I use a pronto TS1000 for most critical learning. a TS1000 or TSU2000 is necessary for the steps below.

1. Using the OEM remote, I fire a series of codes into my pronto, learning them on the spot. It is important to learn a good ~10 just so you know they are within the same device code set.

2. Laptop: I connect my keyspan usb to serial, ([Link: tripplite.com]) configure the ports, and fire up Prontoedit ([Link: remotecentral.com]). I upload the file from my pronto (including the codes I just learned).

3. I go through button by button in prontoedit of the hex codes I just learned. Then I fire up IRScrutinizer. ([Link: hifi-remote.com]) I copy and paste each code I have learned to make sure they all have the same protocol and device number. I notate the object number for the codes I have learned. If they are different protocol and device number, you may need learn different buttons from the OEM to have a larger starting pool.

4. Knowing the protocol and device number, I fire up makehex ([Link: hifi-remote.com]) and edit the .txt file to reflect my device number. I drag and drop to generate the entire code set into another txt file. This is explained in the help file.

5. I now have a .txt file with all 255 (or half that if you have Sony15 protocol) possible commands that this device might accept.

6. I fire up IRPanels ([Link: remotecentral.com]) on my laptop. I copy/paste the txt file I generate above to generate a CCF file (pronto format).

7. Back to ProntoEdit where I open the file I just generated, downloading it back into the pronto.

8. Onward to the device. I then painstakingly fire each of the 255 (or whatever depending on your IRP) possible codes at my device. I manually notate how the device responds to each command.

9. Using the makehex .txt file, I copy paste into Word add a description to each of the different objects. (Input 2, Power-Off, etc).

10. Log into RC. Make a new post. Receive the adoring praise of someone in the future ten years from now looking for that rare PC input call of some TV company that doesn't exist anymore.

Now, if you are lucky, the manufacturer has provided an .pdf or excel file for you listing all of their codes like Integra does. If you are REALLY lucky, the manufacturer has made a file for you that you can directly import into IR Library Manager. Yamaha does this. IF you are somewhere in between, the manufacture may provide a PDF document with a list of object numbers, device, and protocol set that you have to generate the codes yourself.

If you are ridiculously lucky, someone has done all the hard work for you, and you copy and paste the codes from this site or JP1 or avsforums.

Hope this guide helps. It's probably in the wrong section.

Happy hunting. Go make a friend with someone who has a pronto. Or go make friends with a pronto.

SysIntegration,

I am happy that you have discovered IrScrutinizer (I am the author), but I am also a bit sad to see how little of its capacities you have discovered. IrScrutinizer replaces, among others, makehex and IrPanels.

You describe a very tedious and error prone procedure consisting of many steps and many tools, which are not very good at communicating with each other. Fortunately, it can be done much easier, using only IrScrutinizer (and some supplementing hardware, or the Pronto).

So here is, leaving out details, how to do it, the IrScrutinizer version.

0. Get some supported capturing hardware, e.g. GlobalCache, IrWidget, IrToy, or Arduino, and make sure it works, and open the device.

1. Select the "Scrutinize remote" pane, "Parametric Remote" subpane. Press capture. Assuming that the hardware works, you can now just "shoot" the buttons of the OEM remote at the sensor. As opposed to other capturing programs, you just fire them one after another (remembering the ordering!) without having to "multiplex" you hands between the remote, the mouse, and the keyboard. If desired, fill in the names of the commands just captured.

If you have some working sending hardware, you can try the signals just captured by selecting the signal, pressing the right mouse button, and selecting "Transmit selected".

8. If you like to search for functionality on the other possible signals, that where not on thte keys on your OEM remote, this is how to do it: Select one signal having the "interesting" D and S parameter. Press the right mouse button, in the popup menu select Advanced -> Add missing F's. This will generate all the "missing" signals. Assuming the access of suitable hardware, these can be tried one after another by pressing the right mouse button and selecting "Transmit selected". The column "Comment", "Name" and "Ver." can be used to electronically take notes of the outcome.

