JP1 Remotes

Hey I've been searching for a tutorial on how to set up macros with no luck. Is there such a thread?

Thanks

Since you've posted this in the JP1 Beginners section, I assume you want to set up macros using IR.exe. This is pretty straight-forward. What exactly are you having problems with?

I've started with the following:

under TV: tied to TV device button
Shift Discrete ON
Shift Video 2

This turns on the TV, but sends the Video 2 before the TV is on??? Pressing TV again after fully on does send TV to video 2?

So first question, is this normal? Can I add a delay?

Next question. How do I now turn my amp on and to video 2 also. Currently all I see a TV functions.

Thanks,

jb

Since the TV and amp are different devices, that can be your delay inherently.

If you are using IR (You didn't specify anything in your post for the remote type, etc as stated in the FAQ)

So you TV device macro could be as follors

Amp
Discrete ON
TV
Discrete On
Amp
Video 2
TV
Video 2

If you order it this way, the remote will be in TV mode at the end of the macro rather than in the amp mode. If also gives you a slight pause so the TV can turn on before the TV/Video 2 is sent. If you have a cable or satellite box, you need to insert the commands to turn on the box and finish with the satellite/cable box as the last device in your macro so you are not pressing "Sat" or "Cbl" manually to set those mode.

If you aren't using IR, you can still program the macro, to switch devices, you just press the device keys as if you were doing the macro by hand.

OK so I'm probably being dense here, but I'm not getting this to work.

My current question are just to make sure I don't have some basic concept wrong.

When Choosing a function like discrete on that is listed as a shift function, do I need to list to look like this:

Amp
Shift Descrete On
TV
Shift Discrete On
Amp
Shift 2 (video 2)
TV
Shift 2 (also video 2)

Thanks,

jb

When Choosing a function like discrete on that is listed as a shift function, do I need to list to look like this:

Amp
Shift Descrete On
TV
Shift Discrete On
Amp
Shift 2 (video 2)
TV
Shift 2 (also video 2)

Pretty much correct, the only question is going to be how soon after a power on for your device is it able to respond to the next command and then tailoring the delays until it is ready.

One thing to look out for, long delays often get you to the point where others who use the remote that don't understand that a macro is running will put it down or point it away an the macro may work very well but the devices just don't "work right"

BTW, if you want longer pauses there is a pause protocol in some of the extenders that are out there that allow you to put a fixed-length pause in the stream. I've never had to resort to using pause, but it is there if you want to bite off using an extender at this point.

Not even to the point where I can test the delay between TV turning on and switching to Vid 2, so not worried about adding pauses or long macros, yet. I was more worried about getting the amp and tv turned on when pressing TV.

Once I get both devices turned on then I'll worry about making sure the devices is on the right input.

So I am using the Shift Discrete on for both tv and amp and nothing is working. Does the RadioShack 15-2116 not allow macro to be tied to the dev key without an extender?

I'm trying to figure out why the macro is not doing anything.

Thanks,

jb

In cases like this, the easiest thing to do is to upload your faulty IR file to the diagnosis area and post a link to in here, describing what you are trying to do, and what is really happening.

First, a curiosity question, why are you using the shifted version of "discrete on"? The "discrete on" button is a phantom button, so I can't see why you would need to shift it. I ask because I think your answer may reveal some mis-understanding on your part which we can help with.

If I understand you correctly, the first problem that you are having is that your TV macro DOES switch the TV on, but it DOESN'T select video2. This is most likely because the TV is still warming up and is not ready to respond to any more IR signals yet.

Here's a quick and easy way to test that. Let's use the "Zenith Pause Trick" to add a delay to the TV macro.

To do this you need to program a keymove to the RECORD button in TV mode and the keymove needs to use the VCR/0039 setup code. It doesn't matter what EFC you enter. You can now use the TV-RECORD button as a "delay". Then, program your macro like this...

TV
Discrete On
Record
Video 2

Let us know if this works.

