I have another basic question about IR repeater systems. How do IR repeat systems handle multiple receivers? Why do I ask this question? If I wiring up a 3rd party device to send IR trigger codes to an RP-6 how is artibration handled on the IR bus or is it just a free for all. Do all these systems just assume that no two IR command will be sent at once or is there some handshaking. I have read everything I could find on IR repeaters and this issue is never addressed? From circuits I have looked at I do not see anything but I am not familar IR transmitters/receivers.

From what I have seen during usage and testing.
Its pretty much free for all for the circuit coming into the RP-6. Then the RP6 actually will look at what its getting. If it is set to allow pass through to certain ports those ports will continue on the free for all. If it sees a trigger code it shuts the receiver while it is executing what ever command or macro. This is what it looks like when I am testing it.

It's majestically called diode logic, which means it's a free-for all except that signals from one source can't back up into another source. There is no handshaking because that would require microprocessor operation. IR signals are just a series of voltages that come out, only out, of a remote, get converted to a pulsing voltage that goes down a line instantaneously. There is no processing of any sort to be sure these things don't overlap.

It's surprising that a trigger code from outside could turn off a receiver in the middle of a macro, but that's only because I'm thinking from the standpoint of what commands I would tell it to do, not from what it would respond to. That is indeed possible.

If and when the RTI XP8 processor comes out, I understand that its processor will be able to "multitask". My hope has been that this unit will magically "fix" the issues that arise when 2 users try to do 2 things at the same time, and only one succeeds.

But, due to the technical limitations explained by Ernie, I don't see how this is possible. Obviously, if IP technology is used (ie to implement 2 way comm to RTI K4 keypads) then that will allow for some multitasking.... but of a different breed.

RTI stuff all works together much better when all the remotes and processors or in one file. I have noticed that if you have two or more systems in a home that are not tied together as a single file system, and that even when you are using different master code numbers, the number of misses and errors you will get is dramaticaly worse than if you kept all the processors and remotes in one single file and simply addressed remotes to the individul procesors & ports.

If you are worried about IR confilict, then you need to focus your designs around system macros and port addressing. I have systems with as many as 11 remotes, multiple touch screens and 4 plus RP-6 processors all of which can be rather busy at times, with little or no IR conflict issues Simply because everything is based upon port addressed system macros

The IR trigger code will set off the macro on the extender, and while the macro is being sent, the extender locks out all IR in. You have to delay the macro on the 3rd party device until the macro on the RTI is finished. After it's finished sending the macro, you can send IR and it will pass through.