9. Add comments, fix up than names etc in the table. Then the table can be exported to a number of different formats. If intending to post to RC, the export format "text" is probably suitable, ticking the CCF and the Parameters checkboxes in the "Export" pane.

If no suitable capturing hardware is available, but a Pronto (Classic) instead, the signals of the OEM remote (or a subset of them) can be captured by the Pronto, and saved to a CCF file. This CCF file can be imported directly by IrScrutinizer (Import -> Pronto Classic) into the "Scrutinize remote" table.

If no suitable sending hardware, but a Pronto (Classic) is available, the table (for example augmented by the "missing" signals) can be exported to another CCF file (Pane Export), and the testing of the missing signals carried out by using the Pronto.

If you want to generate a table, like in the steps 4 and 5, IrScrutinizer does with with the "Generate" pane, in conjunction with the Export.

Note that I just (day before yesterday) released a new version, 1.1.0, see [Link: harctoolbox.org] .



Note that IrScrutinizer has advanced features for importing Ir signals, also from rather unstructured texts, like an RC posting. Often, you can just copy a whole thread to the clipboard, select Import -> Text -> Raw, line based (e.g.) and press "Load from Clipboard"



Or make friends with IrScrutinizer :-)

Bug reports and suggestions for improvements are welcome.

Barf,

Thank you for weighing in on this. I pieced my way through learning how IRS works by reading various posts on RC, mostly by 3FG. I only really ended up at JP1 because of a x-post asking for a codes I had from a Pana Plasma from Vicky G.

Did I miss the IRS manual or how-to guide somewhere? I can see from your notes above how powerful the program can be. I've dug a little into it before, but I am really excited to see its power now. Is this guide posted somewhere over at JP1?

Thank you for the time making IRS and for stepping in and giving me a personalized how-to lesson. You're awesome. IRS saves me all of the time, especially when dealing with working with IRL2 and a certain single letter software (here's a hint, it's the 7th letter of the alphabet), as it can learn codes with its hardware/software about as well as I can learn codes with my eyes, staring directly into an infrared transmitter.

I'm going to find it hard to let go of my pronto, if for no other reason than I can capture a code with nothing more than a device slightly larger than my phone, but I would love to see what else IRS can do with the proper send/receive hardware.  Thanks again for unifying all the random programs out there. 

Thank you very much for those nice words! To the questions you rise:

There is a manual, both  online ([Link: harctoolbox.org]; and installed with the program; just press F1.  It is not that good, but it is not a catastrophe either :-). It is definitely more of a manual than a guide, a tutorial, or a howto. I recognize the need of both better reference manuals and good tutorials etc, and am slowly working towards this goal. Contributed texts welcome!

Since so many persons in this forum seems so "in love" with their Pronto (Classic), I am considering writing something to allow using the Pronto with a serial cable as an input device. (Can use Tonto). Even without this, it is possible to save the pronto content to a CCF-file, and import it into the Scrutinizer: Import -> Pronto Classic -> select and import the file.

The pronto is a solid learner. The only learner I've known better is the crestron learner that can learn toggle bits, but I'd still rather have a pronto. I'm not running into needing to learn toggle bits, like, ever.

You can take a pronto, no computer, and learn codes on the fly. Then you can upload those codes to the computer. It's nice not having to carry so much hardware around. Plus, if you do need to "sneak" some codes from your local big box (so you can post the Hex for people online here), it looks like you are just holding a palm pilot or a really ugly galaxy note. I would love if you could use the pronto as an IR input/output device with IRS.

SysIntegration (and others),

I have been thinking about an improved support for the Pronto in IrScrutinizer. Classic only, because in that case I intend to use the Tonto program/library. There are four possibilities:

1. importing the the Pronto directly (Pane Import -> Pronto Classic, should then be a new button "Load from connected Pronto", that sucks a serially connected Pronto into the tree importer. Actually, this can already be done using an intermediate disc file, just use ProntoEdit (or Tonto) to save the Pronto to disc, then import it in IrScrutinizer using the said pane, through "Load File". So the only thing gained would be to avoid the intermediate disc file, and possibly firing up Prontoedit/Tonto for doing the download.

