Home Theater Master (URC) MX-500 and Xiaomi MiBox (Android TV)?

[jseymour]

Hi There,

I'd thought I'd finally found an acceptable streaming device for my Plan, but found our MX-500 universal programmable/learning remotes seem to be incompatible with the Xiaomi MiBox (Android TV) built-in IR.  (I've a GE/Jasco IR remote that works, but the MX-500s cannot learn from it.)

So the question is: Can I salvage this with a Flirc?  I'm thinking I can, based on this post: http://forum.flirc.tv/index.php?/topic/1116-using-flirc-with-amazon-firetv/&page=4&tab=comments#comment-9650

but I'd like to know with some degree of certainty.  Otherwise I fear the MiBox is going to have to go back and I'm going to have to start all over.

Thanks in advance!

 

 

[yawor]

I'm using Flirc with MiBox but in a mixed way. I'm using a Nevo C2 remote and I've set it up so it uses MiBox's native IR for the keys it supports and custom IR via Flirc for more keys (for example to directly control some features in Kodi). This setup works really well.

It should also work with just the Flirc (without native IR) with some work.

Btw what options do you have when you program your URC? Can you enter custom pronto hex codes? If yes then I could try generating codes for the MiBox.

[jseymour]

Thanks for the follow-up, yawor!

The question is more one of whether the MX-500 and Flirc will get along.  As I understand it: The Flirc can be taught to send just about anything to the device in response to just about anything received via IR?  But some newer IR devices have inter-symbol timing that wasn't foreseen by URC's engineers, or operate at frequencies that were not in use at the time the MX-500 was made.  (The MX-500 applicable frequency range of learnable infrared signals is 10 to 100kHz.  The Flirc operates at 38KHz, I believe?)

No, you cannot directly enter hex codes into the MX-500.  Only thing you can do is use a JP1 (or, of course, other remote) to teach it.  I think I read where somebody tried that with a Harmony remote and got the same results as I: The MX-500 indicates it's learning, but does nothing with the results.

[yawor]

Yeah the MiBox protocol is a little complicated. Guys at the JP1 forum were able to create a protocol executors for few types of microcontrollers used in UEI remotes (like I've said, I'm using a Nevo C2 which can be programmed using RMIR).

As for the Flirc, you need to remember that it emulates a standard USB HID keyboard. So it should be able to control anything that accepts an USB keyboard input. On the IR side, it can be used with many (but not all) standard protocols, but from my experience it works best with NEC family protocols. So if you program your MX-500 to some device which uses one of the NEC protocols, then it should work.

[jseymour]

Well, there are people who've put the Flirc on MiBoxen and it worked, so I should be GTG in that respect.

As for NEC code sets for the MX-500: The Operating Manual has entries for NEC audio, TV, VCR and CD, so I should be GTG there.

It occurred to me I might lose power on, but that is the one code I was able to teach the MX-500 from the GE/Jasco remote.  Odd, but there it is. *shrug*

I guess I'll order-up a Flirc and see what happens.

Thanks, again, yawor!

ETA: Ordered!  Should be here sometime this coming week.

Edited May 20, 2018 by jseymour
update

[jseymour]

On 5/20/2018 at 5:29 PM, jseymour said:

I guess I'll order-up a Flirc and see what happens.
 

Or not.  Project's a bust.  The OTA tuners I planned to use turned out not to meet my needs, and there are no suitable alternatives, so it's all going back and I'm dumping the project.  I suppose I'll keep the Flirc around.    I've returned a couple or more things to Amazon, lately.  I don't want to push my luck.  Perhaps I'll have some unforeseen future need for it. (Tho, at this point, I've had about enough of this stuff, so I'm not likely to approach it again for a good long while.  If ever.)

Edited May 24, 2018 by jseymour

[jseymour]

Project brought back from the dead.

With yawor's patient help I got the Linux Flirc software installed on my Linux Mint 17 MATE box.  Plugged in the Flirc, fired-up the app.  It saw the Flirc and notified me of an available firmware update.  Installed it.

Programmed the MX-500 from a canned NEC TV profile (first one I tried that produced signals for all the joystick buttons: 130).  Taught the Flirc from it.  Plugged it into the MiBox.  Worked!  Taught the MX-500 the MiBox' power on/off from the inexpensive GE/Jasco remote.  Done!

