Hello:

Purchased some hardware and am having some troubles with it and the Pronto Pro with IR Extender in RF mode.

I purchased from AV Toolbox (http://www.avtoolbox.com) an AVT-8025 Picture In Picture box and an AVT-5744 4X4 Matrix Switcher.

I got the Picture In Picture box because my TV does not have Picture In Picture and I have always wanted it.

The 4X4 Matrix Switcher is so cool. You can take ANY 4 Inputs and go to ANY 4 Outputs or go to ALL outputs. Allows me to send ANY two signals to the Picture In Picture box so I can have any two sources on the TV. Makes dubbing between my Panasonic HS2 and VCR recorder and any other signals so easy.

The only thing that could make the 4X4 Matrix Switcher better is if they offered it with S-Video instead of a RCA composite. They do have one that does Component switching.

I have one problem with the 4X4 Matrix Switcher. Using my Pronto Pro and the IR Extender in RF mode causes this box to go nuts. By nuts I mean that the LEDs that display what source is being show blink non-stop for some time. When using the Pronto Pro in IR mode the box blinks when receiving IR signals but doesn’t go nuts. For some reason when using the IR Extender in RF mode with the IR Emitters the box blinks wildly and won’t respond to commands for a while. Sometimes the LEDs shutoff and it seems like the box has shutdown but is still working. I covered my IR Extender with BLACK tape to see if this would help, NOT much but some. I have written the company an Email about this but as of yet have not heard anything. The Picture In Picture box has no problems; it is made by a different manufacture for them.

Another weird thing is happening. When trying to learn the codes on the Pronto Pro, if I learn the IR Codes for EITHER device by holding down the buttons continually while learning neither device will respond to the code from the IR Extender in RF mode. In IR mode everything is fine. If I just press and release the buttons while learning them then they will work in either mode fine.

BobVal

Bob,

Is your matrix box also able to be controlled by RF?? If so, maybe using a different channel in System Properties might help. I'd probably try this anyway.

What method are you using to get the IR signal to the matrix box? The corded emitters? If so, try removing them. Maybe getting the same signal twice (emitters and IR blaster from the RX-77) is confusing the matrix box.

May not help, but it's the best I can think of at the moment.

Jim L

Jim:

I have am using ther emitters. I have the Blaster covered with BLACK electrical tape to avoid double signals. Yes using a different code might work but I have 4 sets of double emitters coming out going to different equipnment and all are taped on the using black tape again to try and stop double signals.

I think it is the way this box repsonds to IR signals. Meaing that it blinks it's LED's to let you know that a IR signal has been recieved. And seems to take too long to notice that the signal isn't for it and discard it. Why it blinks must be a feature but a not needed one and it should jump out of the IR processing as soon as the prefix isn't for it. Everything else I have works perfectly even another box for the same company but as I stated the boxes from AV Toolbox are manufactured by different company's.

More then anything I think this is a software problem in the box and have asked the company to look into it. As of yet (1 week plus) have heard nothing back. I just sent them another Email about this. Hopefully they will do something before their 30 day return policy expires. So I can figure out what to do.


BobVal

Bob,

Let's look at this in a different way. I assume that the OEM remote for the matrix box operates the unit without problem.

You state that IR transmitted from the Pronto doesn't cause the box to go nuts. BUT, does it control the box correctly??? You didn't say.

If Pronto IR works fine it's a problem with the extender - don't know what to say except try another Channel. Converting to RF and then back to IR does distort the IR signal timing by an extremely small amount. It's possible that your box is sensitive to this, but I've never heard of this being a problem before.

If Pronto IR doesn't work like the OEM remote, it's a case of poorly learned codes. If you're learning while hooked up to the computer (through Pronto Edit) don't. This has been known to cause timing errors which result in dirty codes. It might also be the reason why press and hold won't learn correctly. Learn directly on the remote (try press and hold again) and then upload to the computer. If nothing else, add ten buttons to a new page in your ccf, pick a code and learn ten times, maybe one of them will be successful. It's the long way around but might be your only hope. There are also some tips and tricks to learning IR codes in the features section of this site.

It is possible that poor firmware inside the matrix box is having a problem rejecting codes not meant for it (as you say). If so, that'd be a VERY poor design, since it's meant to operate in an IR environment. I really doubt that this is the problem.

Jim L


This message was edited by bomberjim on 05/30/03 22:01.

Jim L:

Yes, the IR Transmitted fromt he Pronto & Extender control the box properly when it is not going nuts.

Tried another channel (tried ALL) same results

Codes work fine. I never learn them through Pronto Edit but always through the remote itself.

Today I tried the following. Took the tape of my IR Extender and put it from RF mode to IR mode. Now in this mode the matrix box doesn't seem to NOTICE any of the commands. But if I point the remote itself at the matrix box then if works fine and doesn't go crazy.

One thing I have noticed about my RF Extender is that the led in side of it blinks sometimes even when I am not using the remote. I believe this is what is driving the matrix box nuts. If I unplug the extender when doing nothing the matrix box stops flashing and is available. Then I plug back in the extender and everything is fine until I do something then the matrix goes nuts and while the led inside the extender is flashing.

I have two different extenders in two completely different locations (one is behind a tv controling my direct-tv box which is completely out of sight. I tried switching the extenders to see if one of them was bad or doing something different. Same exact results.

Because everything I owe (even the Picture In Picture from the same company but manufactured by someone else) works completely fine I have to believe that this is a problem with the matrix box and the way the code for handeling IR commands is handled.

Any other ideas you have I am willing to try.

BobVal

So, it doesn't really matter whether the Extender is in the circuit or not? As long as you're using the Pronto, sometimes the box goes nuts, and sometimes it works - fair statement?

Assuming this is true - I still suspect dirty codes. You could try relearning a specific code several times, try each and see if one of these is reliable.

The flashing on Extender red light is RF interferrence, you can move the extender (many times just a small move works) to try and minimize it. However, many times it can't be completely eliminated.

Except for relearning codes, I guess I'm about out of ideas.

Jim L

The Answer Is: Grounding Problem

I noticed if I touched the 4X4 Matrix the box would come back to life and all worked fine. So I took a jumper wire and clipped it on the back of the matrix box and ran it to a ground wire that grounds everything in my system.

And Bingo Bango the box works fine now ALL the time.

Will let the company know this.

BobVal

Well, damn!!! Good job in finding it - most people wouldn't have. Wonder if it's a design flaw, or something defective in the box.

Jim L

Now I am really confused.

After putting on the ground wire the box started working just fine. So I removed it to see what would happen and it is still working fine. Will play with some more and report back. Might be the ground wire cleared out some internal problems that it is fine with.

Again will play around and report back more.

BobVal

Back to the drawing board.

Disconnected the ground wire and then turned everything on and off. And the problem comes back.

This is a External RF and Matrix box problem. The LEDS on the Matrix box are blinking in session with the blinking IR led inside the External RF box. Now this light seems to blink for a long time after getting / sending IR signals.

Now normally when I unplug the External RF and replug it in the blinking doesn't happen until I send some type of command. But for some reason it is blinking right away after being plugged in.

I have two External RF and have tried both of them and they both act the same. Tried different power supplies to see if the power supply was doing something.

This is so weird. What happen before when I hooked the grounding wire one. That I can't get to happen again.

Will keep at it. But only have a few hours left to play around, need to go away tonight for a few days.

BobVal