Slingbox codes for Nighthawk STB

[j4y]

Hi everyone,

I'm working with a PL slingbox and trying to create a binary for it that works with a Nighthawk STB. I'm still new at this whole thing, but I've made my way up to creating the binary.

I programmed my URC-8910 to learn a few basic keys of the Sejin remote that I was using to control my STB. In particular, I learned power, arrow up/down/left/right, select, menu.

I have a UI on my STB that displays the hex code of the IR signal that it is receiving, and I tested the 8910. The UI responds accordingly and I can see the hex codes of the key pressed/key down/key up signals.

I downloaded the learned signals of the 8910 into IR.exe and went to the learned signals tab. I noticed that the protocol or device for the buttons differs. For example, arrow up and arrow right have protocol JVC1 and device 243 whereas arrow down and arrow left have protocol JVC1 and device 247. However, the "1" button has protocol JVC2 device 0 and power has protocol JVC2 device 250.

In RM, I used the JVC protocol and entered the OBC of the functions in and the EFC and Hex values were all translated accordingly and matched the data given in IR, despite the difference between JVC1/2 or device number. I mapped out the functions to the associated buttons and exported the binary.

I then put the binary into the SBAV directory of my Slingbox installation and configured Slingbox to use my binary. Slingbox loaded the IR map, but when I attempted to control the Slingbox through my Slingplayer, it failed. Also, the UI on the STB failed to detect any keys being pressed so it didn't show any key pressed/key up/key down values.

I have tried this with several setup codes and am in the process of trying to use a different JVC protocol. I've also tried different device parameters, but they do not seem to work.

I also have an amino 110 STB and attempted to upload the prebuilt amino binary from this forum. It was successful, and I noticed that the Protocol was set under "Manual Settings" and the Protocol Parameters were set to 9 and 0. I was wondering if I should be using the Manual Settings protocol when attempting to create the binary for my Nighthawk STB. However, I wouldn't know where to start regarding finding values for the device protocol parameters.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Jay

[j4y]

Well, I'm still at this problem and I've made progress but still haven't gotten it working.

In RM, I actually selected the JVC Combo protocol because when inputting the function codes, there is also a device field which accounts for the multiple device codes that I found when I loaded the learned codes in IR.

However, when I create the binary and load it to the slingbox, I'm still unable to control the STB from the slingbox.

On a side note, I attempted to re-learn the IR codes being transmitted from the IR blaster on the slingbox back onto my URC-8910. The codes being transmitted and re-learned did not function when i attempted to control the STB with the remote, however when I downloaded them to IR, they were the same as the ones that I had uploaded to the slingbox. Weird.

Any thoughts or comments? Feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Jay

[Capn Trips]

Feedback is hard without anything to look at.

Upload to the file the section (either individually or zipped together) all of the files at issue here:
IR file of your learned signals from the OEM remote;
RM file you created based on that;
BIN file you exported;
IR file of the learned signals from your Slingbox IR blaster.

(also, make sure you use the Notes capabilities in IR to annotate what each learned signal really is)

Provide a link or links to these files.

Maybe someone will find an error in your process.

[j4y]

Here is a link to the files for diagnosis:

http://www.hifi-remote.com/forums/dload ... le_id=5512

For some reason, after creating the binary, only a subset of the functions that I put in were mapped to the actual slingbox. I really only have been testing the arrow up/down/left/right and select buttons thus far, but the menu button is important as well, and that has not been mapped. Also it looks like the re-learned codes are being transmitted twice by the slingbox.

Once again, any feedback towards the process I was taking would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Jay

[binky123]

I looked at your learned .IR file and I'm guessing DecodeIR is reporting a spurious decode. The IR signals just happen to look like JVC{2} signals.

The time base seems to be 310 uS but it seems to have multiples of 1,2,3,4,5,6 of the time base in use. The length of the bits seems to vary as well. The LeadOut signal varies too.

I looked at your numbers 1-9 and 1,2,3 seem to have an extra bit. Number 6 also has a LeadOut almost double the other digits. The digits have consistency in the first few bits but don't match the other functions in the first few bits. So it seems there is no fixed data in these IR signals?

Frequency seems to be 38834.
LeadIN seems to be 3x 310uS or 930uS for ON and OFF.

You'll need a real expert to help in decoding these signals and coming up with a executor/protocol upgrade for you.

