6131 extender version 2 beta -- want to test new features?

[jsevinsk]

I added a few enhancements to the 6131 extender, which include:

* Upgrade area is 256 bytes larger

* Temporary device stack: X_DVD, X_PVR, etc temporary device keys push the previous temporary device on a stack. New X_Pop command pops the last device off of the stack and makes it the current temporary device. The stack is only one deep for now.

* Device activation feature: A state machine that handles the necessary commands to turn on and off devices.

* Input select protocol: Handles devices that don't have discrete commands for input selection, but have either one button that cycles through the inputs or an input selection menu

If you want to try it, you can get it here:

http://www.hifi-remote.com/forums/dload ... le_id=4356

Let me know what you think.

John

[unclemiltie]

can you humm me a few bars of how you made the upgrade area longer?


In general, the extenders jump into the ROM and have it do all of this heavy lifting (finding the device in ROM/EEPROM, figuring out which key was pressed, loading the data, etc) Given that the ROM is searching, and it knows where the start and end are, if you've figured out a clever way to fool it, I'm sure there are lots of us around here that would like to be able to shift stuff around. (especially on something like the URC-9960B01 that has a 4K EEPROM, most of which the extender dedicates to keymoves, macros and special protocols)


thanks

[vickyg2003]

Interesting idea, that X_POP.

I hope to dig my way up from under these tax returns, so that I can come and play with your new features real soon.

I've got a really nice routine for input selection using recursion on the long side of the LKP. Doesn't cost me anything in Upgrade memory.

I can't wait to take a look.

[jsevinsk]

can you humm me a few bars of how you made the upgrade area longer?

I just changed these lines:

Code: Select all

Asm file:
NewKeyMoveArea = 500	;1;

IR file:
AdvCodeAddr=$500..$781
UpgradeAddr=$100..$4FF

You mean it's not just that easy?

John

[Nils_Ekberg]

I just changed these lines:

Code: Select all

Asm file:
NewKeyMoveArea = 500	;1;

IR file:
AdvCodeAddr=$500..$781
UpgradeAddr=$100..$4FF

You mean it's not just that easy?

John

I didn't think that would work since the remote looks at the specific boundries for the upgrades and not beyond them so even though you added upgrade area the remote will not look beyond $3FF.

I could be wrong but that is the way I remember it without going into the ROM to see.

[unclemiltie]

Nope, not that easy.

[jsevinsk]

Oh well, that stinks. I guess I could fill up the upgrade area and see if the last one I added works.

I'm new at this, can you tell?

[ElizabethD]

8910 didn't mind this
AdvCodeAddr=$501..$739
UpgradeAddr=$100..$4FF
teamvc did it
http://www.hifi-remote.com/forums/dload ... le_id=2572
look for his posts. Oh, and make sure not to confuse the RDFs - it might still be saing x1.

X_POP has also been done in 8910 inside the extender and maybe externally as well, I can't recall at this time. We discussed here as well. Look for the latest DGG post. It stored the current device and brought it back when the light timeout expired, if I recall correctly. Problem with something I was doing is that the remote blinked on every restoration and I think it's ROM code, but not sure.

[Nils_Ekberg]

Changing these parms in the asm and RDF will not make it blow up so the only way to find the real answer is to load upgrades all the way up to the new end and see if the remote finds them.

I tried this once on a 2104 and it didn't work but each remote may be a little different.

[unclemiltie]

Changing these parms in the asm and RDF will not make it blow up so the only way to find the real answer is to load upgrades all the way up to the new end and see if the remote finds them.

I tried this once on a 2104 and it didn't work but each remote may be a little different.

yea, the remote is likely to do something weird on that upgrade that passes the boundry. It'll try to load it, and the qeustion is will it reach into the next area and get the data or will it just stop at the edge and give you an incomplete upgrade.

But I doubt that any remote (at least the ones that I've seen) will continue to search for an upgrade beyond the upper boundry. Something to think about when I have a bit more time on my hands

[Capn Trips]

Well then I wonder how teamvc did it in the 8910? (See liz's post about three above this one).

[unclemiltie]

at lunch I poked around at the 6960 and it looks like it doesn't care about the end of the upgrade block, only the beginning. So, if I get time tonight I'm going to load up a remote with lost-o-upgrades and move the start of the advance code area and see what happens.


I'm not sure that you even need to start the advance code on a 256-byte boundry since the remote looks like it looks at the EEPROM like one big continuous blob of memory.

This could be cool, especially for those remotes that have large EEPROMS like the 9960B01

[Nils_Ekberg]

Well then I wonder how teamvc did it in the 8910? (See liz's post about three above this one).

The only thing I can figure is that:

1) I am very wrong or
2) he never really filled the upgrade area or
3) some remotes act differently than the ones I worked on

[Capn Trips]

Speaking of things that make you go "Hmmmm..."

[ElizabethD]

I took teamvc ext2 empty file, and added and added and added till overflow. Removed an upgrade to put another in. Tested several. It's working, the first added, middle one and last. I zipped it all up and in zip I included the RDF that goes with it. Note that sig still says x1, annoying
I also included the empty IR file, so you guys, whoever has 8910 can compare in Notepad.
http://www.hifi-remote.com/forums/dload ... le_id=4365