JP1 Remotes

Hi, while I'm not new here I havn't been around for a few years as, once I had all my JP1 remotes setup as I wanted them I stopped tinkering around with them. At the time the OFA remotes available here in the UK were nowhere near as good as the ones available in the US so I bought a few URC-8811's, a URC-6131 and a URC-9910 from Rob who kindly shipped them overseas to me. These all have extenders installed and have been working fine. However, they are starting to show their age a bit, the keypads are wearing and, last but not least, I'm feeling the urge to tinker again.

However, I now find that the interface has all changed and it is no longer JP1 but JP1.2/3 and I need to make a new cable. I have a few questions to get me back up to speed with the new stuff.

Firstly, I see that the JP1 guides (JP1 for breginners etc) that I printed out the first time round are still the same now. Are they still relevant for the new interfaces or are there updated guides available (eg. JP1.2/3 for beginners).

Secondly, can I use the leaned codes from my old JP1 remotes in the new ones or do I have to learn them all again with the new remote.

The range of OFA remotes available here in the UK are much better now. I think they finally realised that we have home cinema systems as well and don't just have a TV, VCR and DVD player. I have now bought a OFA digital 12 remote (URC-7781) and am looking forward to making it sing & dance the same as I did with my original remotes.


Regards

Russell

As you have seen the newer FLASH type remotes, need a new interface. UEI stopped making the EEPROM remotes that worked with a JP1 EEPROM cable several years ago. So if you buy new remotes, you'll need a new interface. You'll also need to download a new version of IR because JP1.x remotes were not supported before IR7, and Graham has made a whole bunch of improvements that are necessary for the 7780 series of remotes.

There are not any new documents, but if you find that the documents are not up to snuff, you can always update them for the forum.

Secondly, can I use the leaned codes from my old JP1 remotes in the new ones or do I have to learn them all again with the new remote.

You can take a learned key and move it to another remote.

RussellS wrote:I now find that the interface has all changed and it is no longer JP1 but JP1.2/3 and I need to make a new cable.

I strongly recommend buying a JP1.2/3 cable from Tommy Tyler (see Market Place forum) rather than making one yourself. He ships things to the UK and you get them in just a few days. For the URC-7781 you will also need the adaptor he sells for use with remotes that have restricted access for the 6-pin connector. A standard IDC connector is too big to fit into the URC-7781.

RussellS wrote:I have now bought a OFA digital 12 remote (URC-7781) and am looking forward to making it sing & dance the same as I did with my original remotes.

Then I trust you have found my extenders for it - see this thread. You need both Extender A2 and Extender A1, as A2 is installed as an upgrade to A1. Just shout if you have problems with them!
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Graham

RussellS wrote:Secondly, can I use the leaned codes from my old JP1 remotes in the new ones or do I have to learn them all again with the new remote.

I've only just noticed that sentence. What on earth do you want to use learned codes for? The JP1 tools have everything you need to be able to identify the codes and install them as key moves, or to create a new device upgrade that has then included. Far more reliable, takes much less memory, and if you're in this game for the tinkering, it's good tinkering! Again, shout if you need help!
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Graham

What on earth do you want to use learned codes for? The JP1 tools have everything you need to be able to identify the codes and install them as key moves, or to create a new device upgrade that has then included. Far more reliable, takes much less memory, and if you're in this game for the tinkering, it's good tinkering! Again, shout if you need help!

As someone who was terrified of upgrades and extenders for my first 6 years of JP1ing, I can totally understand why RussellS wants to use learning. Useing Learned keys allows you to preserve keymove space for your macros. Its a bad practice for sure. Device upgrades are so much more compact. Device upgrades will work for RC5 type signals that need to toggle between key presses, where learned signals will not toggle.

I use learned keys quite often in my protocol studies. So its nice to know that you can move them from one remote to another, but mathdon (Graham) is right, you should be using upgrades when at all possible.

Thanks all for the replies. Don't worry, I will be using the extender as I did for the URC-8810 & URC-8811 remotes from before.

I've only just noticed that sentence. What on earth do you want to use learned codes for? The JP1 tools have everything you need to be able to identify the codes and install them as key moves, or to create a new device upgrade that has then included. Far more reliable, takes much less memory, and if you're in this game for the tinkering, it's good tinkering! Again, shout if you need help!

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but if you don't have the required code for one of your standard remote functions, didn't you have to learn it first so that you could then incorporate it into the device upgrade. Obviously this is only for codes that are not already available as an upgrade. I didn't mean useing learned codes as they are as I remember that they used up a lot of the EEPROM space (on the old JP1 remotes).

I strongly recommend buying a JP1.2/3 cable from Tommy Tyler (see Market Place forum) rather than making one yourself. He ships things to the UK and you get them in just a few days. For the URC-7781 you will also need the adaptor he sells for use with remotes that have restricted access for the 6-pin connector. A standard IDC connector is too big to fit into the URC-7781.

The restricted access for the 6-pin connector is not a problem as I overcame this 6 years ago when I made my first JP1 interface cable, so I shall use the same procedure again. I shall attempt to make the serial JP1.2 cable from Tommy's documents and if that doesn't work then I shall consider buying one of tommy's ready made ones. I am an electronics engineer so shouldn't have any problems making it and I have hopefully got the required bits lying around at home.

It's the sense of satisfaction when you build something yourself and then you finally turn it on and, hopefully, it bursts into life. Anyway, we'll see. It will either work or it won't, either way I won't have spent any money on it.


Thanks again for your replies, I'm sure I'll have many questions once I get going.

Russell

RussellS wrote:I didn't mean useing learned codes as they are as I remember that they used up a lot of the EEPROM space (on the old JP1 remotes).

Sorry, I misunderstood you. Yes, you do have to learn them first (unless you have, or make (?) an IR Widget that Tommy also sells). If you have been through that on your old remotes and have already converted them into keymoves or upgrades, then of course you can use the device setup codes or EFCs from your old remote also on the new one, and won't have to go through the learning process all over again.

I didn't know you were an electronic engineer - that makes a big difference in the making/buying question! Myself, I avoid soldering things if I can possibly do so. A week or so ago I had to solder pins into a remote that only had holes for the connector, and that was bad enough!

RussellS wrote:It's the sense of satisfaction when you build something yourself and then you finally turn it on and, hopefully, it bursts into life.

I know the feeling, but I get it with a program that works as planned - which is why I've caught the JP1 bug so badly.
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Graham

Hi all,

I've now built the interface and it passes the tests fine. However, when I run IR and click "download from remote" I get a message saying that it cannot find the RDF file for my URC-7781 remote. The message actually starts "No definition file could be found for this remote (11311131), so the data cannot be interpreted for you." I have downloaded the file "RDFs for IR and RM Version 1.28.zip" and put all the RDF files into the IR folder.

Am I doing something wrong or are there other RDF files that I need to download to support my URC-7781 remote.


Regards

Russell

It's ok, I've found it.

I couldn't find the updated RDF files that were mentioned in the IR8.0 release notes. There doesn't appear to be a link to the JP1 files section from the main forum menu. I only found it by following a link in another post. Should the "File Section" not be available from the main forum index or am I being blind (or daft) and just can't see it.

Anyway, my interface is working fine and the remote is now connected to the PC.


Russell

Should the "File Section" not be available from the main forum index or am I being blind (or daft) and just can't see it

Quite blind I'm afraid. The File Section Link is at the top of every page.

Yep, your right, blind and obviously daft.


I can see it now.

Many thanks


Russell