Hello,

I'm stuck in a problem and I can't find the solution, I hope someone of this forum will be able to help me.
My problem is the following one : I'd like to command a PIONEER DVD RECORDER DVR-LX60 ( European model ) via one of the IR ports of the RFX 9600 with the minijack IR cable.
The DVD recorder has an input that's called CONTROL IN. So I connect one jack in this plug and the other jack in one of the IR ports but nothing happens. I've tried with 3 different mini-jack cables, and also changed the dipswitches, but the result is still the same.
My configuration is OK, because when I plug an IR emitter in the IR port and places it in front of the DVD recorder, I can control it without problem.
In the user guide of the DVD recorder, there's written about the CONTROL IN :

Use to control this recorder from the remote
sensor of another Pioneer component with a
CONTROL OUT terminal and bearing the
Pioneer SR mark. Connect the CONTROL
OUT of the other component to the
CONTROL IN of this recorder using a miniplug
cord.

Maybe there's something special about this SR standard, I guess.
When I take a look at the minijack cables provided with the RFX 9600 and the one I received from Pioneer, they are exactly the same

If possible, I'd like not to install an IR emitter on the DVD recorder, because it's less reliable than the mini jack. It's not so esthetical also ...

I hope someone can help me.

Thanks,

Christophe

Sorry Christophe. the SR/SR+ control has nothin to do with IR so you can't just plug the IR jack in. From memory, the minijack cables should be different - mono for IR and 3-ring for SR+.
I think you're stuck with the emitter I'm afraid.

That's also mine opinion.

Sorry guys rge SR control in has a lot to do with IR it is just not in the same format (electrical wise) as standard IR.

There is some Xantech gear that you can buy that will solve your problem and not too expensive. You need a Xantech 794-10. This is a universal adapter that accepts IR at one end and connects to different components by different manufactureers including Pioneer, Sony, Denon, etc. It has dip switches to set the protocol change that is needed. The only tricky thing with Pioneeer is that you need to run an extra wire from the case of the adapter top the case of the Pioneer device. I believe this was du to the way Pioneer isolated its grounds. Perhaps on some newer Pioneer gear it is different.

In my theater I had 794-10's for all my gear that had an "IR" control in type jack on the back and had no issues.

If you go to Xantech.com, look at IR products you will see this adapter. The manual is on line.

Hey thanks for the info, Barry. Wasn't aware of that unit!

Don't want to be picky, but...
This is from the Xantech 794-10 manual:

So it just seems to be some sort of serial signal (maybe RS232), but isn't an IR transmission serial as well, only modulated on a carrier. ?!?
Looking at signal levels could help to determine if it's TTL or 232 or ...
Barry, I expect you having done this already, haven't you? ;-)


Duh, this post stirrs up more questions than it solves...

Cheers

Pioneer's Sr jack is not IR-related. It is Pioneer's method of simple Serial control, using a stereo minipin. It's intended function is to allow other Pioneer gear, like an AV receiver, to control the burner via serial communication. With Pioneer plasmas and receivers, you setup switching on the plasma in the receiver menus, and the receiver will control, with feedback status, inputs and power, stuff like that, on the plasma.

The 794 will adapt the signal for you. Conversely, you can just hot-glue an IR bud to the front of the burner, and save money.

Yes I have done most of that already, but what are you referring to the IR side or the component side?

On the IR side what we normally have is a carrier swinging between 0 and 12 volts which is modulated with the data and fed to an IR LED. The carrier is the "IR frequency". Many manufacturers no longer swing 12 volts, but based upon the chip architecture swing 0 to 5 for TTL or 0 to 3.3 for CMOS or . . . Normally it does not matter since you are just driving an IR LED which wants current.

On the component side it is any body's guess. For example Denon normally takes just what an IR LED takes. Sony wants a baseband signal no carrier. . . On some of the gear the IR connection in the back is made with an optoisolator for good reasons so it really looks a lot like an IR LED.

Sometimes I have had problems with the "IR" coming out of the IR generating device because it is too low a signal for the distances and splits I want to drive. I usually get around that by pulling resistors out of the IR LED stick ons and placing lower value ones somewhere along the cable. the IR LED's just want the correct amount of current to work properly or they will be too dim.

In wors cases I have made IR couplers to attach to axantec network from some rally strange emitters. A small blackbox from radio shack holding one Xantech Jbox receiver and a couple of IR emitters all shining on the receiver. This is then a combination IR head end converting many different IR systems to a standard Xantech architecture.

Hello Barry,

Thank you very much for your tip, you're really the boss when it comes to find solutions that ( nearly ) nobody else can find.

I don't really understand what you mean with that extra wire.
Is it possible for you to eventually send a picture of how you made this ?
The only supplementary wire they talk about in the documentation of Xantech needs to be connected this way : "Pioneer CD players, tape decks, projection TV's, etc., including newer receivers, require a wire between the GND2 screw on the 794 and a ground screw on the Pioneer device."

I have also some more little questions :
1. If I get everything right, we just need to connect one cable from the IR port of the RFX 9600 to the input of the 794-10, and connect the output of the 794-10 to the CONTROL IN of the Pioneer DVD Recorder. Is it right ?
2. Can we use the cables that are delivered with the RFX 9600 ?
3. In europe, the IR codes are different than in the US, do you know if dip switch setting is the same or not ?

Like Chris Horn said :


Even if, for my part, I start to see a great solution ;-)

Thank to all of you,

Christophe

That wire between the ground screws is exactly the extra wire I mentioned.

I am not sure if the simple solution of a single cable will work. If the output of the RFX.... is compatible, that is can be connected to a Xantech IR connecting block as an IR source, then the answer is yes. Some mfg supply an adapter to do that, some do not. Perhaps some one else on this forum will know. A search on Xantech on this forum will yield the answer you need, and part of this forums educational process is how to search.