EXB-IRS4 and XCH issues

RicardoSiqueira

Today as I was updating a project which has a NI-3100 and an EXB-IRS4, I noticed that my favorite cable box channels, which use the send command and XCH do not work well on the EXB-IRS4. It looks like that the EXB-IRS4 is buffering the commands to memory and flashing the previous preset or not working. The same code and presets calling from the same structure works flawless on the NI-3100 and have been working for years. I updated the firmware but the problem still occurs. I look at the cable box and I see the incorrect numbers hitting it as I send a preset, but the preset sent from Netlinx Studio Device Notifications is correct and works well out of the NI-3100. Anybody experiencing problems with the EXB-IRS4 and the XCH commands?

Here is part of my code:

//Device Initialization
DATA_EVENT[dvCABLE_Playroom]
{
    ONLINE:                 //IR device comes ONLINE
    {
        SEND_COMMAND dvCABLE_Playroom,'SET MODE IR'
        SEND_COMMAND dvCABLE_Playroom,'CARON'
        SEND_COMMAND dvCABLE_Playroom,"'CTON',5"
        SEND_COMMAND dvCABLE_Playroom,"'CTOF',5"
        SEND_COMMAND dvCABLE_Playroom,'XCHM-1' // I tried the 'XCHM-0' first, but it was worse
	SEND_COMMAND dvCABLE_Playroom,'SET INPUT LINK'
    }
}

//Handle CABLE Favorite Channels/////////////////////
BUTTON_EVENT[vTPPlayroomiPad,1091]    //Favorites
BUTTON_EVENT[vTPPlayroomiPad,1092]    //Music
{
    PUSH:
    {
        nPlayroomiPadCableFavoriteType = (BUTTON.INPUT.CHANNEL - 1090)
    }
}


BUTTON_EVENT[vTPPlayroomiPad,1101]
BUTTON_EVENT[vTPPlayroomiPad,1102]
BUTTON_EVENT[vTPPlayroomiPad,1103]
BUTTON_EVENT[vTPPlayroomiPad,1104]
BUTTON_EVENT[vTPPlayroomiPad,1105]
BUTTON_EVENT[vTPPlayroomiPad,1106]
BUTTON_EVENT[vTPPlayroomiPad,1107]
BUTTON_EVENT[vTPPlayroomiPad,1108]
BUTTON_EVENT[vTPPlayroomiPad,1109]
BUTTON_EVENT[vTPPlayroomiPad,1110]
BUTTON_EVENT[vTPPlayroomiPad,1111]
BUTTON_EVENT[vTPPlayroomiPad,1112]
BUTTON_EVENT[vTPPlayroomiPad,1113]
BUTTON_EVENT[vTPPlayroomiPad,1114]
BUTTON_EVENT[vTPPlayroomiPad,1115]
BUTTON_EVENT[vTPPlayroomiPad,1116]
BUTTON_EVENT[vTPPlayroomiPad,1117]
BUTTON_EVENT[vTPPlayroomiPad,1118]
BUTTON_EVENT[vTPPlayroomiPad,1119]
BUTTON_EVENT[vTPPlayroomiPad,1120]
{
    PUSH:
    {
        SWITCH(nPlayroomiPadCableFavoriteType)
        {
            CASE 1:
            {
                SEND_COMMAND CABLE_ForFav_PlayroomiPad, "'XCH ', ITOA(uFavoritesCH[BUTTON.INPUT.CHANNEL-1100].FavoritesCH)"
            }
            CASE 2:
            {
                SEND_COMMAND CABLE_ForFav_PlayroomiPad, "'XCH ', ITOA(uFavoritesCH[BUTTON.INPUT.CHANNEL-1100].MusicCH)"
            }
        }
    }
}

a_riot42

I don't use XCH anymore, and haven't for a long time. I send the digits separately and don't have any issues. You might try the same and see if that helps.
Paul

RicardoSiqueira

The problem for me to be sending the numbers manually is that I have a few hundred favorites in each job and a structure and the XCH commands is the only practical solution that I've been using for years without issues until the EXB-IRS4 started giving me trouble. Since AMX discontinued the IR cards that fit in the card frame masters, like the NI-4100, our only expansion now is via the EXB-IRS4 devices. In this case, I strongly think that AMX needs to step up and fix the XCH channel commands in these boxes. They need to deliver the same IR pulsing as the regular NI Masters. The 'XCHM-1' settings worked a little better than the 'XCHM-0' , but not perfect. By the way, I am interfacing it with a Scientific Atlanta cable box. Anyways, hopefully AMX will fix this issue as I am specifying a lot of these boxes for my upcoming projects. I wonder if this problem is just with cable boxes or if it works well with DirecTV. Anyways, let's hope...

a_riot42

RicardoSiqueira wrote: »

The problem for me to be sending the numbers manually is that I have a few hundred favorites in each job and a structure and the XCH commands is the only practical solution that I've been using for years without issues until the EXB-IRS4 started giving me trouble. Since AMX discontinued the IR cards that fit in the card frame masters, like the NI-4100, our only expansion now is via the EXB-IRS4 devices. In this case, I strongly think that AMX needs to step up and fix the XCH channel commands in these boxes. They need to deliver the same IR pulsing as the regular NI Masters. The 'XCHM-1' settings worked a little better than the 'XCHM-0' , but not perfect. By the way, I am interfacing it with a Scientific Atlanta cable box. Anyways, hopefully AMX will fix this issue as I am specifying a lot of these boxes for my upcoming projects. I wonder if this problem is just with cable boxes or if it works well with DirecTV. Anyways, let's hope...

XCH has had issues for many years, so I wouldn't hold your breath waiting for AMX to fix it. I don't really see the need anyway, its just a syntactic shortcut from the old days, and the exact same thing can be accomplished with send_commands. The individual IR codes have to get sent anyway, so why bother with XCH when its so buggy? It will probably take you all of 5 minutes to change the code to not use XCH and accomplish the same thing reliably.
Paul

ericmedley

If you use the SP,xxx command you don't have to worry about timing or whatnot.

Just write a quick for loop to run through your channel favorites array cells and send SP commands.

Just remember to send the CTON and CTOF prior to the SPs and it'll work like a champ.