Had a first recently - I've got a customer with a Coda 07x preamp. As many may or may not know, there is very little info on the web in regards to CI with Coda products. Coda includes a URC MX-450 as the "OEM" remote for the preamp, and URC has a software package called the "MX-450 Archiver" that you can import the remote program into and it will program the MX-450 to operate the 07x.

My company is a RTI/ProControl dealer and I've been programming and installing medium complexity ProControl and RTI products for almost 5 years. My customer has another ProControl remote that we programmed for him and wants to switch this system to a ProControl as well.

First step was getting the IR Hex Data into the library manager. For those unaware, the ProControl Pro24.r has an IR learner built into the end of the remote. Within the IR library manager you create a remote, assign function labels, align the IR frequency of the remote, then learn the codes. First issue I had was to do with IR frequency. The ProControl alternated between 2 different frequency levels it was aligning to - one around 38KHz and the other Around 63kHz. It took a while, but I was able to eventually learn all of the codes at the 38kHz alignment, which is what I'm used to seeing. May someone here can comment on if the 63kHz alignment is normal as I haven't seen anything in that range.

I programmed the remote with the functionality I needed, but the IR codes I read straight from the "OEM" remote wouldn't operate the preamp. Called tech support that day and waited on hold for almost 2 hours without ever getting to talk to tech support before having to go to another service call.

Was back at that customer's house today and actually talked to someone in tech support. Through a remote session he checked over all of the settings in the remote programming and the IR library manager and couldn't find an issue. He told me to try relearning the codes. I tried relearning the codes at both frequency alignments still without luck. Each "version" learned of each code shows the same Hex Data (i.e. volume up shows the same Hex data for all 3 times I learned it, just shows a different frequency alignment).

I confirmed the frequency range of the Pro24.r to be 15kHz-460kHz, so that shouldn't be an issue. The MX-450 has 2 flashers on the end, so it's possible the 2nd flasher is there to try to fool code-learners (didn't think of that until after).

None of the IR libraries I have (ProControl, RTI, and URC) contain hex data for Coda products, so if anyone has confirmed hex data for Coda I would appreciate it. Any help or suggestions you guys can provide would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

As a former RTI / ProControl guy, I don't have any answers to your questions, but going forward, I would highly recommend you move on to a better control system system. I use Harmony Pro for one room / small / budget systems and Elan or Savant for the rest.

Harmony just works, it is rare to have coding issues etc. My life has been a lot happier since I switched.

Sounds like the Coda may have toggle bit codes. I don't know Procontrol well but most control lines will have a toggle bit learning mode.

Still, that doesn’t explain the alternating frequencies. The vast majority of toggle bit products will be using RC5/RC6 which learn just fine, and will typically operate once before failing (unless toggle bits are ignored like how Marantz products work).

Since you seem to be getting hex, could you post a few codes?

You just are getting bad learns. I ran into a pioneer AVR that the database didn’t have a working volume for. It took several attempts to get the OEM remote codes to learn in the ProControl. The receiver in ProCotnrol sucks. If you get the distance wrong, it changes the frequency and screws up your codes. If you do RTI, use your RTI learner.

Even with the RTI learner and polishing with IrScrutinizer, I’ve had issues with the code repetition.

Edit: to avoid misunderstanding, I have no experience with Coda, this is a generic comment and I’ve seen this only a couple times. And, it’s easy to test a code. I was banging my head against the wall, trying other code sets, code sets from different sources (they were the same after close inspection), re-learning, and tweaking the carrier frequency. Finally, I tried inserting a repetition — success, time to go home, but very grumpy.

It really has more to do with the programming and installation. I just walked a large, in place Crestron system that the install was a mess and the DTV programming on the Ipad was only favorites and channel up down.

I can't imagine using Harmony for what we do but if it works good for you then there you go.