USB-UIRT Forum

by **tskelc** » Sun May 18, 2003 3:15 am

First let me say I love this gadget.

I'm having a small problem. I had a girder group built for winamp that I was able to hold down the ffwd or rrwd button and send a series of commands to winamp as long as the button was held down. I was using a serial IR device. The one issue with this when I built it was that the first IR code received was always the unique one. The second code I would get from the remote was a code, but it was always the same 'repeating' code regardless of which button was being held down. I always assumed that this second code was not 'fully formed'. I built some lua logic assigned to the 'repeating' code to remember which unique button was last used (ffwd or rrwd) and everything worked great.

When I switched to the USB-UIRT I'm seeing a first unique code, but no repeating code. The LED is flashing so I know something is being transmitted but it's not showing up in logging.

I tried playing with the settings some but wasn't able to figure it out yet. Any suggestions would be welcome. If the code wasn't fully formed, I may have been exploiting a bug in the other device, so this may not even be a real problem with the USB-UIRT.

thanks,
tskelc

by **jrhees** » Sun May 18, 2003 4:13 am

[ Hey - we're up to 400 posts! ]

Whether or not this is to be considered a 'bug' (in either device) is up to interpretation.

The remote you're using is using a somewhat common protocol in which the 'unique' IR code is only sent out when the button is first pressed. The code is 16-24 bits long and has all the information to tell the equipment what to do. With this particular protocol, a 'repeat' code is then sent out repeatedly for the duration of the button being held. The repeat code is indeed the same for all buttons on the remote, and is very short -- only a few bits. There are advantages and disadvantages to this type of protocol for equipment manufacturers. The main advantage is that it avoids unintended 'double-keying' of a button, but a major disadvantage is that if the remote is not properly aimed at the equipment when the button is first pressed, the action will never take place.

The USB-UIRT is currently designed to discard these 'repeat' codes. However, with enough thought this could be changed in future firmware. Off the top of my head I can think of two approaches:

1. Have an option to make this behave like your old receiver -- simply passing the 'repeat' code up as another code.
2. Adding enough intelligence that when the 'repeat' code is seen immediatly after a code, the unique code is sent to Girder repeatedly.

I wo0uld appreciate any other's views on this issue!

-Jon

by **j2demelo** » Sat Aug 23, 2003 5:28 am

I'd like to vote for option #2

.

by **choco140** » Sun Aug 31, 2003 1:57 pm

How disappointed I was when I discovered that a button could not be hold with the USB UIRT. It simply passes the code to Girder only once.
Everything was so perfect, it’s such a pity, that’s an essential thing for me. After all, pushing volume up or down ten or twenty times to reduce volume is a little bit annoying... :evil:

Any chance, that problem could be solved?

by **jrhees** » Mon Sep 01, 2003 3:28 am

choco140,

Are you using a programmable remote cotrol for your Vol Up/Down? I know this is a stop-gap solution, but until such thing is supported by the USB-UIRT plugin, you can pick another brand's IR protocol which *does* repeatedly send the actual button's code out instead of a 'repeat' code -- this way you *will* get repeated events from Girder.

-Jon

by **choco140** » Mon Sep 01, 2003 6:41 am

jrhees wrote:choco140,
Are you using a programmable remote cotrol for your Vol Up/Down?
-Jon

I wish I had one, but I use an Hollywood Realmagic remote, which is, I am affraid, not programmable...

Maybe I don't understand well, but is handling repeated code that difficult to implement? I already used two different serial receivers in the past without getting this problem. Can we hope for a short term solution?

by **jrhees** » Mon Sep 01, 2003 8:06 pm

choco140,

Are you saying the other serial receivers you used, when used with this remote, would repeat the same code (Vol Up/Dn) to Girder repeatedly when you held the button down, or would they emit a single Vol Up/Dn code and then a different code repeatedly? I' curious what receiver this was??

-Jon

by **choco140** » Mon Sep 01, 2003 8:32 pm

jrhees wrote:choco140,
Are you saying the other serial receivers you used, when used with this remote, would repeat the same code (Vol Up/Dn) to Girder repeatedly when you held the button down, or would they emit a single Vol Up/Dn code and then a different code repeatedly? I' curious what receiver this was??
-Jon

Sure, the remote was sending the same code repeatedly when I held the button down.

Sorry to say that on your forum, but I was using one of your " competitors' " product : a Homeelectro Ira-2.

I changed it to your device because yours is simply better. Anyway I couldn't guess that the USB UIRT could not handle repeated code, for me that was obvious that this option was implemented.

And I have to confess that I am little dissapointed. I know that's nothing, but I still think that this little problem can quickly become a pain in the ...

