JP1 Remotes

A number of years ago, I was very active on this forum and developed and used an extensive JP1 system that included a number of JP1 programmable remotes.

And then, the stuff hit the fan... cancer, chemo, computers without parallel or serial ports, memory issues due to chemo, general "CRS" (Can't Remember $#!^) and other age related issues.

I've limped along for almost a decade with what I created back then, but my One For All remotes are all at the end of their lives and I only have two left.

I have restarted the software that I was so familiar with "back then" and loaded definition files but a lot of it is no longer familiar.

So, long start, short questions;

• Is JP1 (the physical connector) still a viable option with a future?
  
  If so, what vendors currently offer JP1 compatible remotes?
  
  Are the extensive protocol libraries here usable outside of JP1? (I know that most programmable remotes such as Harmony can't compare at all well with the protocols available here)
  
  What programmable remotes are currently the best options?

Thanks for your patience with my dilemma.

Beverly Howard

Hi Bev, welcome back! Since you were last here, UEI has started making remotes that come with a USB connector instead of a JP1 connector, so you don't even need a JP1 cable anymore.

The most fancy one of the new remotes is the Nevo C2, which can be had on ebay for under $20:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/221755585578

A more simple 4-device remote, which is pretty cool, is the OARUSB04G, which can be had for under $8:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/332191762229

Thanks for the quick response Rob... (I'm surprised you remembered me ;-)

the OARUSB04G

Does this unit have JP1 or a usb connection option? The ebay link refers to a cable and another review stated;

"Because this remote works as a USB storage device that stores a binary configuration file, no JP1 cable is needed (my older remotes were configured with a "legacy" parallel port). Kudos to URC, USB is a huge plus and I have found this works effortlessly with RMIR (w/ Windows anyways)."

...however, I could not find any specific connection info.

If so, and if I can get back up to speed with the software, the OARUSB04G would probably be the easiest way to restart.

I _think_ I was using KM (Excel based?) and then exported the files to a program that would transmit the keys to the remote. Is this still the same?

I'm currently digging to see if I can find the old installations and keydef files.

Thanks again for the response,
Beverly

Again Welcome back Mr Howard.

For the new remotes you are going to need to use RMIR. So one more thing that will be new.

Good Luck, remember we are here to help.

>> RMIR <<

Thanks... just downloaded the latest RMIR build zip and looked inside... I'm not sure my grey cells are up to the task any more, but I will try to dive in later tonight.

Will report back.. and, of course it will take a few days to get the OARUSB04G remote.

Thanks,
Beverly Howard

bevhoward wrote: I _think_ I was using KM (Excel based?) and then exported the files to a program that would transmit the keys to the remote. Is this still the same?

RemoteMaster (RM) is the replacement for KM and is included with RMIR.

vickyg2003 wrote: RemoteMaster (RM) is the replacement for KM and is included with RMIR.

I would state this a little differently:
RM is the part of RMIR that is used to edit and manipulate device upgrades, which was previously done in KM. RM and RMIR are not separate programs.

.rmdu files contain Remote Master Device Upgrades, similar to the old KM .txt files but with much more information

.rmir files are equivalent to the old .ir files used the IR.exe, but with much more information. They contain the entire remote configuration, including any device upgrades.

Thanks everyone.

I have installed RMIR

I'm guessing that the files associated with KM and IR.exe are not going to be usable or importable. (I ask because they represent a lot of work)

.rmdu files contain Remote Master Device Upgrades, similar to the old KM .txt files but with much more information

.rmir files are equivalent to the old .ir files used the IR.exe, but with much more information. They contain the entire remote configuration, including any device upgrades.

I found a backup of my old IR work files. The file extensions include;

• .ir
  .lrn
  .rdf
  .rmdu
  .txt

Again, I am guessing that their primary value will be to point to current RMIR filenames in the library here. For example, I have a couple of devices (a Philips TV and a Sony multifunction device) where I had to combine multiple files plus LRN input to generate solutions that were not available.

Thanks again,
Beverly Howard

.rmdu

To expand, I think the .rmdu files that I have backed up were files that were part of an early version of RMIR but I was never able to get familiar with that old version.

Beverly Howard

RMIR can read .ir files and .txt files

It also reads .rdf files, but those come bundled with RMIR, so I wouldn't use the ones you have saved.

BTW .rdf are Remote Definition Files, that provide details to RMIR about how each remote works.

-- Greg
Original RemoteMaster developer

Thank you very much. Makes sense, but I still have a way to go.

I found the OARUSB04G entry in RM, and I am currently trying to figure out how to enter the device and button codes to create a layout for the remote.

No hurry... I need to bash my head against the software a few times and maybe it will come back ;-)

The physical OARUSB04G remote is not here anyway.

Thanks again,
Beverly Howard

http://www.hifi-remote.com/wiki/index.p ... IR_Version

Thanks... I am going through that file and others such as;

http://www.hifi-remote.com/wiki/index.p ... ter_Manual
and the Readme.html included with the download.

Bits and pieces are coming back as I go through the manuals and tinker.

At this point, I don't know (remember) enough to ask reasonable questions. The most difficult part is trying to remember, find and apply the terminology such as "upgrades"

My learning curve is slow, but once I re-grasp the software "philosophy" (which has not yet happened) things will fall into place.

Thanks for your continued support,
Beverly Howard

Bev, both of the remotes that I posted are USB remotes, that's why I posted them.

As others have said, RMIR and RM are different functions of the same program. RM can be used separately as a stand alone program, and as such is a replacement to KM. RMIR itself replaces IR.exe, but one of the differences is, when you look at a device upgrade in RMIR, you can double click on it and an RM panel will open.

If you have lots of saved upgrades that you created using KM, you can easily open them using RM where you can switch the remote from your old JP1 remote to your new USB JP1 remote, and then do any button remapping that you may need.

You can also open your old .ir files using RMIR if you need to remind yourself how you had things like macros, etc set up, but we don't have a way to convert an IR/RMIR file from one remote to another, so you would need to start from scratch with the new remote.

>> you can easily open them using RM <<

Thanks Rob, great information.

Beverly