Help with ExtenderCodeCalc

[nikon]

Hi all,

Yes, once again I need help, and it seems like this is where I should have put that last thread I started in beginners. Oh, well... Live and learn.

Anywho, on with my questions. I've been searching through some posts after reading about how to use ToadTogs and LDKP, and came across a post that led me to ExtenderCodeCalc, BUT there is no ReadMe or any other instructions, so that's what leads me to posting now.

Bear in mind, I am starting to understand ToadTogs, DSMs, and LDKP a lot better now that I've actually sat down and read through the readme for the extender.

Let me just ask something to make sure I have this perfectly clear. A DSM is simply how you define your device key, such as with IR, a SP of TV just defines my TV as (taken from my real configuration): P_TV;M_TV;C_TV;V_RCVR;O_TV

Is that correct?

In fact, I'm going to end this post here before going any further so that I know how to word the next part of my questions based upon the answer to that.

Thx in advance
-Nikon

[johnsfine]

Let me just ask something to make sure I have this perfectly clear. A DSM is simply how you define your device key, such as with IR, a SP of TV just defines my TV as (taken from my real configuration): P_TV;M_TV;C_TV;V_RCVR;O_TV

Is that correct?

No.

A macro on your TV key is just a macro on your TV key. The fact that this macro is intended to select a specific device does not make it a "Device Specific Macro".

A DSM is something that acts like a macro but is limited to a specific device mode. Your TV macro will trigger (assuming no overriding KeyMove) regardless of which device mode the remote was in when you press TV.

A DSM triggers only in the device mode for which it is defined.

BTW, what was "a SP of TV" a typo for?

[nikon]

No...

...A DSM triggers only in the device mode for which it is defined.

BTW, what was "a SP of TV" a typo for?

OOOOhhhh, I see nowww. TYVM for clearing that up!! That's definitely part of what had me confused. (no sarcasm intended) So I make a DSM for my TV, it's going to run for when the remote is in TV mode, and only for TV mode - non-global I guess it would be called, then, right? Gotchya - that definitely makes a lot more sense now.

So, if I'm understanding more correctly now, using ECC, I whipped up an example DSM:

Code: Select all

(with toggle power instead of discrete)
Protocol    Key          DSM Defined       Hex Cmd
TV/1103     SHIFT-TV	  TV;Power;TV/VID	01 03 13

Something like that is an actual DSM, right?

And to answer your question, lol, no.. no typo:

SP - single press; I've seen it used in some posts

I will ask the other part of my questions after your response.

-Nikon

[johnsfine]

So, if I'm understanding more correctly now, using ECC, I whipped up an example DSM:

Code: Select all

(with toggle power instead of discrete)
Protocol    Key          DSM Defined       Hex Cmd
TV/1103     SHIFT-TV	  TV;Power;TV/VID	01 03 13

Something like that is an actual DSM, right?

Something like it, but odd enough that I still worry you may be missing the point.

You didn't specify the bound device mode for that KeyMove. The "TV" in "TV/1103" is part of the setup code, not a device mode. The "TV" in "SHIFT-TV" is a key, not a device mode.

The whole SHIFT-TV DSM would only exist within that device mode. That's a strange thing to want for a device mode other than TV. But if it is for TV, then starting that DSM with a nested invokation of what I assume is a TV macro is even stranger.

[nikon]

...You didn't specify the bound device mode for that KeyMove...

Sorry about that, TV is bound device.

The "TV" in "TV/1103" is part of the setup code...

For DSM, yes, I understand that.

...not a device mode. The "TV" in "SHIFT-TV" is a key, not a device mode.

I understand that as well.

The whole SHIFT-TV DSM would only exist within that device mode. That's a strange thing to want for a device mode other than TV. But if it is for TV, then starting that DSM with a nested invokation of what I assume is a TV macro is even stranger.

Dude, you took that way too far, lol. It was purely to use as an example for trying to double-check my clarity on DSMs - believe me, this is not something I would actually want to do realistically.

See, I'm trying to take this one step at a time to make sure I'm doing things right.

