Shinyshoes
Member
I have a couple of needs for an RF Receiver/Blaster. What are you using? Is there any with a driver already developed for premise?
Thanks
Shinyshoes
Thanks
Shinyshoes
Premise RF Blaster/Receiver
- Thread starter Shinyshoes
- Start date
Motorola Premise
Most use the global cache GC100 paired with a receiver such as GC-IRL or GC-IRE. The new iTach line from GC also seems backwards compatible, but doesn't have a serial port for the receiver so keep this in mind. I use the global cache products with Xantech ir receiver, ir hub and blasters and it works great. You just need the special global cache converter cables to go back and forth from GC->Xantech and Xantech->GC.
The other and cheaper option is the usb UIRT (see 123's driver under downloads for details). I think the UIRT supports a few blasters, but I'm not sure. http://www.cocoontech.com/forums/index.php...532&hl=UIRT
The other and cheaper option is the usb UIRT (see 123's driver under downloads for details). I think the UIRT supports a few blasters, but I'm not sure. http://www.cocoontech.com/forums/index.php...532&hl=UIRT
Shinyshoes
Member
etc6849,
Thanks for the reply, but the products you are referring to are all IR, not RF. I already have a USB-UIRT, but I'm looking for an RF solution.
I should read more carefully! I just read blaster/receiver and didn't see the important RF part!
Now, the RF blaster idea sounds interesting, what did you have in mind by "RF Blaster"? Do you mean using an RF to IR Blaster as a standalone bridge? Do you mean using an RF remote with an IR blaster and interfacing the IR blaster part with your UIRT or equivalent?
A nice RF remote would be great and you are not the only user who wants one. Please post if you find one and I'll purchase one too.
I use the X10 RF remote (any of them are able to work with Premise via the MR26a receiver or the W800RF32). To use one of the newer X10 remotes in RF mode requires editing the 2 byte hex code for some buttons after adding an X10 media remote under the X10 add-in. My W800RF32 remote driver should work for several new and old remotes just fine.
The X10 media remotes do not have two way communication (MR26a and W800RF32 don't support two way communication anyways), do not feel nice in the hand and are not backlit. These are three features I must have in an RF remote.
I'd also like an RF remote that I can send a status ascii string for display on an LCD (display things such as time, system powering on, song name, etc...) and one that has an open ascii string RS232 protocol for button actions (such as hold, depress, release). The RS232 interface would be from an RF transceiver module. Did you try calling Universal and see what they offer? I haven't done that yet, but I'm thinking about it. The cost comparison is probably $10 for an X10 remote/MR26a combo kit from ebay versus $200+ for a nice Universal RF remote solution.
Now, the RF blaster idea sounds interesting, what did you have in mind by "RF Blaster"? Do you mean using an RF to IR Blaster as a standalone bridge? Do you mean using an RF remote with an IR blaster and interfacing the IR blaster part with your UIRT or equivalent?
A nice RF remote would be great and you are not the only user who wants one. Please post if you find one and I'll purchase one too.
I use the X10 RF remote (any of them are able to work with Premise via the MR26a receiver or the W800RF32). To use one of the newer X10 remotes in RF mode requires editing the 2 byte hex code for some buttons after adding an X10 media remote under the X10 add-in. My W800RF32 remote driver should work for several new and old remotes just fine.
The X10 media remotes do not have two way communication (MR26a and W800RF32 don't support two way communication anyways), do not feel nice in the hand and are not backlit. These are three features I must have in an RF remote.
I'd also like an RF remote that I can send a status ascii string for display on an LCD (display things such as time, system powering on, song name, etc...) and one that has an open ascii string RS232 protocol for button actions (such as hold, depress, release). The RS232 interface would be from an RF transceiver module. Did you try calling Universal and see what they offer? I haven't done that yet, but I'm thinking about it. The cost comparison is probably $10 for an X10 remote/MR26a combo kit from ebay versus $200+ for a nice Universal RF remote solution.
This thread has a lot of useful info about using universal to do what I think you are looking for (ignore the gui talk and skip to the middle where they discuss using a Universal RF remote with CQC); the Universal remote stuff looks way more expensive than I thought it would. However, the Universal option is attractive since it would give you three zones via three RF receivers. I don't know where you get the software though, you'd need to know a nice Universal dealer who would give you a copy.
http://www.charmedquark.com/vb_forum/archi...php?t-4086.html
I'm very interested in what you come up with. I'd be willing to help build a driver for you (and me) and post it if you come up with an RS232 solution that will work for me too (assuming the cost is under $200)
http://www.charmedquark.com/vb_forum/archi...php?t-4086.html
I'm very interested in what you come up with. I'd be willing to help build a driver for you (and me) and post it if you come up with an RS232 solution that will work for me too (assuming the cost is under $200)
SOLUTION FOUND
(Any one with Universal Remote experience, feel free to comment)
Here's an article/tutorial for the solution I think you're looking for:
http://www.remotecentral.com/mx900/index.html
The solution is pretty simple and the RF portion can also integrate with Premise including custom soft buttons beside a backlit LCD.
Premise integration with an RF Universal Remote via one-way RS232 communication
You would create a ficticious RS232 device called "Home" under the Universal MSC-400 Editor. This device would have buttons for "Temperature Up", "Temperature Down", "Goodnight" etc...
Next, you would program the MX-900 Editor program to trigger the RS232 commands you set above using soft buttons (buttons beside the LCD) on custom LCD pages. For example, when one hits home on the main LCD page, new selections come up on the LCD beside the soft buttons: "GNight", "TempUp"... When the user hits this button on the remote, the MSC-400 receives the RF command and sends ascii text to Premise. This can be any format you want; I'm thinking of using %GOODNIGHT followed by a carriage return. You could use a room based menu structure similar to the AB and use the remote to track occupancy!
This involves making a new type of remote under custom devices in Premise Builder where you would name the buttons and set their ascii RS232 command; next, you would bind this remote to a new keypad under home, placing any scripts under each button. The required module would be very similar to Damon Dean's work found here:
http://www.cocoontech.com/forums/index.php...amp;showfile=66
Note you can bind macros to any of the hard buttons or soft buttons on the MX-900 and better (according to the Remote Central article). This means the play button could also bind to an RS232 command like %PLAY. When Premise receives this %PLAY command over RS232, it would send a play command to the whatever source is selected for the A/V receiver in that room.
RF Blaster Functionality
The MSC-400 is what you're looking for in a generic RF blaster too and the software it comes with looks very powerful. You would pair an MSC-400 with the RFX-250 (RF receiver) and the MX-900 remote. The total used cost on ebay is ~$300, but you must ensure the item you buy comes with the necessary software. Keep in mind the MSRP for these items would be $1000+ so it's probably not a bad deal to buy everything off of ebay...
IR Functionality
The MX-900 appears to use both IR and RF. This means you can combine buttons with macros and effectively use IR and RF for the same button. This is neat and may prove useful. For example, if I press play, I can send an IR command directly to the deivce and an RF command that will be sent to RFX250->MSC400->Premise via RS232 to dim my lights.
Disclaimer
I'm not sure if anyone has ever tried this. I have never programmed any Universal Remote products. However, I read several articles and the MSC-400 technical documentation. The above appears easy to do and is entirely possible. I'll be the ginea pig and try it over the next month or so and post results here at some point.
(Any one with Universal Remote experience, feel free to comment)
Here's an article/tutorial for the solution I think you're looking for:
http://www.remotecentral.com/mx900/index.html
The solution is pretty simple and the RF portion can also integrate with Premise including custom soft buttons beside a backlit LCD.
Premise integration with an RF Universal Remote via one-way RS232 communication
You would create a ficticious RS232 device called "Home" under the Universal MSC-400 Editor. This device would have buttons for "Temperature Up", "Temperature Down", "Goodnight" etc...
Next, you would program the MX-900 Editor program to trigger the RS232 commands you set above using soft buttons (buttons beside the LCD) on custom LCD pages. For example, when one hits home on the main LCD page, new selections come up on the LCD beside the soft buttons: "GNight", "TempUp"... When the user hits this button on the remote, the MSC-400 receives the RF command and sends ascii text to Premise. This can be any format you want; I'm thinking of using %GOODNIGHT followed by a carriage return. You could use a room based menu structure similar to the AB and use the remote to track occupancy!
This involves making a new type of remote under custom devices in Premise Builder where you would name the buttons and set their ascii RS232 command; next, you would bind this remote to a new keypad under home, placing any scripts under each button. The required module would be very similar to Damon Dean's work found here:
http://www.cocoontech.com/forums/index.php...amp;showfile=66
Note you can bind macros to any of the hard buttons or soft buttons on the MX-900 and better (according to the Remote Central article). This means the play button could also bind to an RS232 command like %PLAY. When Premise receives this %PLAY command over RS232, it would send a play command to the whatever source is selected for the A/V receiver in that room.
RF Blaster Functionality
The MSC-400 is what you're looking for in a generic RF blaster too and the software it comes with looks very powerful. You would pair an MSC-400 with the RFX-250 (RF receiver) and the MX-900 remote. The total used cost on ebay is ~$300, but you must ensure the item you buy comes with the necessary software. Keep in mind the MSRP for these items would be $1000+ so it's probably not a bad deal to buy everything off of ebay...
IR Functionality
The MX-900 appears to use both IR and RF. This means you can combine buttons with macros and effectively use IR and RF for the same button. This is neat and may prove useful. For example, if I press play, I can send an IR command directly to the deivce and an RF command that will be sent to RFX250->MSC400->Premise via RS232 to dim my lights.
Disclaimer
I'm not sure if anyone has ever tried this. I have never programmed any Universal Remote products. However, I read several articles and the MSC-400 technical documentation. The above appears easy to do and is entirely possible. I'll be the ginea pig and try it over the next month or so and post results here at some point.
C
chucklyons
Guest
I bought an Azentek pad for <$200 bucks on ebay and used Premise without any modifications...(well, okay, I bought a piece of garbage from ebay running WINCe for <$100 from China that lasted about two days, but thats beside the point)...
Sriously, with the cost of devices coming down, and the experience with the Chinese WINCe device as probably an anomaly, I don't know its worth the time or money to go the Universal route...
...but then again, I could be wrong...
Sriously, with the cost of devices coming down, and the experience with the Chinese WINCe device as probably an anomaly, I don't know its worth the time or money to go the Universal route...
...but then again, I could be wrong...
Thanks for the feedback Chuck. Functionally, a windows CE based touch screen does all of the things I talked about, is easier to implement, costs less and looks prettier.
However, rather than grab a tablet PC during a movie, I often times grab a remote with real buttons that I can feel in the dark. Really just a personal preference; it only matters since I'm using a projector in a dark room. Using the Samsung Q1EX or similar when the room is dark distracts from the movie unless I turn the brightness down before starting the movie.
One neat thing about the MX-900 is that it can act as the original equipment remote too. There are times when it's just easier to grab the original IR remote that came with a piece of equipment for some settings. For example, my projector has all kinds of settings buried in the menus that are accessible via the original remote with one button; i.e. things like the auto iris function. However, this type of by device IR functionality will be burried under an advanced menu and hidden from my wife.
You can add a button called "Auto Iris" to the AB and make a new class in Premise for it. But the tactile feedback of a real button is nice (in my opinion). I want something for one handed operation so if I'm holding a beverage or eating popcorn I don't have to look at the remote to find the buttons. For example if I press pause, the remote tells Premise to pause the current source and turn the lights on. Premise will do the work of figuring out what should be paused, not the remote. Any macros will still be programmed in Premise; this is so for one way devices, Premise can still keep track of device state.
However, rather than grab a tablet PC during a movie, I often times grab a remote with real buttons that I can feel in the dark. Really just a personal preference; it only matters since I'm using a projector in a dark room. Using the Samsung Q1EX or similar when the room is dark distracts from the movie unless I turn the brightness down before starting the movie.
One neat thing about the MX-900 is that it can act as the original equipment remote too. There are times when it's just easier to grab the original IR remote that came with a piece of equipment for some settings. For example, my projector has all kinds of settings buried in the menus that are accessible via the original remote with one button; i.e. things like the auto iris function. However, this type of by device IR functionality will be burried under an advanced menu and hidden from my wife.
You can add a button called "Auto Iris" to the AB and make a new class in Premise for it. But the tactile feedback of a real button is nice (in my opinion). I want something for one handed operation so if I'm holding a beverage or eating popcorn I don't have to look at the remote to find the buttons. For example if I press pause, the remote tells Premise to pause the current source and turn the lights on. Premise will do the work of figuring out what should be paused, not the remote. Any macros will still be programmed in Premise; this is so for one way devices, Premise can still keep track of device state.
twilo123
Active Member
Sounds like you are just looking for this. You can use it with your current remote instead of needing an expensive one like the one mentioned in this thread.
Ir to rs232
Just map the ir to some ASCII command trigger and use any ir remote to trigger them.
Ir to rs232
Just map the ir to some ASCII command trigger and use any ir remote to trigger them.
Shinyshoes
Member
twilo123 - This is RF not IR.
Chuck/etc - I am trying to avoid the remote...... Here is my situation. I have 2 ceiling fans that have a RF remote for them that can change the fan speed (low, med, high) and on/off. I was thinking I could use Premise to turn them on or off based on temp. If i could find a UIRT equivilent for RF, then learn the RF codes via the reciever, then turn the fans on or off via the blaster, that would be sweet.
I am starting to think i might be out of luck for this one.
Chuck/etc - I am trying to avoid the remote...... Here is my situation. I have 2 ceiling fans that have a RF remote for them that can change the fan speed (low, med, high) and on/off. I was thinking I could use Premise to turn them on or off based on temp. If i could find a UIRT equivilent for RF, then learn the RF codes via the reciever, then turn the fans on or off via the blaster, that would be sweet.
I am starting to think i might be out of luck for this one.
Another inexpensive option is to hack a RF remote for the fans and use basic contact relays hardwired across the actual button on the remote. That way you don't need to find a RF remote, you simply use any IR remote/receiver you want to get the commands into Premise and then let Premise close the corresponding relay which functions the same way as pressing the button on the original remote. Many times, you can buy an extra fan remote at the hardware store for $25-50 each if you don't want to tear into the original remote.
Hopefully my description makes sense - basically do the same thing with the fan remotes that many people do with their garage door openers like this.