That's why I was asking if a corrected/patched firmware could do the trick...

by **jrhees** » Tue Sep 02, 2003 3:20 pm

choco140,

I think you're experiencing a different problem than the one I was describing. Could you send me an IR debug of either the volume UP or volume DOWN button? To do this, use the 'IR Debug' button in the plugin dialog, and then press and hold either the Vol Up or Vol DN button just the same as if you were learning it.

Thanks!

-Jon

by **choco140** » Tue Sep 02, 2003 7:48 pm

I followed what you said and got this result when pushing and holding the volume up button...

Code: Select all: 19A2 586A 156 2C3C 057E 016 0592 0586 016 0599 0548 015 05A3 057E 016 0592 0581 016 05A1 0543 015 05A1 057E 016 0596 0581 016 108C 057E 016 10B9 0548 015 10B7 0581 016 1089 057E 016 10B9 0548 015 10B8 0581 016 1089 057E 016 10B9 0548 015 05A0 057E 016 0597 0581 016 05A0 0543 015 10BD 0581 016 059C 0548 015 10B9 057E 016 05A0 0548 015 10B6 0581 016 059F 0545 015 10B9 0586 016 1089 057E 016 0592 0581 016 108C 057B 016 0599 0583 016 1089 057E 016 0592 0581 016 108C 057E 016 FFFF 030F 5873 156 1625 0581 016 FFFF 0760 586F 156 162C 0581 016 FFFF 0760 586A 156 162A 0581 016 FFFF 0760 586A 156 162A 0581 016 FFFF 0760 586A 156 162A 0586 016 FFFF 0760 5870 156 1627 0581 016 FFFF 0760 5868 156 1629 0581 016 FFFF 0760 5868 156 1629 0581 016 FFFF 0760 586B 156 162A 0581 016 FFFF 0760 586A 156 162A 0581 016 FFFF 0760 586A 156 162A 0586 016 FFFF 0760 5867 156 1627 0586 016 FFFF 0760 586A 156 162A 0581 016 FFFF 0760 5868 156 1629 0586 016 FFFF 0760 586D 156 162A 0581 016 FFFF 0760 586F 156 1627 0586 016 FFFF 0760 5868 156 1629 0581 016 FFFF 0760 586A 156 162A 0581 016 FFFF 0760 586A 156 162A 0581 016 FFFF

Is this that bad doctor

?

by **jrhees** » Wed Sep 03, 2003 5:06 am

Hmmm. it looks like your remote is definitely sending the 'stop' code repeatedly. I'm really surprised to hear that the other receiver you used sent the original volume code repeatedly.

The USB-UIRT is intended to mimick the behavior of an IrMan, but there's no reason we can't put in an option to deviate from that (the IrMan would definitely *not* process the Stop Code).

Give me a few days and I should have some test firmware for you to try...

-Jon

by **choco140** » Wed Sep 03, 2003 6:17 am

Thank you

I am really looking forward to test that

by **jrhees** » Sat Sep 06, 2003 9:02 am

I have posted a beta version of firmware and Girder plugin which you can try.

Please find it at:

http://home.earthlink.net/~jrhees/USBUI ... t_beta.zip

Inside the .zip file you will find a program called 'UUFlash.exe' along with a support file named 'firm.sys' Place both of these files in a folder and then run 'UUFlash.exe' to upgrade the firmware on your USB-UIRT to version 5.5. MAKE SURE you have completely exited Girder first!

You will also find a new Girder plugin version 2.6.0. This new plugin has an additional option accessible via the 'Configuration' button. Under the 'Preferences' tab, CHECK the box labelled 'Pass Stop Codes as repeated events'

-Jon

by **choco140** » Sat Sep 06, 2003 11:50 am

What can I say except that I am fully satisfied, everything works great!

Thank you so much for taking time to solve this, Jon. You're the man!

I am so happy, that device simply rocks

by **eruji** » Wed Oct 22, 2003 3:48 pm

You will also find a new Girder plugin version 2.6.0. This new plugin has an additional option accessible via the 'Configuration' button. Under the 'Preferences' tab, CHECK the box labelled 'Pass Stop Codes as repeated events'

Jon,

does this property affect individual commands, or does it affect the entire recieving process. I ask because i too would like to have the ability to hold vol up instead pressing it multiple times. I believe my remote sends the repeat codes. What i dont want it to do is to send multiple commands for buttons that dont need it (basicly everything else but the vol up and down, maybe ffwd and rewind)

Also wondering if this fix has worked for anyone else with a remote that sends repeat codes.

TIA

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