How to Put a Macro on a Key

[dtparker]

OK, this may be stupid,. but that is what we are here for, right?

I would like to put a macro on the Menu button of my UEI 9910 for use in Sat mode only. I have a Hughes E86, and to go to menu requires a press of Action followed by Guide. I understand how to do this macro, and have it working on an othrwise unused key.

What I can't figure out is how to keymove this to the menu key.

thanks for the help,
Dave

[usblipitor]

1. macros are global so they will work in all modes not just SAT mode.
2. without JP1 you are screwed.
3. with JP1 you could use something called the DSM (device specific macro) protocol, or you could just put several hex codes on a keymove in IR.exe

[usblipitor]

What I can't figure out is how to keymove this (press action key then press guide key) to the menu key.

Dave,
using just the remote you can't do this. Regular (non-JP1) keymoves are just one key, not two. So you can keymove one or the other key, but not both. (using JP1 you can, look on the keymove tab of IR.exe). You can assign both these keys to a legal key as a macro just using the remote, but evidently the remote wont let you put it on the menu key is what you are saying I think. (using JP1 you should be able to put anything you want on the menu key).

[dtparker]

I should have been more specific - I have a JP1 cable, and IR and Keymove. I still cant figure it out.

[usblipitor]

My apologies for assuming you did not have a JP1 cable I need to stop assuming so much. Jim is never going to stop calling me names at this rate!

There are several ways to do this. Extenders are somewhat intimidating (it took me a month or longer before I would try it). So if you would like to get your feet wet, download the special protocols and read a little about them. The device specific macro will let you do what you want. There is a sentence in the readme file that is troublesome: the special protocols generally are not compatible with extenders. Therefore, if and when you jump into extenders you will have to undo what you have done.

So, if you feel braver and want to jump right in, download the extender instead. Here is an excerpt from the extender documentation:

This is an enhanced version of the Device Specific Macros protocol. It is packaged as an upgrade protocol (1FC) and an upgrade device (MISC/1103) that are automatically installed when you install the extender.

You can use this protocol with the same KeyMoves used with the standard Device Specific Macros protocol. You set the hex command to be the hex value of a phantom key. You then define a macro on that phantom key.

For macros up to 13 key codes long, there is a more direct way. You can translate each key of the macro to a hex value (see the attached KeyCodes.htm file) and put the entire macro into the KeyMove as a hex command.

Good Luck,

[Paul Hives]

Does the hex code trick on keymoves work in a non extender scenario?

[johnsfine]

No.

Without an extender we don't know how to get a DSM protocol to know enough about the way it was invoked to decently handle long variable length keymoves. Extenders also make other aspects of a DSM protocol easier to code.

I'm not sure how close you could get to the features of an extender based DSM protocol when writing a DSM for non extender use. But I'm pretty sure no one has posted anything like that.

[The Robman]

David,
You have a couple of options.

Option 1:
This option is valid for non-JP1 users also. You could program a simple 2 step macro on the MENU button, but as this is active in all modes, you would then program key moves to overlay the macro in all the other modes.

Option 2:
Use the DSM special protocol, as Steve suggested. You can do this without using the extender if you wish.

[usblipitor]

program a simple 2 step macro on the MENU button, but as this is active in all modes, you would then program key moves to overlay the macro in all the other modes.

Hi Rob!

I cannot seem to get my head wrapped around this sentence and was hoping you could help me to understand it better. I am slow, so bear with me. What you are saying is that if you program a macro on the menu button, this macro will be global. The way around this is to program key moves on the menu button for all other modes.

The part I am confused on is: wont these keymoves on the menu button be ignored though, since there is a macro on this button? When you press the menu button, doesn't the S3C8 MCU start looking at the top of the keymove/macro section of memory, and go down the list one by one, and if it finds a macro or a keymove for the menu key, it stops looking on this list and just does the first one it finds?

Apologies in advance for my feeble mind.

[johnsfine]

wont these keymoves on the menu button be ignored though, since there is a macro on this button? When you press the menu button, doesn't the S3C8 MCU start looking at the top of the keymove/macro section of memory, and go down the list one by one, and if it finds a macro or a keymove for the menu key, it stops looking on this list and just does the first one it finds?

Some of the extenders work that way, but this thread is clearly assuming no extender.

With no extender, it looks for a KeyMove through the entire list. It only uses a macro if it didn't find any KeyMove for the right device mode. It doesn't matter whether the KeyMove is defined before or after the macro.

(Assuming no extender) a KeyMove in the current device mode always overrides a global macro.

[Paul Hives]

My crude way is to put the macro using SHIFT+menu and leave the menu button for other regular uses. As a programmer I think of the Shift as an overloaded mehod.

[usblipitor]

(Assuming no extender) a KeyMove in the current device mode always overrides a global macro.

Thank you John! That clears it up very nicely.. if you ever write a text on IR, I'll buy a copy.. all the experts could write a chapter or two.. heck, all of us mortals would buy a copy..

[The Robman]

For your further reading pleasure...
http://www.hifi-remote.com/manuals/rs-l ... 994#macros

...just remember that the macro will be assigned to this button in all device modes.

If you placed a macro on a button that you wish to restore to it's original function under certain device modes, you can re-program the button using the advanced codes.