JP1 Remotes

Like in my other post, I am putting together a simple URC-1210 for a home cinema installation for my inlaws. The goal is to keep things as simple as possible for the user, hence the simple remote.

The devices to be used are:
- Apple TV as streaming source
- Primare SPA23 AVR to control volume and select input
- Panasonic AT5000 (=AE6000) for display

I have found RMDUs for Apple TV and Panasonic

I have a list of IR codes for Primare devices. SPA23 is identical to SPA22.

I have most information I need in my previous thread. There is one open point:

I can't quite make sense of the Primare spreadsheet. How do I format the codes in the Primare list for the RMDU? I need power toggle, vol up/down, mute and prev input / next input.

This is just a guess, but try this. Feel free to re-arrange the buttons as you like.
http://www.hifi-remote.com/forums/dload ... e_id=27222

The Robman wrote:This is just a guess, but try this. Feel free to re-arrange the buttons as you like.
http://www.hifi-remote.com/forums/dload ... e_id=27222

Thanks, Rob
I will give this a try when I am next over there and report back.

The URC 1110 and its operator specific clones have a 'guide' button which opens the program guide, when one is in the operator specific app.
I tried to, but failed to learn this button to the URC 1210. Also I could not find it in any of the RMDUs for Apple TV remotes. Does this button work via IR or via bluetooth? If IT what is its code?

The Robman wrote:This is just a guess, but try this. Feel free to re-arrange the buttons as you like.
http://www.hifi-remote.com/forums/dload ... e_id=27222

Thanks, Rob
Unfortunately your suggested Primare codes did not do the trick. As promised I am back with some diagnostic info, now that I am in the holiday home where the Primare SPA23 resides.

I have learned some codes from the original Primare C24 remote. The rmir file is here http://www.hifi-remote.com/forums/dload ... e_id=27237

Primare's description of the codes is here: https://primare.net/wp-content/uploads/ ... lease-.pdf

The behaviour of the learned codes is as follows:
The green button will turn the SPA23 off, but not on. It does not seem to be a toggle
+ and - keys correctly go to the next / previous input
Mute disables mute, but does not enable it. Again, doesn't seem to be a toggle
Vol+ und Vol- work, but much too fast. Impossible to change volume by one step

EDIT: The behaviour I described above is only part of the picture. In general the behaviour of the learned commands is as follows.

If a command is issued (like mute), it is effective the first time and toggles the state of mute. The second time the key is pressed, the command has no effect. If I press another key (like input+), that command is effective. If I NOW press mute again, it works.
So commands only seem to work once. I can only suspect that they are not properly 'closed' at the end and somehow stay in suspense. Issuing another command then closes the previous command and lets it be issued again.

I would be extremely grateful for an analysis of these learned codes and how I can reliably derive the correct codes from the information Primare provides.

I will just consider the Primare device.

jacobacci wrote:I can't quite make sense of the Primare spreadsheet. How do I format the codes in the Primare list for the RMDU?

This is not black magic. It says "RC5, System Adress 28", so that we know the protocol (RC5) and the device number = 28. (Some say "system address" for RC5, we say "device[number]".)

The first column is obviously the function name, and the second the functions number, OBC in RMDU. The other columns are not of interest for us. From this information, Rob wrote his device upgrade.

jacobacci wrote:Unfortunately your suggested Primare codes did not do the trick.

"This can't happen"

I looked at the learned signals in your rmir file. Turned out they were close to RC5 signals, but not quite valid. (DecodeIR decoded them, IrpTransmogrifier not.) The "almost-decodes" were consistent with the spreadshead ones.

If a command is issued (like mute), it is effective the first time and toggles the state of mute. The second time the key is pressed, the command has no effect. If I press another key (like input+), that command is effective. If I NOW press mute again, it works.
So commands only seem to work once.

You are shooting the learned signal as "learned", not as RC5 here, right? This behavior is typical for sending a protocol with a toggle (like RC5) without correctly flipping the toggle between the invocations. Rob's file should do the job, including the toggles.

The learned signals do appear to match the codes in the upgrade that I created for you. However, I only get the RC-5 dev 28 decodes using DecodeIR, not IrpT. So, a question for Barf, are these learns significantly off-spec so that your decoder doesn't match them to RC-5? That would explain why the RC-5 upgrade isn't working.

As for the behavior of the learns only working once, that is expected. Protocols like RC-5 have a toggle bit, which alternates with every button press, but your learned signals only capture the bit in one position.

EDIT: it looks like Barf and I posted at about the same time

Upon retesting the upgrade file you sent me, I can confirm that the codes work perfectly, toggle bits and all.
Apologies for not having tested thoroughly enough before!
Looking good, THANKS a million.

I am now working on the macros to turn the three devices on and off. And there I am hitting the problem with the toggle bit for the Primare SPA23 again.

In the macro I am using the red, green, yellow and blue keys, to which I moved the power commands for the three devices (and discrete off for the Apple TV), so that the remote could keep track of the toggle bit. It works fine for the Panasonic Projector and the Apple TV, but with the Primare SPA23 its hit and miss. Sometimes I have to turn it off with the green key, even having to press that one twice sometimes.

Any suggestions how I can keep the remote in sync with the Primare's state?
I have reuploaded the current RMIR file here http://www.hifi-remote.com/forums/dload ... e_id=27237

For the Primare, is there a button that would be harmless if pressed during the power macros, such as the UP or DOWN arrow buttons? If so, try including one of those before the GREEN button.

If that works and you want to know "why", so, the toggle in the RC5 executor doesn't really keep track of where the toggle is in your device, it just guarantees that it's different than the last button pressed, but if the last button received by the Primare was POWER with the toggle set to 1, if the macro ends up sending POWER with the toggle set to 1, it won't work.

Sending a meaningless button in front of the POWER button, resets the toggle.

Thanks a lot, Rob, that cleared it up for me.
I have now reworked my RMIR and RMDU files and added the OK command for the SPA23 to the macro. The macro now works reliably.
I have uploaded my updated RMDU file here http://www.hifi-remote.com/forums/dload ... e_id=27237
Your RMDU file had some Zone 2 commands in it, which I have cleaned up. Could you please look over my RMDU please and then add it to the audio section if you think it's ok.

I'm curious, why did you remove the Zone II commands? Are you saying that the SPA23 doesn't support a second zone, or are you just saying that you are not planning on setting up a zone 2?

Normally, we like the upgrade files to include all functions that the device supports, even if you don't personally need them, because the next person might want them.

There's no need for me to approve files for the file section, so you can feel free to move your file there, if you think it adds something that mine lacked. I did notice that you left the Description box blank in it, which is where we normally put the device name.

In your RMDU you had (probably auto-)mapped many Zone 2 commands to the remote buttons.
I had noticed that the mute button that I key moved to the TV device didn't work, because it was Zone 2 (the Primare shows in the display that I am muting Zone 2).
So (instead of searching for the root cause) I started 'correcting' the functions of your RMDU file, instead of changing the key mappings, which in hindsight is putting the cart before the horse.
I would suggest to map only Zone 1 commands to the buttons.
In your file the Primare AVR is listed as 'Cable'. I would suggest to list it as 'Audio' (it is an amplifier).
Maybe also good to add the link to the Primare code list in the RMDU notes field?
https://primare.net/wp-content/uploads/ ... lease-.pdf