GEOSATpro Toshiba TV remotes conflict with MicroHD

[pacificrim]

I've been too busy until now to post this...
My Toshiba LCD TV remotes (I have 2 and tested the spare too and my universal does the same) conflict with the MicroHD.
Volume down changes the channel of the Micro. Volume up brings up the EPG . Input mutes it.
The Toshiba remote is model# CT-90302

The MicroHD remote does not conflict with the TV.

 

[phlatwound]

When I was using my microHD I noticed the exact same thing, and I also tried 2 different Toshiba remotes.

 

[primestar31]

So, shade the beam window on the MicroHD with something (cigar tube, paper towel tube?), and move the receiver a little farther away from the beam window on your tv set.

Then, aim better with the remotes.

 

[USDownlink]

So, shade the beam window on the MicroHD with something (cigar tube, paper towel tube?), and move the receiver a little farther away from the beam window on your tv set.

Then, aim better with the remotes.

As a practical matter your advice is probably the best that the OP needs, and in this particular situation it is likely viable and correct. But the fundamental issue is bothersome. I have this very problem between two receivers, and it's not readily solvable through aiming and jostling boxes around. (Think dedicated closet mounting for receivers, video distribution backbones, X10 remote extenders, that sort of thing..) I'd love a reasonable solution, but everything I can think of is a LOT of work...

 

[wallyhts]

I'm thinking its time for us to come up with a UHF remote solution.

 

[jdbob]

I ran into that situation as well. Years ago I built a board with a 8 pin PIC microprocessor on it that intercepted IR signals from the detector, converted them to another format, and sent them out again. I don't even remember what the purpose was anymore. I'm thinking of intercepting the output of the IR detector in the microHD and doing something similar. I could use my old Viewsat remote control (which I know doesn't interfere with the Toshiba) and convert it's codes to the ones used by the microHD.

I suspect the IR decoding is being done by the ALI chip in the microHD so it's probably not something SatelliteAV can do anything about.

 

[chaskuchar]

the old remote for the geosatpro dsr200c receiver works fine on the microhd. did the dsr200c have the ali chip? i don't think so. charlie

 

[SatelliteAV]

The RCU codes have been used in GEOSATpro receivers for the past 6 years. We mapped the key codes to the microHD and are able to have RCU compatibility between all GEOSATpro models.

IR codes are occasionally duplicated on different devices. The microHD RCU is hardcoded with a single IR.

A user could easily adapt the RCU and microHD to operate on an RF link instead of an IR. Check out the NextGen Remote Extender. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000C1Z0HA
Remove the microHD emitter and place the NextGen emitter inside the microHD case and cover the IR window.

 

[jdbob]

The strange thing is that the uHD shouldn't respond at all to the Toshiba remote control.

I've gotten as far as decoding the 32 bit code sent using IR and sending it to my PC as 1200baud serial in hex-ascii format:

uHD Channel up: 40401FE0
uHD Channel down: 40401EE1
Toshiba Channel up: 40BF1BE4
Toshiba Channel down: 40BF1FE0

In fact, all uHD codes start with 4040 and all Toshiba codes start with 40BF. The uHD should ignore the Toshiba codes, sounds like ALI screwed up.

 

[primestar31]

Maybe the Toshiba remote puts out a harmonic frequency that the MicroHD picks up on? Or it catches it on a rise or fall.

 

[jdbob]

Maybe the Toshiba remote puts out a harmonic frequency that the MicroHD picks up on? Or it catches it on a rise or fall.

Or maybe the light from Venus is reflecting off of some swamp gas?

Seriously though, infrared remote controls work by generating a series of pulses, each consisting of a specific durations where the infrared emitter is turned on and off at a fairly high rate, usually about 38000 times per second. The infrared detector circuits are designed to only recognize that rate. I also doubt if any harmonics could be generated, even the second harmonic of infrared light wouldn't be infrared any more!

The problem is much more likely to be some sloppy programming. Like the other problem people are having where if they disable a satellite that has channels configured without removing those channels first it goes into a reboot loop instead of handling it gracefully.

 

[SatelliteAV]

The problem is much more likely to be some sloppy programming.

Thanks! Appreciate your feedback. Really helpful!

 

[primestar31]

Or maybe the light from Venus is reflecting off of some swamp gas?

Seriously though, infrared remote controls work by generating a series of pulses, each consisting of a specific durations where the infrared emitter is turned on and off at a fairly high rate, usually about 38000 times per second. The infrared detector circuits are designed to only recognize that rate. I also doubt if any harmonics could be generated, even the second harmonic of infrared light wouldn't be infrared any more!

The problem is much more likely to be some sloppy programming. Like the other problem people are having where if they disable a satellite that has channels configured without removing those channels first it goes into a reboot loop instead of handling it gracefully.

