Did I brick my RCRP05B trying to install extender 1.05?

[Ed]

Hi all,

Apologies in advance for the long message.

It's been awhile since I've stopped by here. Thanks to Rob for keeping things alive. This is one of my favorite sites to visit, whether or not I post anything.

My venerable RCRP05B passed away recently. I used it to run my outside setup, which is pretty simple, with a TCL Roku TV and a Yamaha receiver. It always performed well. I kept it outside almost full-time, and that probably hastened it's departure from this world. Right now, it won't even generate an IR signal. I checked with my phone camera. It was working just fine about 6 months ago.

But no problem, right?! I have a spare RCR that I've used for learning signals over the years, and I figured I'd just put it to use in the back yard. First step was to attempt to install Extender 1.05. I used that extender in the previous remote for a couple special functions. So, I set out to install the extender. Bottom line, somehow I goofed up and I think I turned that "new" remote into a paper weight. I'm stopping by to see if any of the experts have any insight on how I might bring it back to life. It's an old remote, and I haven't seen the extender writer (Bill?) around here for a very long time, so I realize I might be stuck. Regardless, here are a couple notes:

The first thing I did was download and save the "factory image". Then I chose to "Install Extender" from the File menu of RMIR (I'm using version 2.14.0). (I first had to re-discover that Windows helpfully replaced my "Prolific" cable driver with one that didn't work, so I spent several hours figuring out how to replace it with the working one and begging Windows 11 not to replace it right away again by editing the registry. I'm still struggling to stop Windows 11 from replacing the correct driver with the incorrect one.)

I used the hex file packaged with extender 1.05 on installation. When I did that, RMIR warned me that several setup codes were not valid (they were set to zero). I ignored that and exited RMIR. Then I tried to activate the extender by pressing TV/OK and no joy. It took me a few seconds to remember that I had not uploaded the extended RMIR file to the remote, so I went back and did that, exited RMIR, pressed TV/OK and got the activation signal. Then I checked under "Special Functions" to make sure the one I wanted to use (ToadTog) was available. It was not! Only Multiplexer and DSM showed on the Special Functions drop down.

At this point, I reckoned that the extender install was not successful, so I tried to de-activate it by long-pressing Setup. No joy. So now I'm thinking I have a remote with a bad extender install, so I set about trying to remove it or replace it with the factory image. I fiddled with this for quite awhile.

I now have a remote that does not work. Here are a couple observations:

If I install the factory image, RMIR warns me against overwriting, but I overwrite anyway. At this point, pressing any number key lights up two device keys, and after 9 number presses, the remote goes "dark, and no LEDs light regardless of what keys are pressed.

Next, I installed the extender from RMIR's file menu, then uploaded that RMIR file to the remote.

Now, if I press any number key, the CBL device LED lights twice. If I press the TV device key, TV LED lights twice. TV then OK, TV lights twice and then twice again when OK is pressed. I can't activate extender. If I press setup, the TV light blinks twice. If I continue holding, it blinks twice more, but it does not blink 4 times in succession to indicate that the extender has been deactivated. I can't deactivate the extender.

Finally, I tried to install a working image from the old, dead remote (which had the extender installed) into the new one, and RMIR warned me that the signatures didn't match. So it seems like RMIR thinks the remote is not extended, but attempts to install the factory (non-extended) image leads to a non-working remote as well. I seem to be "betwixt and between".

FWIW, I think I had a good installation when I checked the special functions dropdown and couldn't find ToadTog. I suspect that it would have shown up (along with the other special functions) when I installed device upgrades, but I could be wrong.

Anyway, does anyone know of any way to "fix" this, or have I created a paper weight?

Thanks for any help!

[mdavej]

I think the double blink on the device buttons means the extender is present, but the signature is wrong. So to get to the point you can deactivate, reload the matching extender version from RMIR so the signature gets updated to match. At that point, you should be able to deactivate. Not sure what else to try on your bricked remote other than attempting to reload the version that matches your first attempt.

[Ed]

Thanks, @mdavej.

