Pronto's and other programmable remotes were not particularly designed for RS-232 functionality. Typically RS-232 funcionality is used in higher-end control systems such as AMX or Crestron. Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule, and I have personally used these remotes with both AMX and Crestron processors.
These systems are what you need in order to parse the data from the particular equipment you are controlling. For example: Say you are controlling a projector with an AMX control system. Beyond the basic ON/OFF/Source controls, you could extend the control one step further...You could have the projector report how many hours are on the lamp. The AMX processor could then use this information in a number of ways: it could simply display it on a touch panel; it could track how many hours the projector has been on, and follow usage requirements that you set, or if you get really fancy, you can have your processor send you or your dealer an email when you get close to the expected lamp life. That way you can order a new lamp in time. You could even use mathematical statistics to track your average use and send this email to you a week (or 2...whatever), before you are expected to reach the lamp life.
