Problem learning IR codes for Pace TDC460NF cable TV Set-top

[dcturbo]

I have successfully installed the Lan Controller XL on my LAN and am communicating with it directly using IRedTouch software on my iPhone/ITouch.
I have successfully managed to learn the IR codes for most of my IR remotes (Apple TV, Yamaha Receiver, LG TV, Panasonic DVD etc).
However, I have been unable to successfully learn any of the IR codes for the Foxtel IQ Cable TV set-top boxes (Pace Microtechnologies United Kingdon - Model TDC460NF). I am able to complete the learn process for this IR Remote via iRedTouch, although the green flashing LED on the Lan Controller XL seems to blink irraticly in response to button pushes and sometimes IredTouch accepts the input, changes from yellow to red for the selected button, prompts for the next code and then the previously learned button reverts back to yellow. in trying to later test those buttons which it appears have been successfully learned, in response to a button test on the iphone, the LAN Controller XL LED Blinks red for quite some time, then flashes green momentarily and then red again for quite sometime and the Controller fails to activate the set-top box.

I have been unable to find out any technical information concerning frequency or codes used about the Pace IR Remote. I have found some references on the Web regarding other users who have successfully used other Universal Remotes to control the Foxtel IQ Set-top (ie TDC460NF) such as the Harmony model 557 and also who have managed to used certain AV extenders to control the set-top remotely with its own IR Remote.

Are you able to provide me with a solution to this problem or any direction as to how I might go about resolving it.

[IRTrans]

Hi,
difficult to say what the problem is here.

There are some Pace STBs around that use IRDA for remote control. These IRDA codes cannot be learned by any of the available
consumer IR Receivers. However, we do have a remote file for that for our PC software.

To diagnose that I would need to have a .rem file generated by our PC Software. Could you install it on a Windows PC and learn these IR Codes ?

Once we have found what the problem is using the PC software we will need to contact Robert Fischer (iRed) so that he can convert these codes into the iRed format.

IRTrans

[IRTrans]

Hi,
some people say they are using IR Codes from the Sky HD receiver for that box - perhaps they do work.

Attached you find a file for the Sky HD Receivers. Please give it a try with the PC software.

IRTrans

[dcturbo]

HI,

Thanks for your response. I will try the sky-hd codes from teh GUI. Please find attached the GUI learned .rem file for the remote which you requested earlier. Hope that I have recorded them correctly.

[dcturbo]

HI,

Following your suggestion i tried the sky-hd command set from the GUI but they did not work.
I then thought to try the Foxtel IQ1 command set, which I had learned via the GUI client and which I attached to you previously. Interesting most of the commands (but not all) sent from the GUI using the Foxtel IQ1 command set worked!. The commands that seemed not to work were: - setup, vol +, ch +, select down and help. All the other commands seemed to work without problems and I was able to control the device using these command. Perhaps you will be able to see what is going on from the actual command structures and data in the file. It seems from this that there are two areas of potential issue. Namely (1) why some of the commands are not being learned propoerly from the GUI and (2) why this remote does not program correctly at all using the IredTouch software on the iphone/itouch.

I will attempt to again learn all the Remotes commands and send them to you so that we can also check consistency in the learning process.

Thank you so much for your help so far. It seems like we might b geting closer to understanding the problem.

[dcturbo]

Hi,

Please find attached the 2nd Command Learning .rem file using the GUI: Foxtel IQ1-1.rem
I note that there are some differences in some of the learned codes when comapred with Foxtel IQ1.rem.
Vol + works in this version whereas it didnt in the previous (Foxtel IQ1.rem)
Other commands that did not work previously still appear not too.
Also - I note that the number keys, except for 0, in the second version dont work whereas they all did in the 1st learning.

Hopefully the differences can shed some light as to what is going on.

