Need Help Scientific Atlanta ER1

mjlee · Post by **mjlee** » Thu Feb 10, 2005 10:31 pm

Hi all, I am new to jp1. I've managed to find and download device files for the two components I'm trying to control - Sony STR-DE597 Receiver and the Panasonic Industrial Plasma PWD7UY. I've uploaded the necessary upgrade codes and protocol codes using IR into the remote. The remote only has device keys labeled cbl, tv, and vcr. Therefore I made the receiver's upgrade code with the device vcr. Everything worked beautifully in terms of upgrading the remote. The manual only lists TV and CBL as the devices for vpt but I was able to set vpt to VCR through IR. The remote has this quirk where the device keys are also the power key for that device. Here's what works: vpt works and controls the receiver's volume and mute; the device keys each powers on its corresponding device. Here's what's not: the device keys appear to only power on/off the device and does not switch the remote over to that mode - meaning that none of the other buttons that I programmed for TV or VCR works. The reason I think that it is because the remote doesn't switch modes as opposed to the programmed codes being the problem is that the keys control the cable box even after pressing the TV or VCR device key. I noticed from the manual that this remotes default codes are 3 digits. The codes I've programmed have 4 digits. I'm going to try changing it to see if that works but I was wondering if people on here have any experience with this remote or any other that have the device keys as the power key for that device and how these have to be programmed so that they switch modes and power on the device as well. The other thing I've thought about was to not assign any function to the device keys and see if that works.

Long post.

Any advice or pointers will be appreciated.

Nils_Ekberg · Post by **Nils_Ekberg** » Fri Feb 11, 2005 7:36 am

If I remember correctly these remotes have a lock and unlock feature so you can take control over all the functions.

The default is that the cable is the primary and everything else is secondary. The control is on the General tab of IR under Other settings. Experiment with those settings

mjlee · Post by **mjlee** » Fri Feb 11, 2005 8:58 am

In the General tab under Other Settings, the only lock I see is regarding the Cable setup code. This lock is so that you can't change the setup code for the cable box. I've tried turning this off by 996 and it did not solve my problem.

I'm going to try the two guesses that I listed in the original posting but it is slow going because my home computer does not have a parallel port. Who would've thought you'd need that port ever again, eh?

I'm making the changes elsewhere and then I have to test when I get home.

mjlee · Post by **mjlee** » Fri Feb 11, 2005 9:02 am

One more guess - maybe if I upload the device upgrades and then use the remote to change to the new upgrade codes instead of setting the codes through IR.

This would go a lot faster if I had a parallel port on my computer. As it is, trying out one hypothesis is taking a day.

Nils_Ekberg · Post by **Nils_Ekberg** » Fri Feb 11, 2005 9:05 am

mjlee wrote:One more guess - maybe if I upload the device upgrades and then use the remote to change to the new upgrade codes instead of setting the codes through IR.

This would go a lot faster if I had a parallel port on my computer. As it is, trying out one hypothesis is taking a day.

Worth a try...

It may be worth your while to buy or make a USB interface and solve your 1 day turnaround problem.

mjlee · Post by **mjlee** » Fri Feb 11, 2005 9:18 am

I thought about that but I'm trying to do this as cheaply as possible. It is frustrating but not enough to expend further funds on.

mr_d_p_gumby · Post by **mr_d_p_gumby** » Fri Feb 11, 2005 12:05 pm

One of the most frustrating aspects of this remote is that it insists on using the CBL device for almost all buttons, regardless of which device button is active, and there is no practical way to override this behavior. In TV mode, the only button that operates the TV is TV. If you can manage to enter a shift (by simultaneously pressing Select and the device button), then the digits and channel functions can be accessed, but it is very awkward to do. In VCR mode, again, the only button that operates the VCR is VCR. The transport buttons can be switched between the CBL device and the VCR device with a slide switch. There is no way to override the slide switch.

Also, this remote will not execute keymoves, even if you create them in IR, and macros will only execute on the A, B & C buttons. All things considered (your sanity included), you might want to visit RobMart and pick up a URC-8810 for cheap...

mjlee · Post by **mjlee** » Fri Feb 11, 2005 12:59 pm

When I did the original research on this remote, I found out about the no keymove limitation and that was acceptable to me. I already have this remote because it came with the cable box and I figured I'd try out this jp1 thing to see if I could get it to do the few things I wanted with the other components. I've got some things working and it's frustrating because I'm so close to getting it to what I need it to do. I've looked at other universal remotes and other than the expensive ones, I don't particularly care for the look or the size of them. 15-2116 for instance looks okay but it should be about 50% smaller. None of the OFA ones look very good to me. This one that came with the cable box I got for free so even though it doesn't look that great either, I already have it.