[j4y]

Thanks for looking into this for me binky. Hopefully an expert will have some time to help me out soon.

[binky123]

Maybe you can find a pattern in the learned data. Does the learned data work?

I used 310uS base.

I decoded a few signals by hand. I recall the XMP(016C) protocol does send out multiples in the OFF period so you may be able to use similar code here.

Grouping every 4 parts does yield a 4PPM value.

Code: Select all

 ON   OFF
1:
+952 -918

+341 -0
+341 -1230 1H 4L = 1000 0 => 00
+308 -620 1H 2L = 100  => 01
+308 -930 1H 3L = 1000 => 00
+308 -930 1H 3L = 1000 => 00
+308 -930 1H 3L = 1000 => 00
+308 -930 1H 3L = 1000 => 00
+308 -930 1H 3L = 1000 => 00
+308 -1240 1H 4L = 1000 0 => 00, 16-bit data is 1000h.

+308 -930 1H 3L = 100 0 => 01
+308 -1240 1H 4L = 100 00 => 01
+308 -620 1H 2L = 10 0 => 10
+308 -620 1H 2L = 100 => 01
+308 -930 1H 3L = 1000 => 00
+308 -1862 1H 6L = 1000 000 => 00
+308 -930 1H 3L = 1 000 => 11
+308 -76970 1H = 1 => 11, 16-bit data is 590Fh.

2:
+952 -926

+642 -1226 
+308 -622
+308 -930
+308 -930
+308 -930
+308 -930
+308 -930
+308 -1240

+308 -1240
+308 -930
+308 -622
+308 -622
+308 -930
+308 -930
+308 -930
+308 -77898

Mute:
+942 -924

+636 -1244
+306 -618
+306 -934
+306 -934
+306 -934
+306 -934 
+306 -934
+306 -934

+306 -1242
+306 -1242
+306 -1242
+612 -938
+306 -1864
+306 -312
+306 -77592

Up:
+946 -918

+330 -912
+330 -912 
+306 -622 
+306 -312
+330 -912
+330 -912 
+330 -912
+330 -912
+330 -912
+330 -912
+306 -1242
+306 -1242
+306 -312 
+330 -912 
+306 -1864 
+306 -312
+306 -3534 

Down:
+942 -928 

+330 -910
+330 -910 
+306 -622 
+306 -310 
+330 -910
+330 -910
+330 -910 
+330 -910 
+306 -1862
+330 -910 
+306 -622 
+330 -910 
+306 -310
+330 -910  
+330 -910 
+330 -910 
+306 -3844

[j4y]

Thanks again for looking into this binky. Yes, the learned codes do work on the URC-8910. I was able to contact the manufacturer of the remote, and they said that the protocol that they use is proprietary and unfortunately they do not have the EFC or hex values available.

By the way, what do you mean when you used a 310uS base? and what do the + and - values mean? I'm assuming a plus value is measured in uS and represents an "on" signal and negative value is "off", and you use the multiples of your base to find the correct hex value?

Thanks,

Jay.

[binky123]

Both values are measured in uS. The + and - signs are to indicate IR signal ON and OFF periods. The raw signal timings just look like they are a multiple of 310uS as many of the 3xx values are around 310. There is a RoundTo: box in the learned signal tabsheet in IR.exe that you can enter 310 into and it'll round the raw signal values to this number.

j4y contacted the remote mfgr and Nighthawk mfgr and they said it is using a protocol called 4PPM. The Nighthawk also can use RC-6.

I searched for what 4PPM was and it is a four pulse position modulation data encoding technique that divides a pulse width into 4 parts. It maps data bits into 4PPM symbols.

Code: Select all

	Data Bits   4PPM Data Symbol
	00 			1000
	01 			0100
	10 			0010
	11 			0001

So trying to get this into our framework, the total width for a symbol is 4x310=1240. The IR signal for '00' would be 1H and 3L. I was able to fit the learned data into the 4PPM signal.

[mpasetta]

I'm about to start the same quest that you have embarked upon... getting my slingbox to work with an eagle stb.

Were you successful? Can you give me any help?

best,
Marty

[binky123]

As an update, this thread has more info on the NightHawk signals. It looks like the protocol is 0161.

[binky123]

As a followup, this thread contains a Slingbox PL BIN file that works for the ADB3800W STB and may work for the NightHawk STB.