Ok, moving on from DSMs (as I actually don't have any practical application for them at the moment anyway), I went ahead and used ECC to come up with a test-only ToadTog because this is actually the thing I need right now. This is another example-only snippet, but it's closer to something I could actually use, than that last example. I'd change the bound key (along with the EFC of course), and the button strokes, but the concept is something I could use.

Code: Select all

Bound Device	Bound Key	Device Type	Setup Code	Hex Cmd                 EFC	
TV		       Shift-7     VCR/DVD       1800         93 9F 95 95 95 9F 9F	 174
Button Strokes                                        Key Move
$93;Shift-0;Shift-1;Shift-1;Shift-1;Shift-0;Shift-0	9C 09 17 08 93 9F 95 95 95 9F 9F

Now, I plugged that in to my remote just for the heck of it, and it didn't do what I was hoping for. I was trying to see if it would turn on and off my TV, toggling with each run. Instead, on the 1st run, it would turn on my VCR , and on the 2nd, it would turn it off and then back on, and on the 3rd, it finally shut it off.

Can you tell me why it did that? Maybe that'll help me figure out, once and for all, how to create and use these things, correctly. Now, keep in mind, both my TV and VCR are RCA, setup codes 0047 and 0060, respectively.

Darn, and I was just getting over my confusion of how to use ToadTogs... lol. At least I have a tool to make them pretty easily now.

Thanks for all the help John.

-Nikon

[johnsfine]

What are Shift-0 and Shift-1 defined as?
I haven't checked what $93 means in ToadTog, but I assume the spreadsheet gets that right.

Before debugging a Toadtog, you should make sure the keys in the Toadtog do what you think they should, so directly test Shift-0 Shift-1 Shift-1 in TV mode to see that it does what you intend.

Don't RCA devices have decent discretes and decent toggles, so you wouldn't need ToadTog?

[nikon]

What are Shift-0 and Shift-1 defined as?

Nothing. LOL (I'll tell you why I'm laughing in a minute.)

I haven't checked what $93 means in ToadTog, but I assume the spreadsheet gets that right.

Well, using ECC, it's the hex that comes out when I use 1 as the toggle #, and selecting "TEST-Only" adds 8 to it, for 9 on the high nibble, and the 3 is for being 3 commands long for the toggle part on the low nibble - Shift-0 Shift-1 Shift-1.

Before debugging a Toadtog, you should make sure the keys in the Toadtog do what you think they should, so directly test Shift-0 Shift-1 Shift-1 in TV mode to see that it does what you intend.

As soon as I read that... well, between that, and looking over a configuration (via IR) that e24m5 (I think that was it, sorry e if I'm wrong) posted a link to in that thread in the beginners forum, something snapped in my brain, and that's why I starting laughing my head off when I read that first line that you wrote in response.

It has all become clear now, and I am one with the Toads, lol. Trying to map out the macros with toggles, now that's going to be the chore.

Don't RCA devices have decent discretes and decent toggles, so you wouldn't need ToadTog?

Well, the TV and VCR are both about 4 years old, and I've only been playing around with this URC and JP1 for about 2 weeks or so, so I haven't really focused on the TV and VCR as much as the other stuff that I was looking to get the functionality for. That's especially since the URC does pretty much what I need it to for the TV and VCR.

On a serious note, John, thank you for all of your help, and not getting too frustrated with me. I think I've got this thing licked now - it's just going to take a little experimentation, and testing, and it will continue to become clearer as time goes on.

Thanks John,
-Nikon

[e34m5]

Hey.....do you have it all figured out....

[nikon]

Yeah, have had it done and working for a few days. Tried to delv deeper to get stuff to turn off that isn't being watched while something else is, but things just started getting screwed up from there, so I had to take a step back. Oh, well... I might play around with it for a little at a later time, but ATM I'm trying to work on some other projects on Linux. (Toldya I'm a geek, lol) Heck, when I get done doing what I want to do with this remote, I'll be using it to set the mood in the home-theater room, and kick on the A/C during the summer. My a/c has a remote, but I think I'm going to have to build a device upgrade for it - it's a Kenmore, but I'm getting this feeling it uses the GE protocol. Anywho, more on that at a later date.

Thanks for the help again, e!

Later,
-Nikon