It's surprising that you need to press both select and the device button to switch the mode. There is no such instruction in the remote's manual. It just tells you how to program the codes and says that you only need to press the device key to control the particular device. I wonder if the codes already programmed into the remote allows this dual power/device selection function on the device button? I'll have to put that on the list of diagnostic steps to try - try assigning a code stored in the remote and seeing if that works the other buttons for that device. My parents have a JVC tv that I could experiment on.

mr_d_p_gumby · Post by **mr_d_p_gumby** » Fri Feb 11, 2005 2:44 pm

mjlee wrote:None of the OFA ones look very good to me. This one that came with the cable box I got for free so even though it doesn't look that great either, I already have it.

Well, if you can make this remote work for you, that's great. But it does have many more limitations than is normal for a JP1 remote, so don't judge OFA remotes in general based on the ER1 alone. You might check and see if your cable company has either of the Atlas series remotes; many people seem to like them.

mjlee wrote:It's surprising that you need to press both select and the device button to switch the mode. There is no such instruction in the remote's manual.

The "shift" operations are not documented because they are just not practical to use on this remote. In a normal JP1 remote, pressing the Setup button will shift the next button pressed. This remote requires both the device button and Select button to be pressed to simulate the normal Setup button, and you have to do it without sending a power on/off command in the process. Please note that this does not "shift the mode", but rather it only shifts the next button pressed. For example, to change to channel 56 on the VCR, you'd have to do the following:

Press Select and VCR together
Press 5
Press Select and VCR together
Press 6

This works because of what we call "shift-cloaking". When the remote does not find a keymove on the shifted buttons (because no keymoves are allowed in this remote), it sends the command assigned to the unshifted button. It bypasses the locked-to-cable nature of most buttons probably because UEI didn't think anyone would try to use it this way.

mjlee wrote:I wonder if the codes already programmed into the remote allows this dual power/device selection function on the device button?

It works the same on built-in setup codes and upgrades.

mjlee · Post by **mjlee** » Fri Feb 11, 2005 3:09 pm

It's beginning to look like I'm not going to be able to get this remote to do what I need it to do...

I was referring to the physical look or design of the ofa and others (at least the cheap ones) not of the function. Of the RS and OFA remotes, I prefer the 15-2116's looks the best but as I said, wish it was 50% smaller. That is one big remote.

It seems strange to me that they state in the manual that the remote can control a tv and a vcr when the remote has locked to cable on almost all the buttons.

Nils_Ekberg · Post by **Nils_Ekberg** » Fri Feb 11, 2005 3:31 pm

mjlee wrote:It seems strange to me that they state in the manual that the remote can control a TV and a VCR when the remote has locked to cable on almost all the buttons.

I have run into that a number of times when what they really mean is it can be used to power the TV, VCR, etc on and off. This is typical of Cable and Satellite remotes

I have also run into a few that did exactly what they said it would do including supporting most of the functions on the TV, VCR, Etc. but the were just not jp1able. These are generally TV and DVD remotes.

mr_d_p_gumby · Post by **mr_d_p_gumby** » Fri Feb 11, 2005 4:52 pm

Nils_Ekberg wrote:
mjlee wrote:It seems strange to me that they state in the manual that the remote can control a TV and a VCR when the remote has locked to cable on almost all the buttons.
I have run into that a number of times when what they really mean is it can be used to power the TV, VCR, etc on and off. This is typical of Cable and Satellite remotes

In the case of the ER1, it means power & volume (via punch-thru) only. It's a very cable-centric remote, which I think is more because it is an OEM remote (for S/A) rather than because it is a cable remote. Perhaps S/A really ticked off UEI at the time...

mjlee · Post by **mjlee** » Sat Feb 12, 2005 12:27 am

Hey Nils and Mike, thanks for the help. I've tested two of the three guesses and they do not work. The only one left is to not assign a power function to the device keys in the device upgrades. I think though from what you guys have said that that will not work either.

One thing I've found is that the tv/vcr key is available to either the tv or vcr devices and I'm guessing that as long as the vcr or vod switch is in vcr, the transport buttons should be available in vcr mode. Since I only need very minimal functionality, I'm going to assign the tv/vcr key to the tv device. This will give me a whole two buttons for the tv which I'll use for power and input. With the vcr - which is my receiver, I will map the functions I need to the transport buttons. With the vpt set to vcr this should give me enough buttons for the functions I need. This should work unless for some reason the transport buttons are locked to only the default play, ff, rw type functions.

The other thing I thought about for some time in the future if I have time would be to create some kind of combined device set to the cbl mode. Any limitations to this option with this remote?

This is frustrating but fun.

Theta Sigma · Post by **Theta Sigma** » Sun Aug 07, 2005 1:01 pm

mjlee wrote:This is frustrating but fun.

LOL.

I nearly killed myself trying to get this remote to work a few years back with an Apex DVD player to no avail. At the time, I only spoke to Rob about my problem. Too bad I didn't speak to you guys.

I have a bunch of these in a box somewhere, and whenever I thought about tossing them I said "They're JP1 remotes! Someone will figure them out!"

I'm guessing it's time to toss them.