iRule - Page 5

Well, maybe you're right. And I must say I haven't ruled out iRule at all. It still looks very interesting.
I don't like the suggestion of 'it's just 50 bucks'. That's quite a lot for an app anyway, there are alternatives available that are cheaper, and some of those do have a link to the desktop. (I'm not saying developers shouldn't get paid, I buy apps quite often and I like the fact that I can help support their work- but just to put things in perspective) I wasn't raised to throw away any money, no matter what amount. So I have to be convinced of its value.

Totally fair point. There are cheap apps out there. I think my point of view is relative to the astronomical cost of almost anything relating to home control and AV. In comparison, $50 to get it all talking is cheap!

But money is money. I look at it as a small donation to get a product built. To be frank, I do not believe that iRule is production software yet. Many of us look upon it as an opportunity to participate in a product being created and expect bumps along the way. I do hope that at some point the major feature areas will be stable, the revenue will increase, and the iRule team can clean up the app, the code libraries, the images, etc.

But I support not spending money and time on that now. Get the core functionality working, then clean it up. My support? A few posts, lots of hours and my $50!

Not to my knowledge, and IMO unlikely to ever appear. Yes, there are "software defined radios" that can be programmed to transmit or receive anywhere within a range of frequencies and using a variety of modulation methods. And there are scanners that can tune automatically to the strongest signal they receive (using SDR technologies).

However, these products depend on commonality. If you're looking for the nearest, strongest public-service signal (that policeman standing on the corner or the race car that's whizzing past you, you're looking for an FM signal or one of a handful of well-defined digital transmission standards.

IR learners depend on commonality as well. The industry has worked out standards which - although they vary from brand to brand in some aspects - the basic method of modulating the IR signal (simple on-off signaling) is common across all manufacturers. And, it's simple!

RF remotes have almost no commonality, though. They are usually proprietary, not based on standards, and manufacturers rarely share the details.

There are RF gateways for specific products, however. For example, you can get RF gateways for certain RF-operated locks and deadbolts, I think some window shade controllers, etc.

I think the only current solution for your RGB LED strip is going to be to replace the RF-remote controller with a DMX controller, and use an IP to DMX gateway. It's not going to be cheap. DMX is used in professional stage lighting. It's old and multi-wire. It's an expensive pain for home automation. Small production quantities drive up prices. But you can get DMX RGB controllers, and you can get IP-to-DMX gateways, so it's a possible path.

What would be better would be for the industry to settle on a single RF standard, such as WiFi or, more practical, Zigbee. WiFi typically requires too much power for these applications, and Bluetooth too little range. Zigbee is lower bandwidth than Bluetooth and so can reach further with less power.

You might lobby somebody like SmartHome to create an RGB controller for Insteon, etc.

Might want to see if somebody makes a Zigbee RGB controller, as there are Zigbee IP gateways. I'd look for IR controllers (found one!) and serial controllers as well. So, if you get an IR controller, you can combine it with an IR gateway.

I have created a lot of links and added commands. They show up both via "mouse over" and also as a plus by the link. When I click the plus it opens and the commands are listed the correct way. The problem is that the commands don't fire. Same problem with delays in links. When I press the link it immediately jumps to the target panel.

Any ideas how to cope with this?

Um. I think you missed the whole point of my post.

Anyone heard from Cubesys? He must have had a REALLY good New Year

Maybe this means v2.0 is on the horizon!

or CES

I'm very interested in the iRule - it's a terrific/empowering idea. I have some questions.

By way of background, my current setup is:
Marantz SR7005 as pre-amp (new)
Emotiva XPA-5 amp (new)
Scientific Atlanta 8300HD DVR
Panasonic BD85K Blu-ray
Sharp XV-Z10000U projector

I will also be adding a RadioRa 2 set up in my HT and elsewhere.

I've been controlling my HT setup for years with a URC MX-500 that I programmed with IR-Clone. Everything has been IR - including long emitter runs to the projector.

Of my current devices, only the projector and the Marantz have RS232 capability. I've never really needed the two-way ability with the projector. With the Marantz, however, it would probably be a nice feature to have. However, the Marantz is also a network device and can be controlled through IP. In fact, Marantz even offers a (pretty lame) iPod app to control the receiver. I've used it, but it seem terribly slow and not particularly powerful.

So, my first question is whether the iRule will support the Marantz without a gateway? Maratnz has made the IP control specs publically available. http://us.marantz.com/Products/3230.asp Even if it does, should I use the RS232 connection instead? (I'm not sure if the sluggish performance I've seen with the Marantz app has to do with the connection or the implementation or something altogether different. So, I guess I'm asking whether people with IP enabled receivers have found the IP control to be a responsive as RS232).