I have disabled satellites, with channels remaining, and I haven't experienced any boot loops. So IMO there's more going on there than simply disabling sats in the menu.

I just made a suggestion-theory to throw it out there. I have no idea if it's possible, but I agree you did do a good job at insulting two people while explaining your THEORY.

Which by the way, we appreciate educated (even wild, sometimes) theories, as you never know.... But we can do without the rest while they are being given.

 

[USDownlink]

I have disabled satellites, with channels remaining, and I haven't experienced any boot loops.

I just made a suggestion-theory to throw it out there. I have no idea if it's possible, but I agree you did do a good job at insulting two people while explaining your THEORY.

Which by the way, we appreciate educated (even wild, sometimes) theories, as you never know.... But we can do without the rest while they are being given.

YIKES. There are no insults in the following:

Or maybe the light from Venus is reflecting off of some swamp gas?

Seriously though, infrared remote controls work by generating a series of pulses, each consisting of a specific durations where the infrared emitter is turned on and off at a fairly high rate, usually about 38000 times per second. The infrared detector circuits are designed to only recognize that rate. I also doubt if any harmonics could be generated, even the second harmonic of infrared light wouldn't be infrared any more!

The problem is much more likely to be some sloppy programming. Like the other problem people are having where if they disable a satellite that has channels configured without removing those channels first it goes into a reboot loop instead of handling it gracefully.

No insults, rather, a fair attempt at explaining the behavior noted. I am tempted to crack the cases on a few of my remotes based on his post, and tempted to correct and expand upon some of his language. But no insults.

I have no idea if it's possible ...

Noted.

 

[jdbob]

Finally got it to work. As an extra I have it send an "Exit" remote command 2 seconds after the last channel up or channel down command to get rid of the "Moving Dish" popup should it come on when going between satellites. I used the ancient EPROM based PIC that was used in the previous project from years ago. Took me a while to find my UV light for erasing

http://www.certsoft.com/uhdremote.jpg

 

[primestar31]

Finally got it to work. As an extra I have it send an "Exit" remote command 2 seconds after the last channel up or channel down command to get rid of the "Moving Dish" popup should it come on when going between satellites. I used the ancient EPROM based PIC that was used in the previous project from years ago. Took me a while to find my UV light for erasing

http://www.certsoft.com/uhdremote.jpg

What does that device do? Or maybe the question should be of what advantage it is?

 

[wallyhts]

Finally got it to work. As an extra I have it send an "Exit" remote command 2 seconds after the last channel up or channel down command to get rid of the "Moving Dish" popup should it come on when going between satellites. I used the ancient EPROM based PIC that was used in the previous project from years ago. Took me a while to find my UV light for erasing

http://www.certsoft.com/uhdremote.jpg

You got my attention can you post some more details.

 

[jdbob]

What does that device do? Or maybe the question should be of what advantage it is?

Now that I think about some more, it actually does more than it needs to do.

My original hypotheses was that the microHD and my Toshiba TV shared some of the same remote control codes. For example, channel up and channel down on the Toshiba would cause the microHD to act like it had gotten a channel up command. Even worse, changing the picture size on the Toshiba was interpreted by the microHD as a "Record" command.

In order to get around the problem I figured I would use another similar remote control (I had a remote for my old Viewsat HD receiver) and convert it's commands to ones that the microHD could use. After some testing I found out that my hypotheses was wrong, the microHD and the Toshiba didn't share the same codes. What I found instead was that there is a bug in the microHD that causes it try to process the Toshiba codes even though it should ignore them. So, doing a translation from the Viewsat codes to the microHD codes isn't really needed.

This weekend I'm going to simplify my code to:
1) Receive the microHD remote control codes.
2) Verify that they are actually for the microHD (the step that the microHD doesn't do correctly)
3) If valid, send out the same code to the microHD.

 

[SatelliteAV]

All of this IR talk has me wondering...

Has anyone experienced remote control IR conflicts between the microHD receiver and and other model remotes?

Example: we know that the CNX has used similar IR codes and I recall that a user reported that a few keys of a Coolsat model controlled the microHD.

Any others?

 

[T4Runner]

All of this IR talk has me wondering...

Has anyone experienced remote control IR conflicts between the microHD receiver and and other model remotes?

Example: we know that the CNX has used similar IR codes and I recall that a user reported that a few keys of a Coolsat model controlled the microHD.

Any others?

Yes, but it is very unique and would not apply to any of the many buyers of the MicroHD. I am using the microHD next to a security system video display. It is a LOREX 4 channel all in one 14" display, not the flat screen. At any rate the remote for the video security system sometimes cause the MicroHD to turn off. I'm not sure which remote buttons, as it does not really matter, I rarely use the remote for the security system.