Using the IR receiver in Met6N
xnet111
Posts: 6
Hi
I'm puzzled by the IR receiver in the Met6N keypad. Can anyone tell me how to program for it ? I'm guessing that buttons pressed on a remote aimed at the Met6 will turn specific channels on/off on the device port ? I've tried several different remotes but none of them seem to cause any output from the Met6 but I'm not sure if that is because its unable to read the remotes I'm using or there is something I need to do in code to read them (I thought I would see channel on/off in the Notifications window)
I'd be very grateful for some guidance on this.
I'm puzzled by the IR receiver in the Met6N keypad. Can anyone tell me how to program for it ? I'm guessing that buttons pressed on a remote aimed at the Met6 will turn specific channels on/off on the device port ? I've tried several different remotes but none of them seem to cause any output from the Met6 but I'm not sure if that is because its unable to read the remotes I'm using or there is something I need to do in code to read them (I thought I would see channel on/off in the Notifications window)
I'd be very grateful for some guidance on this.
0
Comments
I believe you're looking for a product that no longer exists. All AMX remotes that operate in the compatible 38 kHz range have been discontinued.
There are 256 AMX IR codes... each, when seen by an AMX receiver, causes the code number to arrive as a PUSH from the pickup as a UI device.
ONLY AMX codes will be detected by the Met6N, or by any AMX IR receiver.
In the attached ZIP file are many helps for you. It includes all 256 codes as text HEX codes for use with most programmable remotes. It also includes them again as IRL files, both of these in both frequencies, plus several conversion utilities.
Thank you very much John both for your explanation and your attachment. That has made it all perfectly clear
Cheers
David
Hi again
Armed with the codes from John, I loaded them into an IR sender but I'm still getting nothing out of the met6. I'm sure that my sender is working because if I load up other IR codes (from other remotes) and point it at the relevant device, the IR control works fine, so I have some confidence in the hardware. The met6 IR device 129:1:0 is showing as online. Am I missing something ? Is there some way to prove that the receiver in the Met6 is operating ?
That also leads me to another question in regard to the hex codes vs the AMX IR files. If I import one of the ascii hex codes into IR Edit (e.g. Channel 2) it gives slightly different values for the modulation frequency and pulse lengths than the irl file does. (e.g. importing the hex for channel 2 shows a modulation frequency of 39Khz (38Khz from the irl file) which leads to the pulse lengths all being slightly different. It doesn't look to me as if this difference is enough to matter but I'm curious as to why. Is it because the hex format is based on pronto which takes its modulation frequency divisor (second hex word) based on the internal pronto clock of 4,145,146 Hz and the AMX irl format assumes a different internal clock (and therefore a different divisor for a given modulation frequency ?
Any suggestions very gratefully received.
Cheers
David F
Several things...
1. IF you have changed the buttons or opened the unit, on reassembly you must carefully guide the black paper shield into the space above the LED window in the body. It will try to flap down and then will BLOCK the IR pickup when assembled.
2. Note that the IR uses one address higher than the Keypad (and the address you set). So if you address the unit at 60 on axlink, button presses will carry the 60 address, but the IR will use 61. BOTH will appear in your NetLinx device tree.
3. Be sure you see your keypad/IR on the device tree at the address you expected! Note that the "DIPSWITCH" tool in Studio and the standalone may lead you to adjust the switches UPSIDE DOWN due to the labeling of the tiny switch in the MET. This will result in a wholly different address than you thought you set.
4. Turn on the diagnostics at the bottom of STUDIO, so you can see "press" events. There you will see any UI event at any address, including any IR being noted... regardless of what your code may be expecting to watch. This will tell you a lot.
5. The variances in frequency make little difference, and the ones in my kit are as supplied by AMX remotes, RIP. Every one of them is tested to work and are in use in hundreds of our systems.
6. You didn't mention what you are loading the IR into, but nearly anything that accepts HEX style IR will work. Has worked. Might work. We've had a few sites claim that the URC's deliver the code "sluggishly", or that they have to hold the button down for a second to make it work. This has been rare and might be due to settings in the remote itself (repeat rate, etc.).
7. There is no seventh thing. Maybe.
Thanks again (and apologies for the long delay in replying - I got distracted on to other things !. I'll work through your list and report back (hopefully with success !!)
Cheers
David
John,
I'm up against a similar problem - user wants to control keypad from their bed. Have you had to do any of these lately? I was hoping to load the codes onto either a Logitech Harmony or Dish remote and wondering if you had tried on those before.
Many thanks!
Jason
Well, that is until I see now that the MET6n is discontinued by AMX. Along with any mention of engraving services anymore. This is particularly distressing as now AMX has no Netlinx-series KEYPADS nor IR PICKUP devices for sale. Which just about ends the product line for versatile control use... Even more emphatically than having no handheld remote and no wireless panels. At least we still have TPControl. I hope.
So it does. And the accessory "IR03" pickup used by these is NOT marked discontinued, though they are listed as being for the UDM modules..
Sadly, this will NOT work on the NI700/900 (also discontinued, they want the discontinued IRX-PP38) and the new NX processors (available!) don't say what they would use for IR pickup.
A limited choice is better than none at all.
We have maybe 50 of the (discontinued) swivel-mount Axlink IR pickups if anyone is in a real bind.
Now I see AMX has a new MET-6nE (announced? available?) in the product pages, and similar versions replacing the other models. These are ETHERNET instead of AXLINK. There are also EXPANSION versions that daisy-chain up to two more keypads from the one with Ethernet. Or there was going to be. The expansion versions now are marked DISCONTINUED, So IF you wanted a gang of three, you'll need THREE cat5's to the bunch. Handy.
Lest I gripe too much, hurray for keypads back in the catalog. yay.
Hello...in my case If I import one of the ascii hex codes into IR Edit it gives slightly different values for the modulation frequency and pulse lengths than the irl file does. importing the hex for channel 2 shows a modulation frequency of 39Khz.
Captured IR values can vary and still work.
Back to the future... any ideas of what IR PICKUP can be used with the NX processor's IR RECEIVE port? The AMX IR03 was specified in the documentation, but it appears nowhere on the AMX site as a product. One would hope it would be a standards-based 3 wire jack that would just accept common IR pickups. However, none I have available here seem to do anything when connected. (I found the IR03 "available" on several distributor's sites, but first contacts turn up no stock. Also, the $80 and higher list price compared to what "ought" to work in the generic pickups is extravagant...)
The sensor has a signal conversion component before it gets into the controller. This is why an off the shelf receiver does not work. We do show inventory of the IR03. I am not sure why this product is not currently found on the website, but I did locate it on the old version of the website - but even that took some manual manipulation. I have let product management know about the web issue.
https://trade.amx.com/legacy/products/IR03.asp
Thanks... meanwhile, I had a chat with AMX support, and they sent a pic of several IR pickups they said one of their techs had tested to work with DXLink boxes which also specified the IR03. However, I had one of the supposed working types, and no dice. These are weird. Hard to understand why AMX would go with unique accessories. They could not have been a profit center even when you could find them on the site...