[dcturbo]

Hi,

Sorry to bombard you with successive emails!
I decided to manually edit the .rem file. I managed to get all the Foxtel IQ commands working from the GUI.
Attached is the working version of the .rem file: Foxtel IQ1-c2. I have checked all commands from the GUI and they appear to all work now.
Two Issues remain:
1. Why is the learning process on the Lan Controller XL via the GUi (and IRedTouch) so irratic and unreliable for this remote?
2. Why is IredTouch program not handling this Remote?

Thanking you in anticipation.

[IRTrans]

Hi,
thank you for all the files including the working one !

The reason for your problems is, that the box uses an RCMM IR Code. These IR Code uses very short IR pulses that the standard IR Receivers can only learn with some difficulty. What firmware version does your XL have ? I am asking because newer LAN Controller XL Devices have got an Universal learning receiver integrated which should be able to learn these codes without any problems. You can select this receiver when learning IR Codes.

Regarding iRed Touch: Currently iRed Touch does not yet support the needed RCMM mode which you can find in the .rem file.
I will talk to Robert Fischer (iRed developer) about that issue - he should be able to convert your .rem File into the iRed Touch format.

Does sending of the codes work reliable now ?

IRTrans

[dcturbo]

HI,

Thanks for your response. This is the first time I am playing with this technology and I only received the Controller from Germany late last week so its been a big learning curve. Stll trying to get my head around it!
The codes seem to work fine when sending them from the GUI and I seem to be able to control the device reliably.
I downloaded the Iredtouch xml file from the iphone which is created from the Iredtouch learning process and it looks clear from the file that IredTouch is having great difficulty picking up the codes - some appear truncated, some are missing altogether and there appears to be little or no consistency in the Time values. I can send this file if its going to be helpful, although I obvioulsy ned the problem fixed as I have a number of different remote configurations I need to program on teh iPhone using the Foxtel IQ Remote.

Not exactly sure where to get the LAN Controller XL Firmware version, so I hope I got it right.
Accessing the Controller from the Browser and loggin into teh controller, in the IP Settings section I found:
LAN VERSION: L1.07.01
IR VESRION: E6.02.07
The Server Diagnostic seems to confirm this info:
IRTRANS LAN:VER: E6.02.07
The box itself has a label on which is Version 1.2 (Serial Number of the box is 39039)

Using the GUI Client and selecting Mode-Device Status-IR Codes, I notice that RCM toggle bit is currently NOT set and Force RCM detection is NOT set.

As an aside: when I first tried to install the Lan Controller XL, I could not get it to obtain its DHCP address from my Wireless Router which is acting as the DHCP server. I have a small Home LAN with a Linksys WRT54 wireless Router. I tried a unsuccessfully a couple of times and eventually had to resort to setting the Ip Address of the Lan Controller XL manually, after which I was able to access it and login etc without any problems. Not sure why it would not pick up the DHCP address automatically on power up. Any suggestions would be appreciated. I also note that it does not appear now in the Linksys DHCP Router table. Obvioulsy its not a major issue since I have no problem accessing the device but it would be good to understand for future applications. I am planning on building a Linux MCE and installing it in the near future.

Looking forward to hopefully getting a solution for the IRedTouch (should I be contacting them directly as well regarding the problem we are experiencing?)

Many Thanks

[IRTrans]

Hi,
difficult to see why iRed touch has problems learning the codes - maybe the wrong receiver (standard receiver was selected).

The firmware version is quite new, therefore that should be fine. Which receiver did you select when you learned the IR Codes using the GUI Client ?
The device settings (Force RCMM / RCMM Toggle bit) is OK - only a few devices use RCMM Toggle bits.

What causes the DHCP difficulties is hard to say, too. We tested the devices with a lot of DCHP Servers, too. In our office we use a LINUX based
DHCP server, too (The Wrt54 also uses a LINUX OS). Fixing problems like that is always difficult if we cannot reproduce it here.

I will contact the iRed folks tomorrow.

IRTrans