IR and RDF Enhancements Request

[Silk]

Hi Y'all,
Been a member for a while now, this is my 1st post. Want to give a big thanks to The Robman, Nils_Ekberg, Mark Pierson, mr_d_p_gumby, mpauker, gfb107, johnsfine and e34m5for for all the excellent work you've done and continue to do! You guys are the best!

I use my 15-1995 with IR Timed Macros as a VCR Programmer. I'd like to have a Notes colum after Keys so I could add the names of the TV shows scheduled and it would be great to be able to print that page. Right now I use PrtScn, paste into Paint, print it and pencil in the shows but sometimes all the rows won't fit.

The RDF is for my 15-1925. RemoteChart.xls shows 2 signatures O80A and O80C but there is no O80C RDF. I think mine must be O80C cause I've always gotten an error in IR when Downloading From Remote. Is the O80C RDF posted somewhere? If not could it please be included in the next release?

With Warmest Regards,
Steve

[The Robman]

This is one for Mike (mr_d_p_gumby)

[mr_d_p_gumby]

RemoteChart.xls shows 2 signatures O80A and O80C but there is no O80C RDF.

That must be an error. Older remotes like the 15-1925 have their signatures split in half and stored in two different places in the EEPROM. O80a is the first half of the signature, and O80C is the second half; the full signature is O80aO80C. Back when RDFs were invented, we didn't know about the second half of the signature, so the RDF name only reflects the first half.

In actuality, the signature of all JP1 remotes, new or old, is composed of two parts. The first four characters identify the software version in the ROM, while the second four identify the code library version in the ROM.

I think mine must be O80C cause I've always gotten an error in IR when Downloading From Remote.

It's also not unusual to get certain "error" messages when downloading with these older remotes. IR was designed to work with the newer ones, and once in a while we run into something in an older remote that it can't handle gracefully. In this case, the [Fixed Data] entry

• $01E = $00 $FF $FF

is probably the reason for the message you are getting. For example, the 15-1925 has one of UEI's most useful features: it counts how many times you change a setup code, and if you do it too often, it will scramble the keymaps so all the buttons get mixed up. The [Fixed Data] entry is there to force IR to reset this counter, among other things. Unfortunately, there is no way to tell IR to do it without also having it display the message.

[gklement]

Hi Y'all,

Hi Steve, all
I'd like to continue this thread with more wishes. As the subject says.

It would be nice to have some command line parameters or options dialog into IR (later is more work to implement) that controls the data lines of the interface. What i'm thinking of is to power the EEPROM from the interface. For this to work there may be a short delay necessary to get the device ready.

This would it make unnecessary to apply the batteries while rewriting the eeprom which is almost imposible with my URC 8060.

Regards
Günther

[johnsfine]

Most of us already can power the eeprom from the interface and write the eeprom without batteries. I don't know whether the 8060 is different, or your LPT port is different or you JP1 cable is different.

[gklement]

My interface is a simple paralle port interface with no active komponets and now I have an external power supply connected to U2 (EEPROM supply voltage. But what I whant is to power the EEPROM through the paralle port eg. by data pins D5-7.

After starting IR.exe all data pins D0-7 are held low. Maybe there are other control lines held high but these are not explained in the Simple Interface Rev 5 doc file.

So why not switch D5-7 high after starting ir.exe?

Günther

[Mark Pierson]

I'm not sure I understand what (or why) it is you're trying to do. Are you looking to be able to use a JP1 connection without batteries in the remote? If that's it, have your tried it that way? As John said above, many people can use the Simple interface without batteries in the remote.

[gklement]

Maybe we are talking of different interface descriptions. The one I'm talking about let the power pins unconnected and shows U1 wired to U2 (Pin 1 and 2 of JP1). The file name is SimpleRev5-pdf.

I think that leaving the CPU power off (U1) is equal to the reset state of the CPU. There is no need to supply the CPU with current and driving some leds. The EEPROM (U2) needs much less current which can be supplied by any parallel port pin. So when programming the EEPROM only the EEPROM must be supplied with current.

I just tried it with PIN 12 of the parallel port (I don't know what it is for but it outputs 4.8 Voltage) and ir.exe worked fine when wiring PIN 12 to U2.

There are many other programming tools on the internet eg. avrdude for the atmel cpu. These tools normal have a lot of command line options. With avrdude you can even configure every pin of the interface what it should do. These tools may also give you some hints what options are usefull.

Maybe it's more a problem of the documentation which doesn't say anything about powering the JP1 interface. With installed batteries there is no need for this of course.

Günther

[Mark Pierson]

IIRC, Tommy Tyler (designer of the Simple interface) once told me that the EEPROM actually gets some power through the SDA and SCL lines, which is why it works in many remotes without batteries.

I know next to nothing about hardware, so I can't say one way or the other that what you want to do is possible. My concerns would be for an over-voltage situation that could damge the EEPROM.