I am new to crestron, and very used to easy ways to find IR discrete codes for the Prontos and Urcs. Crestron is without a doubt much better designed than any other control devices in my opinion, but i really started to feel that it's device's database sucks. They release new Device databases and you only find a few devices in there. you have to create your own. Am i missing something? is there like a "onlyoneremote" universal database to import? or do I have to pretty much learn everything?

Also, sometimes the original remote controls does not have discrete codes for on off or sources, but the unit is capable of doing that if you have the Discrete codes. How do you guys do? Search it online? Call the device manufacturer and ask for tech support send you an IR Hex file?

Thanks

1. A good place to go to is the Yahoo Crestron group site. You can find alot of ir modules there.

[Link: tech.groups.yahoo.com]


2. Many times I have used a similar device but not the exact device to get the codes I needed.

3. Sometimes I have had to learn the codes .


Crestron's device database is not as exhaustive as the URC database but it is getting better as time goes by. It definately needs more work though.

I had an interesting converstation with the Crestron technical director for Canada the other week. He told me that Crestron is attempting to reduce the size of systembuilder by going to a driver based system whereby all of the drivers will be residing on their website and we would download them as needed. Who knows when this will happen but apparently, it's in the works......

Why we need a database for every model of a brands equipment is beyond me. I can control my 10 year old Pioneer receiver with the same codes for my 2 year old Elite.


This would be great until you're trying to finish a job and your interent access is down.

I don't rely on someone else's database to get the job done. Being able to make contacts with technical people at a company, being able to decipher IR and Serial documentation, the ability to cross reference other databases as well as the proper equipment for learning codes should be all you need to be successful. I have my own database which I have built that allows me to import anything into Crestron, RTI, URC, etc. Don't be discouranged by limited IR codes, they are seldom never good enough when used in practice.

You can build your own IR drivers. I take the hex data for discretes right out of pronto edit and paste them into crestron IR software "deal". Then I learn the remaining commands.

+1 - still using the RTI IR-PRO. Haven't sprung for crestrons version yet.

But you can only copy from pronto what you physically learned right? whatever is on the Philips database shows "DATABASE CODE" instead of the Hex codes...

So you guys think it is still easier to learn with Pronto or RTI instead of the Crestron $500 learner itself ?

Yes much better in my opinion, the Crestron learner is large and has to be plugged into your laptop. I use a old pronto remote to learn the ir codes and test them with the remote before converting them over in deal. It is alot easier to take the remote into each room and test the learned codes than to drag your laptop around with Crestrons learner attached to each room for testing.