I know nothing about IR codes but am a willing learner. Can someone direct me to where I might learn what .pcf .ccf .mxf et al means and do they all have to be converted into hex so that my MX850 can use them? If so what converter should I use?
I'm sure there's some eye rolling out there and I apologize.

.pcf .ccf and .mxf all refer to files created by specific remote control program editors. For instance the Pronto editor will create a .ccf file for the Pronto remote control, the URC MX-900 editor will create a .mxg file specifically for the MX-900 remote. The editor program for the MX850 should have a Universal Browser that will open files such as .ccf and some others as well that will then allow you to drag those codes into your file for your remote.

That's great information. I read somewhere on here that the MX reote will only take learned commands. If I import a Pronto .ccf file into the Univ Browser, convert it to a hex file then drag it to a button, does that constitute a learned code or do I have to do something else to it?

There are several different forms of Pronto Hex. The Universal Browser only understands one of those forms (the most common). When Universal Browser finds that form of Pronto Hex in a CCF file, it will call it a "learned" code. Actually, the form of Pronto Hex has little to do with whether the signal was learned.

A signal may be stored in the CCF in a form Universal Browser doesn't understand (and doesn't call "learned") even though the signal was just learned into the Pronto. A signal created by a program such as MakeHex will be in the form Universal Browser calls "learned" even though the signal is program generated, not learned.


What do you mean by "convert it to a hex file"? I don't think there is any option like that when opening a ccf in Universal Browser.


In Universal Browser, you can simply drag from signals in the CCF to buttons in the MX editor. You don't request any kind of conversion. If the signal is the type Universal Browser understands, it will label it as "learned" and let you drag it. Otherwise it won't.

If you have a CCF with signals in a Pronto Hex form that Universal Browser doesn't understand, you probably can convert to a form it does understand using DecodeCCF.exe, DecodeIr.dll, MakeHex, and Hex2CCF.

[Link: john.fine.home.comcast.net]
[Link: john.fine.home.comcast.net]
[Link: john.fine.home.comcast.net]
[Link: remotecentral.com]

Even if the CCF file has the form of Pronto Hex that Universal Browser understands, you may find DecodeCCF and DecodeIR.dll very useful for previewing the set of signals in that CCF file.

Brilliant, thank you!
In the Universal Browser you can paste hex or import a file. I erroneously thought that when one imported the file it converted it to a common language ie hex and could then be assigned to a button.