Help (or explanation) needed with IR

[jcterrier]

I have had a Slink-e for more than 2 years now.
I never had a problem running CDJ and switching
between 3 megaplayers, controlling the receiver
and a 4x1 Toslink switch.

However, I was never able to make it work
with HomeSeer.

Initially, I was laboring with a Slink-e and an
expansion module connected via a long cable.
Then I tried not using the expansion module.
Then I bought a second Slink-e. All along,
there was Xantech components thrown in.

First I learned everything using EZ-Learn.
Then I tried generating .cde files from codes
obtained with the JP1 tools. Now I am attempting
to learn the IR codes directly into HomeSeer
because I recently read something on this
board about that being preferable. But I can no
longer find this thread (Whoever said the
seach function was greatly improved).

In any event I am now learning IR commands
into the Nirvis plugin for Homeseer. While most
command appear to learn OK only some test
right. Sometimes, when I get an error on test,
the same error repeats when I retest a previously
OK- testing command.

For exemple, I learn the digits on TV, they test OK.
I learn volume up. It appears to learn OK. But on
testing I get a message like "Error: vol is not a
recognized command for the device XXXX". If
I then retest a digit command I get the same message
about "vol".

The use of "vol" is by itself interesting. When I first
started on this endless journey, the commands
were referenced as vol_up and vol_dwn etc.
So I thought maybe the underscore is illegal
so I replaced that with an hyphen and finally went with
no divider at all. Now the commands are referenced as
volup and voldwn in the cde file. They are called
vol_up and vol_dwn in the HomeSeer configuration
window. They appear to learn OK but upon testing
there is an error message refering to "vol"

All the above is for a Sony TV.
With the cable box from Scientic Atlanta, the issue
is different : nothing learns.

Can anybody help me make this work so that I can
enjoy IR automation before I die (Actuarial tables
and family history suggest that I may not have
more than 15-20 years left - if I am lucky)

JCT

[hanarmco]

Jean Claude,

I don't have a sLinke, but a few questions and some thoughts.

First what equipment are you trying to control? Particularly, other than the Scientific Atlanta STB what else is causing the problem?

The Scientific Atlanta STB's use a 58 KHz IR modulation frequency. Perhaps the frequency is set wrong.

We may well have discussed this before but Barry Gordon's GenIRDB will generate commands for an Ocelot, sLinke, or a Pronto. It has some quirks, but for generating commands, it has always worked well for my Ocelot and IIRC, Barry has a sLinke, so I can't imagine why learning the commands would be superior EXCEPT for the Ocelot's IR recognition feature. I have never had much luck getting it to recognize a generated command. I think that is a problem that may be Ocelot specific.

As a general rule, I always suggest to people having problems with IR commands to get it working (commands being reliably recognized) using the software that came with it, before adding HomeSeer. I assume EZLearn is the software that drives the sLinke, if you didn't use HomeSeer. Do the commands work Ok or better with EZLearn?

-Jon

[jcterrier]

Jon,

I didn't realize that you had answered my previous post.

I was aware of the frequency used by the ScientificAtlanta device. The problem (one of them any way) is that I couldn't get a working ir file and the irtx didn't produce any result at all and didn't even carry the promise of eventually working correctly at some point in the future.

I couldn't get GenIRDB to create a proper cde file (it actually had a lot of duplicate values created from all different command codes. Anyway, I tried again to learn from an upgrade I made on a JP! remote. I loaded that file in a previously define Slink-e device and finally I was getting *some* kind of results.

HomeSeer started seeing the command issued by the remote and logging them. It was also logging the commands issued from the web interface. But these remained without effect.

Then it dawned on me that while the frequency is specified in the file, it must also be set in the Slink-e interface. Allas when I went to edit the device it became first inoperative and then impossible to load.

What can I do to correct this situation?

Do I have to redo my IR Config from scratch?

If so, what files do I need to erase first?

What is the cause of this problem? Could it reoccur?
(By the way, I have available slots in the IR config grid, all files are where they are supposed to be)

And as a skill testing question for the winner, what are the requirement and restrictions in the programming of the Slink-e interface matrix? I was never able to find any information about this.

And finally, can someone possibly say why this is called Home Automation when it involves so much manual labor?

JCT



The log shows commands (successful) originating from the remote and others (unsuccessful) issued from the web interface.


2004-07-30 15:15:56~!~Slink-e IR~!~IR match for lr-illico:channel_up at location 375
2004-07-30 15:15:58~!~Slink-e IR~!~IR match for lr-illico:channel_down at location 376
2004-07-30 15:15:59~!~Slink-e IR~!~IR match for lr-illico:channel_down at location 376
2004-07-30 15:16:01~!~Slink-e IR~!~IR match for lr-illico:channel_down at location 376
2004-07-30 15:16:02~!~Slink-e IR~!~IR match for lr-illico:channel_down at location 376
2004-07-30 15:16:03~!~Slink-e IR~!~IR match for lr-illico:channel_down at location 376
2004-07-30 15:18:06~!~Slink-e IR~!~IR match for lr-illico:5 at location 368
2004-07-30 15:18:08~!~Slink-e IR~!~IR match for lr-illico:1 at location 364
2004-07-30 15:18:10~!~Slink-e IR~!~IR match for lr-illico:0 at location 363
2004-07-30 15:18:58~!~Slink-e IR~!~IR match for lr-illico:channel_up at location 375
2004-07-30 15:19:00~!~Slink-e IR~!~IR match for lr-illico:channel_down at location 376
2004-07-30 15:19:10~!~Slink-e IR~!~IR match for lr-illico:5 at location 368
2004-07-30 15:19:11~!~Slink-e IR~!~IR match for lr-illico:1 at location 364
2004-07-30 15:19:13~!~Slink-e IR~!~IR match for lr-illico:6 at location 369
2004-07-30 15:25:56~!~Slink-e IR~!~IR match for lr-illico:5 at location 368
2004-07-30 15:25:58~!~Slink-e IR~!~IR match for lr-illico:1 at location 364
2004-07-30 15:25:59~!~Slink-e IR~!~IR match for lr-illico:0 at location 363
(...)

Then, problem after editing a device.

2004-07-30 18:03:11~!~Slink-e IR~!~Debug: Number of Slink-e devices: 2
2004-07-30 18:03:43~!~Slink-e IR~!~Debug: Number of Slink-e devices: 2
2004-07-30 18:04:24~!~Slink-e IR~!~Changing device LR-Illico
2004-07-30 18:04:24~!~Slink-e IR~!~Changing device BR-Illico
2004-07-30 18:04:25~!~Info~!~SLINK-E successfully initialized
2004-07-30 18:10:45~!~X10 Received~!~ E Off
2004-07-30 18:10:45~!~X10 Received~!~ E Off
2004-07-30 18:16:05~!~Slink-e IR~!~Debug: Number of Slink-e devices: 2
2004-07-30 18:16:44~!~Slink-e IR~!~Debug: Number of Slink-e devices: 2
2004-07-30 18:16:58~!~X10 Received~!~ E Off
2004-07-30 18:16:58~!~X10 Received~!~ E Off
2004-07-30 18:16:59~!~Slink-e IR~!~Changing device LR-Illico
2004-07-30 18:17:00~!~Slink-e IR~!~Changing device BR-Illico
2004-07-30 18:17:01~!~Info~!~SLINK-E successfully initialized
2004-07-30 18:17:21~!~Slink-e IR~!~Error: LR-Illico is not a known device name
2004-07-30 18:17:22~!~Slink-e IR~!~Error: LR-Illico is not a known device name
2004-07-30 18:17:23~!~Slink-e IR~!~Error: LR-Illico is not a known device name
2004-07-30 18:18:23~!~Slink-e IR~!~Error: LR-Illico is not a known device name
2004-07-30 18:18:25~!~Slink-e IR~!~Error: LR-Illico is not a known device name
2004-07-30 18:18:26~!~Slink-e IR~!~Error: LR-Illico is not a known device name
2004-07-30 18:19:07~!~Slink-e IR~!~Debug: Number of Slink-e devices: 2
2004-07-30 18:19:18~!~Slink-e IR~!~Changing device LR-Illico
2004-07-30 18:19:19~!~Info~!~SLINK-E successfully initialized
2004-07-30 18:19:38~!~Slink-e IR~!~Error: LR-Illico is not a known device name
(....)

Impossible to get the device loaded even after deleting and recreating it again.

2004-07-30 18:22:53~!~Slink-e IR~!~Debug: Number of Slink-e devices: 2
2004-07-30 18:23:15~!~Slink-e IR~!~Changing device LR-Illico
2004-07-30 18:23:16~!~Info~!~SLINK-E successfully initialized
2004-07-30 18:23:37~!~Info~!~ Web Server authorized login successful from: 127.0.0.1 User: SogetraNet
2004-07-30 18:24:31~!~Slink-e IR~!~Error: LR-Illico is not a known device name
2004-07-30 18:24:33~!~Slink-e IR~!~Error: LR-Illico is not a known device name
2004-07-30 18:24:34~!~Slink-e IR~!~Error: LR-Illico is not a known device name
2004-07-30 18:33:04~!~CallerID Info~!~PHONE CALL: vendredi 07-30-04; 30 18:33:04; Outside of Area;
2004-07-30 18:33:05~!~CallerID Error~!~TCP Connect timed out, RemoteHost=192.168
2004-07-30 18:33:06~!~CallerID Error~!~TCP Connect timed out, RemoteHost=guest2003(192.)
2004-07-30 18:33:07~!~CallerID Error~!~TCP Connect timed out, RemoteHost=jc-den(192.168)
2004-07-30 18:36:38~!~Slink-e IR~!~Deleting device LR-Illico
2004-07-30 18:36:39~!~Info~!~SLINK-E successfully initialized
2004-07-30 18:37:15~!~Slink-e IR~!~Debug: Number of Slink-e devices: 2
2004-07-30 18:37:24~!~X10 Received~!~ E Off
2004-07-30 18:37:25~!~X10 Received~!~ E Off
2004-07-30 18:37:55~!~Slink-e IR~!~Adding device LR-Illico
2004-07-30 18:37:55~!~Slink-e IR~!~Error: Unable to load device file C:\00-IRFiles\ScientificAtlanta-Explorer-Short-Learned.cde.
2004-07-30 18:38:05~!~Info~!~SLINK-E successfully initialized
2004-07-30 18:45:22~!~Slink-e IR~!~Debug: Number of Slink-e devices: 2
2004-07-30 18:45:46~!~Slink-e IR~!~Changing device LR-Illico
2004-07-30 18:45:46~!~Slink-e IR~!~Error: Unable to load device file C:\00-IRFiles\ScientificAtlanta-Short-Learned.cde.