Has anyone put together a comprehensive database with codes for many different pieces of equipment? It would help while adding and modifying buttons in our ccf's. Inevitably I end up learning codes again after redesigning panels. I would do it my self but irdatabase keeps corrupting my rcir.mdb file on my Win NT system and I can't read the dialog box messages.

Sounds as though you should change the way you set up your Pronto.

If you are likely to be resdesigning your panels, you should set up separate 'background' devices which contain just the IR codes. These devices would not normally be used but just act as a permanent storage for your IR codes. They don't need to look pretty, but I try to make mine have a similar layout to the original remote. I also put every button from the original remote on them even if I don't expect to use them in my user interface.

Then the buttons on the panels you have in your user interface should alias to the codes on your background devices. If you change/delete these panels, you never lose the codes.

Yes, if you're planning on modifying your CCF file a lot that's the best way. Not memory efficient, but then again if you don't need to save memory, why try? :-)

Daniel, you mentioned that using the alias method is not memory efficient, this surprises me. I thought that by having the code in only one place then refrencing the information would be the most memory efficient, especially when you refer to the same code several times. Why is this type of layout not effieient?

Daniel is asking saying that having an extra device is not memory efficient. You should always have only one copy of each code in your CCF.

However, there is not all that much memory taken up in having extra devices, panels and buttons as long as they do not use any icons that are not already used elsewhere.

Actual overheads are:

CCF Header: 74 bytes
Device: 65 bytes (plus any device level action lists)
Panel: 10 bytes plus 9 bytes per frame/button in panel
Frame: 20 bytes plus 9 bytes per frame/button in frame
Button: 38 bytes (plus any action list)
Action List: 2 bytes plus 9 bytes per action

An IR Code action has a further 6 bytes plus the code
A Timer action has a further 30 bytes

An icon has 6 bytes plus the actual bitmap
All names use 1 byte plus 1 byte for each character in name

Thus if you add one device with one panel, and each button had one action for an IR Code, the extra memory used is
65 + 10 + (38 + 2 + 9) * Number buttons
= 75 + (49 * number buttons)
You would probably also some names used.

I want to use the Pronto to control X10 lighting...anyone know where I can get a divice to convert the IR to X10

Smarthome.com sells one

Peter, thanks some great information.

I have an alias panel for each device I own. I learn all remote commands and keep the learned commands in the alias panel then refer back to then when needed.

I copied this type of format from the files on this site. Using alias this way has made my life much easier. I have been tweaking my pronto for a couple of months and now I don't groan at the thought of redoing a panel for a device, this is a much quicker & easier way to work.