Only MiBox button I'm missing I would like to have is the "Home" button.  Wouldn't hurt to have the MiBox' volume up/down buttons, as well.

[yawor]

For Home button, you can try to use Home button from Fire TV controller in the Flirc GUI. Fire TV also uses Android so it should also work with MiBox.

For Volume control use volume buttons on Media keys controller in the Flirc GUI.

[jseymour]

15 minutes ago, yawor said:

For Home button, you can try to use Home button from Fire TV controller in the Flirc GUI. Fire TV also uses Android so it should also work with MiBox.

For Volume control use volume buttons on Media keys controller in the Flirc GUI.

Got the Home button, now :)  Thanks again!

Oddly enough: Volume Up/Down doesn't emit anything on the MX-500 with this programming.  *shrug*  If it eventually becomes an issue I'll restart with another program set on the MX-500.

[jseymour]

Got another question.  Went to use the GE/Jasco remote on the MiBox this evening, and pressing "ok" would cause a right move, instead.  I'm going to assume the Flirc was somehow responsible for this?  (Removed the Flirc and the problem went away.)  Perhaps some default programming that was in there?  If so: Can I clear it of everything other than what I put in?

[yawor]

You can disable built-in profiles in advanced options in the GUI (in the file menu), but I don't think this is the issue.

I think you've probably recorded the signal from the Jasco remote by accident. So go to GUI, press the Erase button and press the Ok button on the Jasco remote.

[jseymour]

Nope.  Jasco remote wasn't even in the room when I programmed the Flirc.  Did the single-button erase, anyway.  Then the right-move button on the MX-500 no longer worked with the Flirc.  Re-recorded it and the behaviour from the Jasco remote was back.

Only thing I can figure is the MiBox' "ok" is an IR string that's got the right-move for the NEC TV set I set the MX-500 to embedded in it.

I may play with different programming in the MX-500.  Or I may just leave it.  The Jasco remote won't be used on the same MiBoxen the MX-500 is, and vice-versa.

This has got me thinking about irScrutinizer again, though :)

Edited May 30, 2018 by jseymour

[yawor]

Connect Flirc to your PC, open Flirc GUI and select Device Log in the File menu. Then check Enable IR Debugging. Press the Move Right button on the MX-500, then press the OK button on the Jasco. Then save it to a file and post here.

The signal may not be the same, but the way Flirc works, there's a really really small chance (but it's there) that two different signals can generate the same hash value, which Flirc uses internally. Maybe you're so "lucky", you've just stumbled upon such collision :). I'll be able to tell more when you post the file.

[jseymour]

MX-500 Move Right, followed by Jasco "ok"

	:e:19752
	0,1069,409,612,1031,608,414,608,733,586,1057,609,413,608,408,608,1330,612,409,608,413,608,1031,612
	:e:13
	0,1073,409,608,1032,612,409,608,738,608,1031,613,409,608,409,612,1330,608,413,608,409,608,1036,608
	:e:13
	0,1048,435,608,1031,613,408,608,738,608,1031,613,408,608,409,613,1329,608,414,608,408,608,1036,609
	 
	:e:11609
	0,1051,439,678,1044,672,448,673,755,672,1049,673,443,673,443,677,1342,673,750,678,443,673,1342,678
	:e:12
	0,1047,465,672,1044,678,443,677,750,673,1048,673,443,677,439,677,1346,673,750,677,443,673,1342,672
	:e:12
	0,1069,439,673,1048,673,443,677,750,677,1044,677,439,677,444,672,1343,677,750,677,439,679,1341,652
	:e:12
	0,1069,439,677,1044,651,469,673,750,677,1044,677,444,701,414,678,1342,677,750,651,465,678,1338,677
	:e:13
	0,1069,439,677,1044,677,443,673,754,677,1044,676,439,677,439,677,1342,682,745,651,465,677,1368,651
	:e:13
	0,1072,439,673,1044,677,444,677,751,676,1044,677,439,677,444,651,1368,677,746,677,443,678,1337,677
	

 

Edited May 30, 2018 by jseymour

[yawor]

This looks to me like a Xiaomi protocol, certainly not NEC. I'm confused right now. Haven't you previously said that the only key you've recorded from Jasco on your MX-500 was the power button? If yes, then why do you have a Xiaomi signal on MX-500's OK button? Maybe it's a leftover from some previous tests you've been doing?

