I an not a dealer or an installer, just a Elan user. I happened to purchase a Z-090 from a dealer who uses Via Tools and the learner now and had no need for Z-090 anymore. I learned the IR commands into the Z-090 and uploaded them into the Z-100/150's no problem, but now I want to archive the settings (memory) to my PC. Anyway, the dealer downloaded the current version of the Z-tools version 2.2 from the Elan Dealer only site. When I connect the Z-090 to the PC running WinXP with a 9-pin serial cable, the program responds with “Communications Error – Unable to get firmware version from Z-090” and quits after you press "ok". If you run the program without Z-090 connected you can get to the program started but it gives this message “Z-090 not found on Com 1 – 4" and you cannot do anything with it. Has anyone experienced this in the past? Does the Z-090 require like Windows 3.0 to work since the program is so old. Does XP cause problems with the com ports that the program is not set up for? Are there special ports settings other than 9600/8/N/1/N in XP. I emailed Elan tech support, but I have a feeling I will not get a response. I did check the System BIOS to make sure the com ports are in fact turned on and the setting match XP's.

Is there a firmware upgrade patch that you need to run to get the Z-090 up to date?

Also, does anyone have a CCF file for the Z-100/150 keypads that you can email to me that is tested. The files sections has a few, but they are not complete.

It may be a problem with XP we have always used Windows 98 with Z tools. Also make sure that you don't have anything running such as a PDA sync program

While I'm at it....

Since my keypads are programmed now with the Z-090, I programmed my URC-8810w remote to work the source and volume keys on the elan system. Apparently the keypads are passing the ir signals to the system 6 rather than initiating the ir signals programmed in the keypad. How do you get the incoming ir signal to be processed in the z-100/150 before it passes to the system 6? I thought if I programmed the keypad buttons on each source, I could create one device on my remote to control the keypad and it functions in any mode. I programmed a macro on the DSS source to select Zone x on my Z-880 video switcher, then select the source for the DSS. Not so with the remote when I initiate the DSS device key.

The ir pickup in the Z series keypads is a pass-through only, really only a Xantech 490-00 connected to the same IR output as the IR driver in the keypad itself. The keypad does not "listen" to the ir pickup, only sends on the same bus. You'll need to write the same macro in the handheld remote, and hold it on the IR pickup for the duration of the macro string.

Thanks Owen, exactly what I figured. Why are there IR codes for the keypad buttons then found in this file posted here:

[Link: remotecentral.com]

Seems strange to have them if they do not do anything.

They are posted for the "ELAN" codes for to control Elan's preamp, such as volume, treble, bass, whole house on, whole house off, source select, etc.

Hope that helps,

JJP