Axcent 3 IR

rolo

I have an old axcent controller in a customer's house that I didnt install..I am just taking over support from another company. I have to install a new DVD player.

How does one replace the currently used IR file with a new one w/o screwing anything else up?

Thanks

Rolo

champ

You coudl retrieve IR files using IRLib (dos program) but I've never succeeded using IREdit or Netlinx studio. Unfortunately IRLib and windows XP are not friends, so you need a win98 box.

My memory of the dos days is rusty but I remeber it was not as simple as retrieving it. You have to then save it as an .irl, and then the functions all appear as 'unknown' unless you already have a copy of them somewhere in your irl database.

The other way is to connect to the AMX in terminal and (assuming device 8) type:

pulse[8,1]
pulse[8,2]
pulse[8,3]
...and so on until you're convinced you have all the functions or gone to channel 255

By doing this you can figure out what function each channel does, then arrange the new ir file into the same channel structure before downloading it into the master.

Beware though, if the new DVD player functions differently then you are in trouble and need the source code.

Eg if the old dvd player had 'scan fwd' and 'skip fwd' buttons but the new one only has 'ffwd' but you hold it down to scan fwd
Eg2 'pause' and 'play' were different buttons now 'play' toggles to pause
Eg3 the old code used 'power' to shut the unit down and 'play' to power it up but the new dvd doesn't power up on 'play'.

short story - get the source code or risk problems.

ldeblank@jnv.nl

It's really simple.
Make sure you set your communication settings to axcess master
First check the port of the axcent 3 where the ir file is that need updating.
Start Netlinx studio.
Tools.....File transfer......add......other.....irl/irv files
Find the irl file on your computer
add it to the transfer window.
Fill in the port number of the axcent 3 where the file must be replaced (ir ports are 8 to 13) and transfer the file.

Good luck

DHawthorne

It's easy enough to replace an IR file, the problem is making certain the new channels match up with whatever the code sends on a button press. If you can retrieve the source, it's just a matter of digging through and finding how it sends the IR, then adjusting the code or panel accordingly. If you have no source, you may have a problem, unless its a simple direct mapping of panel channels to IR (which is likely, actually). If it's a lot of work, sometimes it's easier to simply re-write the entire project ... something I have done on ocassion anyway, just to bring the project in line with something easier for me to wrap my head around. I hate messing with other people's code since 95% of the time it is completely uncommented and an absolute ball of spaghetti. Ever look at the Escient Fireball "modules" released by Escient? They work, but figuring out what they did to make them work is another story altogether.

ldeblank@jnv.nl

I' m sorry i misunderstood the question.
Any way you can try to use open axcess (an old amx windows program) and check the port to see the channels changing state when you push a button on the panel and the ir code is send.
It may take a while but then you know the channels.

Another way to use openaxcess is to push every channel on the port with this program then you can see the responce on the old dvd player.
After that you can take your new irl file and compare the channels. In the past i used Netlinx studio 1.2 to edit ir files for swapping over channels.
Good luck

rolo

Thanks Guys...


I have the source...so if I have the osurce and can edit it to fix little issues, do i just upload the new one into its place? What about the mapping of the devices? Is it going to matter that it is the only IR File I have when mappiung devices? in other words, since i dont have all of the other IR files to map to in studio, is it going to overwrite and cause the other IR devices to not work?? Ive never done this so I am completely ignorant...

Thanks

Rolo

ldeblank@jnv.nl

Rolo,

Downloading the program doesn't overwrite your IR files. Neither does a new ir file. The only important thing is that you do your download to the right device. So a program to the master (port 0) and a IR file to a ir port (port8 to 13 on a axcent3). Every Ir port is one device so let's say your dvd player is on port 10 you must download your new ir file to port 10.

champ

By the way, the first IR port on an axcent 3 is port 8

You can figure out which port the DVD is on by looking at which port the IR emitter is coming from.

If it's all cable tied up and too hard to figure then just watch for which LED flashes on the front of the master when you send a command (unless it's a really old Axcent 3 which didn't have a LED for each port).