[jseymour]

Trying it again.

 

MX-500 Move Right

	:e:28181
	0,1065,413,609,1031,609,413,583,759,623,1018,608,413,609,409,608,1330,587,435,609,409,608,1037,608
	:e:13
	0,1070,409,608,1032,609,413,609,733,608,1036,609,409,608,413,608,1331,608,409,613,409,608,1032,609
	:e:13
	0,1043,435,609,1031,609,409,612,734,608,1032,612,409,609,409,608,1330,613,409,609,428,593,1032,608
	:e:13
	0,1069,409,587,1058,608,409,608,774,573,1032,608,414,608,410,608,1331,608,413,609,409,608,1032,613
	

 

GE/Jasco "ok" button (Xiaomi code set [1654])

 

	:e:23363
	0,1069,440,651,1071,673,443,678,750,678,1044,647,469,648,469,677,1343,651,772,677,444,673,1343,651
	:e:12
	0,1070,439,647,1070,678,443,652,776,647,1071,677,445,672,443,652,1369,651,772,678,443,673,1339,677
	:e:12
	0,1053,439,674,1045,694,426,652,776,652,1070,673,444,673,443,652,1365,677,751,651,465,678,1339,677
	:e:12
	0,1048,460,678,1045,651,466,677,751,651,1071,673,444,652,465,677,1343,678,751,691,425,652,1365,677
	:e:13
	0,1043,465,678,1045,673,443,677,751,677,1045,697,419,652,465,677,1343,677,746,677,443,696,1320,677
	:e:13
	0,1069,439,652,1066,677,444,651,777,673,1045,677,440,706,415,647,1373,673,751,677,439,677,1339,677
	

 

And, yes: The only key on the MX-500 learned from the Jasco was the power button.  The MX-500 claims it learns the others, but they don't accomplish anything on the MiBox when pressed.

 

Hmmm... In fact: Here's what the MX-500 learned from the Jasco ("ok" button programmed into the "ok" button on the MX-500 for an unused device):

 

	:e:1340
	0,1069,409,609,1032,586,435,608,734,586,1058,608,409,608,409,613,1330,609,733,613,409,608,1330,609
	:e:13
	0,1069,409,613,1032,608,409,587,759,608,1032,612,409,609,409,608,1330,613,733,608,409,613,1330,608
	:e:12
	0,1070,409,612,1032,608,409,613,733,608,1032,612,416,602,408,587,1352,612,733,608,409,613,1330,608
	:e:12
	0,1070,409,586,1054,613,409,608,733,613,1032,608,409,613,409,608,1331,608,733,613,409,610,1329,612
	:e:12
	0,1069,409,608,1034,611,409,608,733,612,1032,608,409,613,404,613,1330,608,734,612,409,609,1330,612
	:e:12
	0,1069,409,608,1032,612,409,608,734,612,1031,587,430,613,409,608,1330,612,733,587,430,613,1326,613
	:e:12
	0,1069,409,612,1032,608,409,613,733,608,1032,612,409,608,409,587,1352,613,733,608,409,613,1326,613
	

 

I wish the Flirc app gave you the ability to clear that debug window w/o having to exit the app entirely.  If you have any influence with the development team, perhaps you could persuade them to add that?

 

 

[yawor]

Good idea with the clear button. It's already done and probably will be in the next release.

[jseymour]

Did some more experimentation.  Tried using a Hitachi (I think it was) code set on the Flirc.  Same behaviour.  Hmmm... Tried using a different NEC code set.  Yup: Same thing.  (Btw: As well as the GE/Jasco's "ok" button producing a Right Move on the MiBox, the Right Move button produced two Right Moves.)

Then, leaving the Flirc plugged in, I blinded it by stuffing it behind the cabinet.

Behaviour went away.

So I'm guessing there's some "native" programming in the Flirc that's causing this?