When I attempted to install the extender, I first downloaded and saved the "factory image". Then I chose File>Install extender and pointed to the hex file that accompanied the extender. Then I saved that file, unplugged the remote, and attempted to activate the extender. No joy, because I failed to upload the extended image to the remote. So, I reconnected the remote, uploaded the saved file (with the extender installed) to the remote, then unplugged the remote and pressed TV/OK and got the confirmation that the extender was activated. I then did another "download from remote" and saved that file, which was evidently the installed and activated extender. I assume that's the file I need to try to upload again.

Well, when I try to open that file in RMIR, it fails to open, so I can't upload it to the remote.

If you have any suggestions on how to get this file open and uploaded, please advise. Otherwise, it's looking more and more like I have a paper weight.

Thanks again for your assistance.

[mdavej]

Try starting with the factory image, file>install extender like you did initially and upload that one. All we're trying to do at this point is get the signature changed again. If you can upload that one, try the deactivate again.

[Ed]

Thanks for hanging with me. I did as you suggested and uploaded the extended file to the remote. After doing that, pressing TV gives 2 flashes of the TV LED, then pressing OK gives 2 flashes of the TV LED. Pressing and holding setup gives two flashes of the TV LED, then nothing for several seconds, then another two flashes of the TV LED, then nothing. So, I can neither activate nor deactivate the extender. Further, if I attempt to download what's in the remote, RMIR gets "stuck" downloading and appears to never finish, but it does leave a file. If I open that file as text, it indicates a signature of 31793179, which, I think, is the unextended remote's signature The extended remote's signature is 3A793A79.

So, the remote is behaving as if it were extended, but RMIR says it's signature corresponds to an unextended remote.

[mdavej]

Strange that the signature won't change. I'm out of ideas.

[Ed]

Well, I tried one more thing and the remote is back to life!

I reckoned that if RMIR were reporting the remote as unextended but it was behaving as extended, I might try to load an extended RMIR file from the previous (dead) remote. When I did that, RMIR reported the signature mismatch, and I elected to upload anyway. The remote still behaved the way it had been, except now, a long press of Setup gave the 4 LED flashes, indicating the extender was deactivated! At that point, I loaded the factory image (RMIR reported the signature mismatch), but now the remote is behaving properly, like an unextended remote.

I'll play around with it in its unextended state for awhile and decide if I need the extender for my simple outside setup.

Thanks again for your help.

[HamburgerHelper1]

If You are using RMIR version 2.14.0 as you previously stated you might want to try a newer version.
I noticed a difference in the extended RDF of version 2.14.0 and the current version of 3.211

[Ed]

If You are using RMIR version 2.14.0 as you previously stated you might want to try a newer version.
I noticed a difference in the extended RDF of version 2.14.0 and the current version of 3.211

Will do. Thanks. If I need an extender, I might try the newest version of the common extender for the JP1.3 remotes.

[mdavej]

That's great news! Glad you got it going again.

[HamburgerHelper1]

Just for future reference the difference between the RDF in RMIR version 2.14.0 and the current version of 3.211
is that the current RDF has [Extender] OEMSignature=31793179 added to it
Perhaps that is why the signature wouldn't change in version 2.14.0

[Ed]

Just as additional background, I built the "dead" RCR with extender 1.05 at least 10 years ago, long before even version 2.14.0. I used exactly the same files to add the extender to the "new" RCR this past week, albeit with the "newer" (to me) version 2.14.0. I think 2.14.0 handled extender installation differently from what I did 10 years ago and perhaps this difference, together with the lack of the signature, prevented the signature change? (Extender 1.05 documentation references IR.exe, not RMIR.) Perhaps that's what caused me to be suspicious of the installation after I initially activated it? I'm not sure what happened, but it seems like using 2.14.0 might have been part of the problem.

If I choose to add the extender again, I'll make sure to use the current version of RMIR. I'll also consider using the latest version of the "Common Extender" for JP1.3 remotes instead of 1.05 for the RCR remote. I chose not to use the Common Extender way back when because I had some problems making pause work on an OCAP remote (a different JP1.3 model.)

Right now, I'm concentrating on getting a working remote without installing the extender. I'm close, but I've forgotten a lot in the last few years! For example, I want to put a macro on the Power button that issues power toggles for two devices, and I know that there are issues with that, so I'm having to go back and dig up related material. (I don't mean to go off-topic here, just mentioning where I am in the project, FYI.)

Thanks for your insight.