Speaking of performance, how have people found the overall performance of the iRule? Is it slower than a direct IR interface?

Assuming that my devices are in the iRule library, will the default UI automatically recognize them and assign the codes to the buttons or do I need to do that manually? Lastly, are people sharing their system set-ups and if so, where?

Thanks!

I figured out the gestures, and they work simply awesome, i absolutely love them!

But, it is all just testing. I now wish to create a panel that has just one section of the page accepting gestures, much like a trackpad on a laptop.

I was successfuly able to create a panel, and add a blank page to that panel for the gesture to work. i was then able to link that panel into another panel; however, instead of the 3x3 section i laid aside for the touch portion, it is instead a link to the gesture page I previously created.

is there a way to have the gesture page inside of an existing panel page? Or, is there a way to make a, say, 2x2 section of a page to allow gestures and the rest of the page not to allow gestures?

Hello All,

The Emotiva UMC-1 device is saved in the iRule database but I cannot get iRule to control this device. I have a Global Cache GC-100-06 device and IR #3 is connected to the UMC-1. Other devices such as the Motorola DVR box is working fine with the Global Cache device. For the UMC-1, I am using the IR HEX codes already defined in the iRule database. Could these codes be wrong in the database? In addition, I found the IR codes on the Emotiva website for the UMC-1 and even plugged these codes in iRule and I still cannot control the UMC-1 from iRule. Maybe it is my setup in the iRule Builder. Please help......

FYI.. I am using the UMC-1 codes for the milled remote (new black remote).

I've got my tv, DVD, and Dish setup with one minor issue. On the DVD player when I push cursor directions the commands are issued twice.

I searched for "double command" and "repeat command" and didn't find anything. Anybody else had this problem.

No the gestures apply to a panel. That's why if you are using gestures it is best to have a panel with only one blank page that is used for gestures. Otherwise you have a conflict wit the left and right swipe and moving from one page to another in a panel.

I am on the beta program for the feedback version but seem unable to contact him at the moment.
I guess CES is a potential reason.

I do have a panel with one blank page used for gestures. I'm looking to insert that panel, which contains one blank page, into a section of another panel. That way, the 3x3 block will accept gestures, but the rest of the page / panel will not. Or, a split screen format where you could display two seperate panels on one page.

Or, make the gesture ability available on a page level instead opposed to the panel level.

It is soundling like this is not a feature available, which is dissapointing.

An example would be Hipporemote where you can have your mousetrackpad on the same page with buttons in a split screen format.

Does anyone have the serial/rs232 commands for LG TVs? I don't see them in the database. I just got my ip2sl itach device in the mail and was starting to build my pages but can't find the device.

The LG devices I see in the database are all database codes, I was expecting to see network codes, similar to the rs232 codes for directv. Will these database codes work for rs232? Or am I missing something?

I am thinking about purchasing iRule with iTach IP2IR, but I need to control more than 6 devices. I am aware that one of the iTach ports can be used as a blaster, but I would rather hard-wire all the IR emitters. Is it possible to use one of the iTach ports to run to a Xantach powered connecting block? I understand that all of these devices would be in the same zone then, but I could use the other 2 ports for zone specific devices.

[Edit] Or, is it possible to use 3.5 mm mono splitters with dual emitters to obtain 4 devices per port?

I believe others in this thread have used the Xantach block and I seem to remember that they used it on the 3rd port and set that port for blaster so the signal had the strength needed by the block.

You can also us duel emitters, irule's website sells them. Those can be used from any of the 3 outputs.

If I want to control my devices that are in another room, and I have five of them (AVR, BluRay, etc), do I need the Global Cache GC-100-18?

Can I use two Global Cache iTach IP2IR?

Thanks.

Do URC blasters work? I currently have one. Also what is the pricing of the iPad app?

To use a xantech block, at least one of the amplifying type, you will need the CGX cable from Global Cache. With a non amplified block there is no real signal sensing/regenration, so it should work. Beware however that devices with a direct connect IR port may not work if they expect a xantech like 12 volt signal.

On the question of signal splitting it will depend on wire length, wire gauge (resistance per foot) and series vs parallel connectivity. The best advice is to try it.

I just got my GC100 yesterday and plan on putting a scope on the IR jacks and see what is there. I built my own blasters before with nothing more than IR Leds and a transistor to provide the current gain. Power is supplied by a cheap surplus wall wart supply.

The documenation is a bit lacking in terms of electrical interface but I'll post my findings here for anyone with an electronics background wanting to build your own interfaces.

I also think a hardwired IR input can be added to almost any IR remote controlled component. I'm just not sure yet of the signal has the 38khz (or other frequency) carrier or it's just the raw bit stream.

