Danny,
No, the backlighting is not used in programming the remote. There is a seperate red light which is used for that function. (which is working)
Does it have discrete codes? This remote can trigger discrete codes if they exist for your equipment. (I'm not sure if that answers your question or not)
There is a wealth of information available about this remote on these forums & on the web, but let me know if you have any other questions. Here are some links:
UEIC Remote Info:
[Link: hifi-remote.com]Remote Central Forum 15-1994 post:
[Link: remotecentral.com]Thanks,
-Dan