John,
Here are the instructions that you sent to me with the Pioneer2.irp file.

I'm attaching the Pioneer2.irp file I used to generate those.

To use that file with MakeHex you need to first convert the four parts
of the command from hex to decimal

A5 56 A5 04 --> 165 86 165 04

The first part (165) is the "first device number". The second part (86)
is the "prefix command". The third part (165) is the "second device
number" and the last part is the "function".

Next edit the Pioneer2.irp file with a text editor, such as Windows
Notepad. Change (if necessary) the two device numbers on the first line
to be the first and second device numbers of the command you want
seperated by a dot (I already made it 165.165). Change (if necessary)
the number on the second line to be the prefix command. (I already made
it 86)

Next save that .irp file and drag/drop the icon of the .irp file onto
the icon of MakeHex.exe. That will create a file Pioneer2.hex

Open Pioneer2.hex in a text editor (such as notepad) and you will find
Pronto Hex for each possible function 0 through 255. Find the
function(s) you want, in this case both commands you asked for have the
same device and prefix numbers so both are included in the output of one
run of MakeHex.

Device=165.165
Define P=86
Function=0..255

Protocol=Pioneer2
Frequency=40000
Time Base=564
One=1,-3
Zero=1,-1
Prefix=16,-8
Suffix=1,-78
Form=;*,D:8,~D:8,P:8,~P:8,_,*,S:8,~S:8,F:8,~F:8,_

I used this with Makehex to create Pronto Hex for all of the ccf's that are on the Pioneer site. None of those files use learned commands. They are all "translated" from the NEC style hex code lists that are also posted on the site.
Thanks to John Fine and his useful programs it was easy, albeit time consuming, to create the ccf's.
swolcott, have fun with this. I can definitely understand your desire to learn. That's what prompted me to start the project that partially led to our site

John Bass
National Trainer - Home Electronics
Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc.