URC 8820 extender

jetskier · Post by **jetskier** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 6:33 pm

vickyg2003 wrote:Oh my, at first I thought Evan was talking about using hot glue on the little fingers.

It's crossed my mind a few times....

Evan_s · Post by **Evan_s** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 10:30 pm

I got a good laugh outta that for some reason

underquark · Post by **underquark** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 9:25 am

Speaking of little fingers. I am looking after way too many of them today and can't experiment so am taking the lazy way out and posting this question:

I have about 15 devices in 4 rooms. Some devices are repeated (two identical PVR's, two similar TV's) but most are different. I'd lke to set up my fleet of 8820's so that any remote works in any room.

I can get creative with KeyMoves, assign upgrades to the two hidden device buttons on the 8820 etc. but I rapidly lose track of which button does what.

Is it possible to do something such as set up the Fav button as X-Shift (enter KeyCode 24 into the appropriate section in IR), and have Fav-1, Fav-2, Fav-3 etc. for different rooms such that Fav-n is a macro which calls several device buttons in turn and then calls up a different device multiplexor for each button thus changing the setup codes for several buttons at one fell stroke?

Post by **vickyg2003** » Sun Dec 16, 2007 5:26 pm

The two JP1.2 extenders that I've written don't support FAV at this time. But you can probably do what you want with the tools you have already, or you can write a special protocol that might handle things like this. I'm trying to understand how the FAV keys work, but right now FAV is just another key in the extender.

underquark · Post by **underquark** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 10:01 am

Tried it but with mixed success. Device mutiplexor comes unstuck when you use any device that uses keymoved keys. Thus if I change TV from 1650, say, to 1200 then all the usual keys change for that device but the keymoved ones stay keymoved to the original device setup code. Buttons such as M1, M2, Fav, set are all keymoved as well as any explicitly keymoved ones.

One thought I had was to decide which devices I would be multiplexing (some won't need moved for different rooms) and then assign all their keymoves to "real" keys on a hidden upgrade such as on AUX2. Then when I use multiplex to change the setup code of, say TV, I also change the setup code of its shadow which is the hidden upgrade containing the keymoves. IR can reference a keymove in two ways -1]by Device, Hex code and 2] by Device, **KeyCode so using the latter might cause it to lookup the KeyCode in the hidden upgrade.

Something to try when I'm off work and can stay up late once all the little darlings are in bed.

Post by **vickyg2003** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 10:39 am

One of my wish list items would be a SuperTog protocol. It would be a sort of a powerful Case statement. In fact I reserved a memory variable for that when I setup the HT and ToadTog protocols. However, its kind of down there on my priority list. Right now I'm very busy with the 1067a. I think that is going to be a very nice remote when extended. I've got 3 unextended 1067a's in service right now, and can't wait to have extenders on them.

underquark · Post by **underquark** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 10:57 am

"Super-Tog" - look forward to it. Shadow-setup as described above runs into difficulties too since KeyMove looks not only to device key but to setup code when created. Will keep plugging away, however. Shame that although any button can be "made" a device button that there are seem to be a limited number of memory slots near the beginning of the IR file (10 for the 8820).

Post by **vickyg2003** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 11:32 am

Yep, the 8820 only supports 10 (8 real, 2 phantom) devices. The multiplex takes up a lot of the slack, but a multiplex device can't overcome keymoves. Devices that don't need keymoves can easily be stacked on a device index via the multiplex. Keymoves always trump the current setup code.

On my 8820's, I like stackying the phantoms, by putting a DSM on the device key. The first press of a key activates the macro, however if I'm already in Aux mode, and I press Aux again, it activates the DSM {C_aux2, V_aux2, P_Aux2, O_aux2}, changing to the Aux2 device. Pushing Aux again, then triggers the macro and the device is now Aux. I haven't really used multiplex other than to test it for the extenders, but having a whole slew of secondary functions on the 8820 with the phantom device is very useful in setting up some complicated automation.

underquark · Post by **underquark** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 10:18 am

Using device multiplexor when a device has KeyMoves can cause problems. I have experimented and created this example upgrade and welcome comment.

The keycode for XShift is assigned to the Fav key (for test purposes). Fav-1, Fav-2 and Fav-3 are macros. Each macro invokes device mulitplexor calls on two devices - the main device and its "shadow". The shadow is assigned to a dummy device button (I've used AUX2 here) and contains all the KeyMoves from the first device. The trick part is that you can't use ordinary KeyMoves here because they are bound both to a device button and to a single setup code. However, you can use device specific macros to call the KeyMoved key from the original device (in this file I have M1 and M2 calling Ch- and Ch+ respectively).

If I've got this idea right then it might be useful to those who have maybe four or five devices in one room and then a few more in a different room but who want to use one remote. Fav-1 calls up devices for one room, Fav-2 for the other etc. If I've got it wrong then please forgive me as it's Christmas.

You are still limited by the number of devices available in the 6/8/10820, i.e. 10 but it might have some use it you have, say, three different TV's and 2 DVD's but the SAT box is the same.