Glimmie,

The output of the GC devices are all modulating a carrier, the frequency of the carrier being specified in the message sent to the GC device. The problem with adding a Hardwired IR input to an A/V component is the voiding of the manufacturers warranty.

I suspect that the IR output of the GC devices run between 0 and 3.2 volts as they are probably CMOS devices. I prefer my IR at 12 volts ala Xantech. Xantech networks can drive thousands of feet of wire and then be split down many many times. I have split a GC-100 output to 2 dual emitters wired in serial, although I am not sure how the individual dual emitters were wired..

Anyone have any idea were I can find pre programmed/designed buttons I.e surround sound buttons?

I have been reading about all the 'extraneous' device codes in the shared DB but I'm seeing what appears to be a very limited set of devices. Are all shared device codes shown in the trial version of iRule Builder?

Thanks for the info. Sending the whole carrier makes it simple for us. The actual IR voltage is somewhat irrelevant - provided it's over the diode string forward voltage like 3v for two LEDS in series. It's the power dissipation that gets you the distance. That's a product of voltage and current. You can get the exact same performance with 5 violts as with 12 volts. Just that 5v needs more current. 12v is a nice voltage to use though.

Here's how to make a blaster:
Wire two IR LEDS in series, anode to cathode . Send +12v to the anode through a 100 ohm resistor. Connect the cathode to the collector of an NPN transistor good for 100ma or better - a commen 2n2222 is ideal. Connect the minus side of the 12v to the transistor emitter. Also connect the GC100 ground line here. Take the output of the GC100 thorugh a 1k ohm resistor to the transistor base lead.

What you have here is simple current amplifier to drive the LEDs. It's doubtful the CG100 has enough output current by it's self for a series string of LEDs. Need more gain or drive, use a darlington transistor confuguration. Watch the power duty cycle dissapation for the LEDs though - don't burn them out.

Bonus:
Wire a standard red or green (blue if you must) LED through a 1kohm resistor from the +12 to the transistor collector, cathode to the collector. IOW, in parallel with the IR LEDS and their series resistor. Now you will also have a visual indicator of the signal being sent.

I build these simple circuits on a PC board and mount them on blank switch plates aiming at the equipment racks

I'm having some trouble with hex codes and I'm hoping you all can help. I downloaded the spreadsheet from Pioneer that has the Pronto Hex codes in it. I created an XML file for import and plugged in the codes first as "hex codes" copied directly from the spreadsheet and then added as Global Cache codes after running them through the iConvert tool. Neither works. IR bug blinks but nothing happens.

I'm now trying iTest with the converted codes and that's not working either. I'm not even getting a blink out of the IR bug. If I intentionally misformat the GC code in iTest I do get an error. If I do it the way I think is right I get no response. I feel like I'm missing something basic. What is it?

Here's the string I'm putting in the Global Cache code section and in iTest:

40000,1,1,360,180,22,67,22,22,22,67,22,22,22,22,22,67,22,22, 22,67,22,22,22,67,22,22,22,67,22,67,22,22,22,67,22,22,22,22, 22,22,22,67,22,67,22,67,22,22,22,67,22,22,22,67,22,67,22,22, 22,22,22,22,22,67,22,22,22,67,22,1753,360,180,22,67,22,22,22 ,67,22,22,22,22,22,67,22,22,22,67,22,22,22,67,22,22,22,67,22 ,67,22,22,22,67,22,22,22,22,22,22,22,22,22,22,22,22,22,22,22 ,67,22,67,22,67,22,67,22,67,22,67,22,67,22,67,22,22,22,22,22 ,1753

Edit- the spaces I see above are only in the forum and not anywhere else.

Glimmie, I have a masters degree in EE and although I got it in 1963, I haven't forgotten that much (;-).

Scott, I have played with the pioneer VSX1120-k which I bought for my sister. If you are dealing with it or a close cousin go to my web site and download a program called IRGen. Install it on a PC, preferably running win 7. Open it up and select the pioneer 1120. With that program you can send commands to an itach or GC 100 to see that they work, and then ask it to build a complete iRule Device file for the device.

There is also a program called the TCPIP explorer at the same place (www.the-gordons.net) It does a similar thing for TCP as opposed to IR. The pioneer 1120 is also in that program if you want to do TCP instead of IR.

It's all about tools!!

BSEE for me -1982.

Can someone tell me is it possible to have to different remotes configured on one grid?

If you are asking if it is possible to have multiple iPxx devices on the same Wi-Fi network the answer is yes. I could probably help you more if I understood your question a little better. What is it you really want to do, big picture wise?