotes, like TV remotes whose Ch+/- and Vol+/- duplicate Up/Down/Left/Right arrows.

I'll post back here with any updates. But you can keep using this one indefinitely, and it will be unaffected by any future RMIR changes/updates.

Here's the original thread about this protocol:
https://www.hifi-remote.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=14264

[CyberSimian]

I'll post back here with any updates. But you can keep using this one indefinitely, and it will be unaffected by any future RMIR changes/updates.

Is there any update on this? The rmdu file that you provided cures the misbehaviour, but it does not contain all of the button definitions (the remote has 46 buttons, but the rmdu file defines only 38).

If an update to RMIR will be available in the near-ish future (2-3 weeks?), that is fine. But if it will be 6-12 months before the RMIR update becomes available, is there any chance that you could provide an rmdu file that defines all of the buttons?

I looked at the rmdu file to see if there is any regularity in the values used that might allow me to guess the values for the missing buttons, but there is no obvious regularity that I can spot.

Thank you for the time that you have spent in solving this problem.

-- from CyberSimian in the UK

[mdavej]

Probably in a couple more weeks.

I wish I could supply just the missing commands for now, but I've been unable to correlate the old and new command formats. I'll take another crack at it in the next few days.

Hang in there.

[CyberSimian]

Probably in a couple more weeks.

Thank you! Without your efforts there would be no solution.

-- from CyberSimian in the UK

[mdavej]

I've partially figured out the remaining commands. But I have to guess at the last few bits. I think I've narrowed it down to just 5 possibilities per command. So load the test upgrade below to test each of the 5 and report which in each group works correctly.

I've arranged most of them in columns of 4 per command so it will be easier to keep track of. 5th of each possible command is on the softkeys, so try those last.

CLEAR is the column Red thru Stop
RECORDED TV is Green thru List
LIVE TV is Yellow thru Record
ENTER is 1 thru Input
* is 2 thru 0
BROWSER is 3 thru Enter

Last 2 groups aren't columns but the group of Menu keys (Guide,Menu,Exit,Info) for the CLOSE function, and the 4 arrow keys for the # function.

I purposely omitted DVD since you probably won't be able to test that.

Once all the correct ones are identified, I'll add them to the main upgrade file.

https://www.hifi-remote.com/forums/dload ... e_id=25288

[CyberSimian]

load the test upgrade below to test each of the 5 and report which in each group works correctly.

Thank you! I will test those first thing tomorrow (Thursday).

-- from CyberSimian in the UK

[CyberSimian]

load the test upgrade below to test each of the 5 and report which in each group works correctly.

I have tested all of the buttons:

(1) In all cases, only one button in each set caused the IR receiver's LED to illuminate, and that button produced the expected action.

(2) All other buttons produced no response from the IR receiver.

(3) One button ("RecordedTVE") caused a response from my Sony TV (its white LED blinked). In the past I have also had problems with the "#" button on the Ortek causing my Sony to change channel (the Sony seems to interpret the "#" button as "4", but not every time). However, the test procedure did not cause that to happen on this occasion.

(4) I tested these using MediaPortal, which has a special config file for the Ortek, mapping keystrokes to MP actions. So it would be easy to test the DVD button, if you cannot determine which of several values it is (I would map it to a clearly-recognisable MP action).

(5) Here are the results:
function = button_that_works

CLEAR = FAST_REWIND
RECORDED_TV = PLAY
LIVE_TV = LiveE
ENTER = INPUT
STAR = 0
BROWSER = WWWE
CLOSE = EXIT
HASH = #E

-- from CyberSimian in the UK