i was browsing through the discrete section in the download area and had a question. How are these discretes created? Say I provide a 'power' (on/off) code for a tv. Can someone take that 'power' code and create a discrete on and discrete off from it? if so, how. If not, how are people finding the discretes that fill up the download area?

brad

You cannot create a discrete code. The manufacturer of the equipment must build the equipment to suppport that code.

Often discrete codes are already on the remote and there is nothing further to do, and there is no need to put these codes in the discrete codes section.

The discrete codes section in the files area is probably better described as "codes you cannot find on your remote".

How do people find these codes? Sometimes by asking the manufacturer. Sometimes a code on a remote that comes with more expensive version of the equipment also works on the cheaper equipment.

Other times it is just trial and error (by hacking the existing codes and trying every possible command to see if it does anything).

also sometimes, on older/newer versions (i.e. the code is still there, but the manufacturer decided to simplify the remote)

There is also way to create a discrete code as macro of existing commands from remote. It is based on using of IR receiver functioning features.

Depending on AV device status (status changing state), some IR receivers can ignore incoming command:
For example, many satellite tuners ignores IR when initializing, so macro
[B] sat – power
[D] 0.5 sec
[B] sat – power
will always turn sat on, because if sat is off then second [B] command will ignored due to initializing, and when sat is already on, it will turns off and on.

Accordingly, “power off” is:
[B] sat – power on
[D] 5.0 sec
[B] sat - power

Also, the states when IR is ignored can be turning from one video input to another:
[B] plasma – av select
[B] plasma – power
can be plasma “power on” function

Sometimes device responds to received IR only if the gap between this command and previous is enough. But when device is off, it ignores all but “power” commands immediately, so
[B] tv – 1
[S] 200Hz 0% 0ms - for “glue” commands
[B] tv – power
is “power on” sequence.

These macros can be represented as single IR codes 0000 … and published as “power on” and “power off” codes.

But there are a number of devices where no IR tricks can help. It can be a reason to use commutated power from amp, or to use IR controlled power relays. But it is easy to use Whole-System-Power-On and Whole-System-Power-Off buttons as the only power automation service, and don’t spend you life for looking for power saving discrete codes!