2. Writing an export directly into the Pronto. That is, on pane Export -> Pronto Classic there should be additional buttons "Write signal to Proto", "Write param. remote to Pronto", "Write raw remote to Pronto" "Write generated toPronto". Here, almost the same comment applies, it is already possible by writing to an intermediate disc file, and firing up Prontoedit or Tonto.

3. Using a serially connected Pronto as capturing device, i.e. as alternative to IrWidget, GlobalCache, IrToy, Arduino.

4. Using the Pronto as sending device.

I did some experiments, 1. and 2. seemed to be do-able (takes a few minutes, cannot be interrupted, but may run in a separate thread), 3. had severe timing problems, for 4., well, my old RU890 has stopped to send... I may or may not be able to repair it.

Your assessment on the these option is hereby solicited.

I am not looking for a application to replace pronto edit. It does what I need it to do. (I am not still using prontos for actual control. I have not run into one in the field in quite some time, either). I use the pronto for its ability to take in an IR learn and display it in hex format. Whether IRS can import that file or export that file is not as important to me. I can always go to pronto edit, view the hex, copy and paste. It's not efficient, but it works.

Whenever I need to permanently save a hex, (for instance, the transport commands for netflix, smartTV, that URC neglected to add into any of their new XBR drivers), I learn to pronto, then save that ccf and also a word document.

I would like to use the pronto as a sender/receiver for IRS.

What are the odds that IrScrutinizer works with USB-UIRT?

http://www.usbuirt.com/

Present version works with the hardware explicitly listed in the documentation, and usbuirt is not one of them.

However, since I own one such, there exists at least an open-source lirc driver, and some API examples, chances are that I will be able to support it, for example within the next six months.

Do you know it it is still being manufactured and sold? The web site appears pretty much as "after the plague"...

I came here just now to ask if someone could PLEASE do exactly what SysIntegration did. I have gone through discovering that process three or four times over the last ten years but I was so beat by the end that I realized I had just completed the job without taking notes. I said screw it and moved on. THANK YOU SO MUCH.


Agreed.


Great! I also carry a Pronto TS1000 all the time in case I have to learn commands. I agree that it is the best learner I've seen except for the Crestron.


...and without the details I won't be able to use it.

Regarding Steps 0 through 9, the details you leave out are the details that make it possible to do. I have a Pronto and a laptop. You know the models of various brands of things that will work; I have to do the work you already did, researching, trying, eliminating due to possible failure, the various models of various brands.... sorry, but in a nutshell, screw that.


What is it about a Pronto that makes it not suitable capturing hardware?


Sounds like you just said that the Pronto is suitable sending hardware.


What's the form of the table? I ultimately want Pronto Hex so I can paste it into an RTI file or use URC's Universal Browser to import it into URC. Anything short of Pronto hex... what's that good for?


I will. Thank you very much!


One bug is that you're not charging $25 and providing actual step by step instructions with full details. I'd pay that in a heartbeat.

Thanks so much for doing all you've done in this direction. I'll use SysIntegration's method until there's another one as well detailed.

I've tried the Barf Method, but I find myself going back to my method. IRS is an excellent program. It's my go to for anything IR related like my IR Library Manager is my Go to for hex storage. (hopefully my db will be pushed out in the next mega code update).

I guess I really don't trust any of the other learners. They have all failed me or just not learned properly for me. Especially the iTach garbage. I'm sorry, but if I have to use that stuff, I should at least be paid for my beta testing.

I used this method to try to find some of the recent sharp discretes, until someone in the BlueBox asked me to leave because BB "doesn't allow people to play with their TVs." I wonder what he had said if I fired the service mode discrete to their wall of Sharps. Ha!