Master IR Archive

[upstatemike]

I am looking for advice on the best way to archive my IR codes and was wondering what most people are using to do this. I use a couple of different brands of IR remotes and other IR devices so I want to avoid a brand specific solution such as the software that comes with a Pronto or Home Theater Master remotes. I would also like a solution that can directly store IR codes downloaded from the internet such as "direct codes" that are not available on the devices orginal remote (so they can't be "learned" into the archive.)

I'm thinking a USBUIRT device connected to my PC might be a good solution I could learn all of my existing remotes into a PC archive using the USBUIRT and then the master archive can be used to teach any new remote I buy down the road regardless of brand. Problem is, I can find plenty of programs that use the USBUIRT for controlling IR stuff but no software that is specifically designed for managing an IR archive.

Does anybody know of an IR archive program that works with the USBUIRT? Is there a better hardware device for doing this? Note: I want my archive solution to be PC based so I can back up the IR data onto CDs for safe keeping.

 

[AnthonyZ]

...I want to avoid a brand specific solution such as the software that comes with a Pronto or Home Theater Master remotes.

I'm thinking a USBUIRT device connected to my PC might be a good solution Does anybody know of an IR archive program that works with the USBUIRT?

Am I the only one who sees a disconnect between these two statements? Proprietary is proprietary is proprietary. Right?

I don't think I'm alone in using Excel...I have literally hundreds upon hundreds of codes setup in Excel that I use on programming gigs. Easy enough to backup to CD, flashdrive, etc. and easy to work my way through it when looking for that "one, elusive" code used once every three years...

 

[upstatemike]

...I want to avoid a brand specific solution such as the software that comes with a Pronto or Home Theater Master remotes.

I'm thinking a USBUIRT device connected to my PC might be a good solution Does anybody know of an IR archive program that works with the USBUIRT?

Am I the only one who sees a disconnect between these two statements? Proprietary is proprietary is proprietary. Right?

I don't think I'm alone in using Excel...I have literally hundreds upon hundreds of codes setup in Excel that I use on programming gigs. Easy enough to backup to CD, flashdrive, etc. and easy to work my way through it when looking for that "one, elusive" code used once every three years...

Excel is fine with me... I don't really know how IR codes are stored so I didn't realize they could be stuffed into a spreadsheet. Are they just hex strings? But the other piece of the puzzele is how to generate the data to put into the spreadsheet. So something needs to "see" the code fom the existing remote and generate the data to be stored in Excel. Then that something needs to take the specific code I want from Excel and transmit it back out to be learned by a new remote or other IR device.

Also, if I download codes, I assume they could be in one of several possible formats? Pronto, Harmony, etc? This is fine for storing in the spreadsheet but I still need to play them out to the new learning remote. So what do you use to do that?

 

[123]

I haven't progressed to tinkering with IR codes but I thought this resource may be useful to others:

http://ir.premisesystems.com/

It's a little dated but still handy.

 

[AnthonyZ]

I typically use a GC IR learner and store everything as .ccf's which are the swiss army knife of hex codes. I've also been known to use the Pronto software to reach the same end.

 

[upstatemike]

I typically use a GC IR learner and store everything as .ccf's which are the swiss army knife of hex codes. I've also been known to use the Pronto software to reach the same end.

The GC device looks good for learning codes into a spreadsheet but how do you transmit them back out into a new learning remote? I also notice it is powered from the serial port... will it work OK with a usb to serial adaptor?

 

[AnthonyZ]

You "transmit" by cutting and pasting into your program file. Honestly, I don't monkey with remotes that aren't PC programmable (and by programmable, I mean just that, no wizard nonsense). If you're loading coads into a device that doesn't have a cut paste environment (or a device like an Ocelot), you'll need an intermediary remote that you can "learn" from.

And yes, you can use a serial to USB adaptor. I just tested it last week (for another dealer) using a cheap Radio Shack adaptor. Worked like a charm.

 

[upstatemike]

OK, I'll have to give that some thought. I don't normally use PC programmable remotes because I have never found one I liked in a price range that I am willing to pay. I have half a dozen MX-500s around the house and I can actually program them faster than my 2 MX-700s that cost four times as much. I am also not likely to be programming entire remotes very often, but rather just shifting things around when I get a new device or I get an idea on how the layout can be improved. (I changed the layout of the 2 MX500's in my office during a commercial break last night... I couldn't even get the MX-700's hooked up to the PC and launch the MX editor application in that time to say nothing of actually making the changes!)

Maybe I can use an old Pronto as the master programmer for other remotes, my Stargate, and my ISY-99i. Something to think about.