Learning Mode?

[Sinan]

Hi my BenQ EW3280U monitor isn't supported in the app but I have its remote. How can I use the remote learning feature? It's listed as a feature in the ad but there's no explanation of how to use it.

[Phyrant]

I'd like to know this too. I have a few devices that aren't in the supported list.

[jd531]

I also have a device that seems to be unsupported but have the original remote (Sceptre U55 maybe U550CV). I plan to open a more targeted thread.

[DDRRE]

Same here. I got the Skip so I could manage volume control on multiple devices simultaneously (Pioneer VSA-AX10Ai, which is supported, and Topping Pre90, which very much isn't).

I was 1000000% sure this device will have a custom learning mode and "custom everything", but looks like I was wrong.

I also have a Flirc USB receiver, I wonder if we can use that to teach the remote.

 

This should be added to the FAQ.

Edited June 30, 2023 by DDRRE

[Sinan]

I have done a bunch of reading around and the forum FAQ (not the website FAQ) mentions that the learning function is coming in a future firmware update.

[Sinan]

On another note, I have worked out all of the Pronto codes for my BenQ EW3280U monitor. I am attaching my json file to this post: BenQ-EW3280U-TV.json

One problem I have left is that the volume up/down buttons don't send a continuous signal.

[jason]

3 hours ago, Sinan said:

On another note, I have worked out all of the Pronto codes for my BenQ EW3280U monitor. I am attaching my json file to this post: BenQ-EW3280U-TV.json

One problem I have left is that the volume up/down buttons don't send a continuous signal.

Do they work as you expect with the regular remote? It's possible they are doing something on their end to rate limit it.

[Sinan]

9 hours ago, jason said:

Do they work as you expect with the regular remote? It's possible they are doing something on their end to rate limit it.

They do work as I expect on the regular remote, e.g. hold the volume up button and the signal is repeatedly emitted. 

So one question I have is: could this be due to the Pronto code being generated incorrectly? Some context here, I used the following image to generate the pronto codes myself: 

I took the customer code and key-code, then plugged them into this conversion tool: https://www.yamaha.com/ypab/irhex_converter.asp. So for example the power button is 6030-02 before pressing the Generate button.

The thing about this tool though is there is nothing about whether the code should be one-shot or continuous as mentioned in the table. Is this something I need to provide when generating a Pronto code?

[Sinan]

Some further reading makes me believe that the Pronto codes I have generated are good. The issue might be to do with rate limiting as jason mentioned. I have no idea :(

Edit: I found this greyed out section in the skip app about timing, could it help if I could use it?

Edited July 2, 2023 by Sinan

[jason]

On 7/2/2023 at 4:00 AM, Sinan said:

Some further reading makes me believe that the Pronto codes I have generated are good. The issue might be to do with rate limiting as jason mentioned. I have no idea :(

Edit: I found this greyed out section in the skip app about timing, could it help if I could use it?

That wont do anything unfortunately. I have an idea. Let me try altering the pronto code.

[jason]

Try using this as Volume Down: 

0000 006D 0022 0000 0155 00AA 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0040 0015 0040 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0040 0015 0040 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0040 0015 0015 0015 0040 0015 0015 0015 0040 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0040 0015 0015 0015 0040 0015 0015 0015 0040 0015 0040 0015 0040 0015 14C8

This as Volume Up:

0000 006D 0022 0000 0155 00AA 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0040 0015 0040 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0040 0015 0040 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0040 0015 0015 0015 0040 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0040 0015 0040 0015 0015 0015 0040 0015 0015 0015 0040 0015 0040 0015 0040 0015 14C8

[Sinan]

17 hours ago, jason said:

Try using this as Volume Down: 

0000 006D 0022 0000 0155 00AA 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0040 0015 0040 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0040 0015 0040 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0040 0015 0015 0015 0040 0015 0015 0015 0040 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0040 0015 0015 0015 0040 0015 0015 0015 0040 0015 0040 0015 0040 0015 14C8

This as Volume Up:

0000 006D 0022 0000 0155 00AA 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0040 0015 0040 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0040 0015 0040 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0040 0015 0015 0015 0040 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0040 0015 0040 0015 0015 0015 0040 0015 0015 0015 0040 0015 0040 0015 0040 0015 14C8

Thanks so much, this worked! It would be interesting to know how you figured this out.

Also, if this is going to be added to the db, here is the updated json file:BenQ-EW3280U-TV.json

[jason]

I'll have it added.

I think the monitor is rate limiting it, there is no way the remote can do it. So what I did was altered the code.

TLDR Version:
NEC codes send a repeat pulse. I removed the repeat pulse and increased the time between packets. So rather than the monitor thinking you are holding the button, it thinks you are pressing the button multiple times while holding it down.

Long Version:

I put the pronto code in IR Scrutinizer:

The second pulse at the end in NEC codes is a 'repeat' pulse. To save power, rather than turning on the LED for the entire code again, they do that small 'bloop' at the end. This says to the device, 'repeat what you last got' as long as it's within a 40ms. This small two pulse signal will continue while you hold the button down, and the remote never sends the original longer packet until you press the button again.

So I converted this into raw timings in ir scrutinizer:

You can see the second frame on the end [+8967,-2235,+552,-96111][]

This is a positive pulse of 9 ms, negative pulse of 2.2ms, positive of 0.500ms, and a negative of 96ms. The 96 ms is the time between this pulse, and what will become the next repeat pulse.

I removed this and increased the last negative number on the list so it was much greater than 50ms. Remember, the last number says, what is the time between 'packets'. By increasing this enough, we can trick the device into thinking you are lifting up the button and pressing it again.

So here is the result

Note, the last negative number is now -140ms.

And back to pronto:

[Sinan]

Awesome, thanks for the in depth explanation. That's an impressive hack.