JP1 Remotes

[mr_d_p_gumby]

The latest version of KM (v9.07) is available.

Changes include:

• Added support for PID 0171 as Sharp DVD (old).
  
• Added support for PID 012A as MCE, RC6-6-32 and RC6-M-32.
  
• Added support for PID 019B as Konka.
  
• Changed 00F8 SharpDVD to add Style, change main device to match DecodeIR & change pcode upgrade logic.
  
• Corrected variant 2 of 0114 RCA Combo2 to use comp device & command data; changed to use PID 01B4 for protocol upgrades.
  
• Added support for variant 2 of PID 0184 RC-5/6 Combo. (Variant 1 is not supported at this time.)
  
• Added P8/740, 6805-RC16/18 & HSC08 executors for 01C9 'hacked' Kasiekyo.
  
• Modified display of default device values to show more correct data and added error indication (red text) for device cells.
  
• Corrected formula for GetFuncDirectHexEFC2 function to compute proper EFC3 on second hex byte.
  
• Corrected error in JVC Combo protocol upgrade.
  
• Added b2/ov decodes for several more protocols.
  
• Added URC-6690 remote.
  
• Combined URC-8820 & URC-10820; added URC-6820; updated phantom & Lx buttons to match latest RDF.
  
• Corrected button numbers for DRC400 to match DRC400 Motorola RDF.
  
• Update DigitMap entries 363-364.

_________________
Mike England

• JP1 Group at Yahoo!, JP1 Files Area

[fpreston]

mr_d_p_gumby

Is there any way to get on an update notification list?

I'm glad you added the URC-6690. I was interested in trying one out and was disappointed that it had not yet been implemented (in the prior release).

Thanks greatly for doing it for us. (Unfortunately, this stuff is rather fun, and I find myself searching for new ways to use the JP1 remote capability. It can be a real time distraction. My URC-8820s now control my video projector, the DirecTIVO, the Dishnet receiver, the home entertainment amp, the VCR, the DVD recorder, my other TV, another DVD player, an additional DVD recorder, and even the Lasko fan. If I ever get an IR543, X10 is also ready to go. I know, 11 devices on one 8-device remote is pushing it a little).

Fred Preston

PS: I'd still like to know the process you go through to update KM (if it isn't too difficult to explain. I couldn't find any direct way to input RDF files into KM). I've worked with hex codes, byte manipulations, and machine programming a good part of the last 30 years, but I'm sure I am way behind you at least in this arena. I haven't done much with Excel macros and VB, however. (I may be a little rusty, too). I am curious, anyway. At least know that us users really appreciate what you are doing.

[The Robman]

[Mark Pierson]

[The Robman]

[fpreston]

So how are the hidden sheets accessed? Through the VB Editor (under Macros)? (I see extra sheets this way, but don't seem to be able to view the contents of all sheets). I must admit that I am fairly lost. I used to think I was pretty good with Excel, but I am ashamed of my ineptness looking at this.

It seems unlikely that I would be able to become even a novice at this, but I am still interested in learning what I can. I do realize that you have very limited time to provide much assistance, however. Did anyone ever try to document this process or functional layout?

Fred

[The Robman]

Format > Sheet > Unhide (then select the hidden sheet name)

KM was never designed to be updated by the masses, so I don't think we wrote up too much. I created it and maintained it up to version 5.19 which is when Mark took over. Somewhere along the line (I don't recall when) Mike jumped in and is now the co-maintainer of it with Mark. So, there's only really 3 people that know anything about it.
_________________
Rob
www.hifi-remote.com
Please don't PM me with remote questions, post them in the forums so all the experts can help!

[mr_d_p_gumby]

[pH7_jp1]

As you try to understand what is going on there are several "advanced" techniques. You will think that cells are blank, but you will find instead that the font color and background color are both set to white. Most (if not all) of the pull down lists are done with "Validation" a non-obvious thing that I hadn't seen until I looked at KM. Most formulas are done as "Named" formulas, so that the definition appears in only one place not in a bunch of cells.

After looking at KM, I realized that so much more could be done with Excel than I ever realized. I used several of the techniques in a fairly sophisticated spreadsheet "application" at work. It was nothing near as advanced as KM though.

[Mark Pierson]

[The Robman]

Just FYI, when I started KM, I knew next to nothing about using Excel. I had seen a spreadsheet detailing some Sony DSP signals that used formulae to convert binary to decimal, so that's how I discovered the BIN2DEC family of functions.

In the very early days of JP1, we had to format the upgrades by hand as there were no tools yet, so I had the idea to use a spreadsheet to do the job for me. That idea lead to a very simple spreadsheet that would format upgrades for the VCR mode in the 15-1994 remote. The first version of KM would format upgrades for three remotes: the 15-1994, the URC-7800 "Cinema 7" and the ReplayTV OEM remote. And when you saved an upgrade, you had to save the entire spreadsheet.

Bit by bit (no pun intended), I would discover new features in Excel, and I would find a way to use them in KM. For example, I saw a spreadsheet at work where you could use drop downs to filter the data, so I wondered what other things could be done with drop downs and my investigations lead to "validation", so I used that to add drop downs to KM. Previously, you had had to enter the number of your remote (eg, 1=15-1994, 2=URC-7800, 3=ReplayTV, etc).

I never did bother to figure out the whole "macros" thing, so a fella called Don Miller added the original macros that we use to load and save files.

But if you stop to think about everything that KM does, it's pretty amazing to think that it's just a spreadsheet. After all, it needs to know the button layout of every remote that it supports, it needs to know which executors are built-in to each remote, and when there are different versions of the executor out there, it needs to know which version is in each remote. It needs to know the OBC-2-EFC formula for every supported protocol and the structure of the device code and command code bytes (ie, LSB, MSB, how many bytes, etc). It needs to know what digitmap tables are loaded into each remote, to help keep the upgrades smaller. It needs to know what format of keymoves are used in each remote.
_________________
Rob
www.hifi-remote.com
Please don't PM me with remote questions, post them in the forums so all the experts can help!

[fpreston]

So, what you are saying is that when Mike realizes what he wasn't thinking when he took over KM upgrades (and drops the hot potato), and it has been a "few" revisions since Mark or Rob looked at KM, we may be in B-I-G trouble! (Mike, I hope you are not old and forgetful like me).

Well, here's hoping you guys are glutons for punishment and don't get pissed off by the tiresome questions from us peon users. My hat is off to you "givers of your time" (not that I wear a hat anyway).

I just wish I could be more helpful to "the jp1 community" than just being a nag to you experts. (I also can't help but desire to know how things work. By the way, if anybody cares, I am an aerospace electrical engineer (34 years). I started with infrared analysis and fiber optics, radar cross-section and material RF measurements, progressed through avionics install design, and now do EMI work on helicopters. Now I'm back to asking about infrared. Go figure).

Thanks guys.

Fred

PS: Rob, there aren't adequate words to describe your Excel accomplishment, but WOW, anyway (even if it might be hiding some junk code behind all those hidden pages. After all it works, and works very well).

PSS: FYI. I started with spreadsheet programs before Lotus 123 came out and before the IBM PC. Yeah, that's pretty old alright. I guess I'm a slow learner to be still asking dumb questions.

[The Robman]

[Mark Pierson]

[mr_d_p_gumby]