As for your amplifier, try turning the unit off then sending the Amp's video2 signal. In alot of cases, the discrete input codes also act as discrete on codes with amps and receivers.

All,

I still have a long way to understanding all this, but I do very much appriciate everyones help.

I now have managed to turn my TV on and switch to vid 2. Since I was at work while I was asking my questions earlier I only scratched the surface of my real question.

When I select a bound key that switches the key that kicks off the macro. In my case the TV key. Now I can see the TV functions in available keys, but not that audio keys. The DiscreteON listed is for the TV, how do I get the DiscreteON for the audio listed?

I'm hoping that someone will see something obvious I'm missing and trigger a light to go on in my head, so I can actually get down to business of programming my remote to do what I want it to do!

Assuming we're not talking about using an extender.

A macro is just a sequence of keys. Each key uses the active device at that moment in time.

You can include device keys in your macros. The device key will change the active device, so that subsequent key presses will come from that new device.

If I remember correctly, for the 2116/2117, a device key pressed inside a macro does not trigger any macro that may be assigned to that key; it only sets the active device. I also think, with less confidence, that macros assigned to device keys implicitly set the active device at the beginning of the macro.

So, you could have the macro This does the following:

1. Sets the active device to TV (implicit)
2. presses DiscreteOn
3. sets the active device to AUDIO
4. presses DiscreteOn
5. sets the active device to TV;
6. presses the Rec key (for a long pause)
7. presses Shift-2 (switch TV to Video 2)
8. sets the active device to AUDIO
9. presses Shift-2 (switch Amp to Video 2)
10. sets the active device to TV (which I assumed was desired ending state).

Note that you could save four steps in the macro by assigning the AUDIO:DiscreteON and AUDIO:Shift-2 keymoves to keys in TV mode.
It won't cost you any keymove memory, cause those keys can only be assigned functions using keymoves anyway.

OK OK I've uploaded. https://www.hifi-remote.com/forums/dload ... le_id=3675

The macro is bound to the CBL key now. As I understand how this works a little better I can see me clicking TV to switch inputs and the macro running when I don't want it to, which is why I switched it to CBL.

Anyway current problem is nothing turns on. All of the discrete on are not correct? or I'm doing something else wrong?

Thanks,

jb

jborn wrote:Anyway current problem is nothing turns on. All of the discrete on are not correct? or I'm doing something else wrong?

Let's take a step back, have you actually verified that all of the discrete codes in question work? To do this, assign the code to a real button and then test it using the remote.

Ahh... a picture is worth a thousand e-mail exchanges (and fishing for information).

Your macro calls upon Discrete ON functions for each of the TV, CBL, and AUDIO devices. Yet you have NO FUNCTIONS defined for those Discrete ON imaginary (or phantom) buttons.

You must assign the desired functions (Discrete ON functions, presumably) via Keymoves to the respective TV/DiscreteON, CBL/DiscreteON, and AUDIO/DiscreteON "buttons".

You have SOMETHING assigned to TV/SHIFT-DiscreteON (which I presume is your TV's Discrete ON functions) but that is NOT the same as the TV/DiscreteON "button".

I would wager that the Video 2 input gets properly selected by this macro IF the TV is already on, right?

But Rob's point above is correct. Your IR file seems to have NO Discrete Power functions for your CBL or AUDIO devices. Do you have such codes? Have you tested them separately? (assign them to a REAL button and test them to see if they work.)

Only then ought you assign them to phantom (DiscreteON) buttons and try using them in macros.

P.S. The DiscreteON and DiscreteOFF "buttons" are virtual buttons in that they do not physically exist on the remote. There are OTHER such virtual buttons, called Phantom buttons. The fact that these two are CALLED DiscreteON and DiscreteOFF is only an arbitrary choice. The various Phantom buttons (1 through 5) behave EXACTLY the same - you can assign functions to them (via Keymove only) and use them in macros.