Electrical specification on IR Input on an XMC-1

[unbeliever]

Hi,

Sorry if there is another thread about this but I have not been able to find it. Searching for the words "IR", "IN and "Out" is tricky...

For my upcoming home theater I need to be able to control volume and trims quickly and safely and from another room. I will be feeding the my amps from a HTPC and with four 18" subs running on 6kW, I really want a quick and safe way to reduce volume immediately to avoid any brown-pants moments.
Since I am an electronics designer by trade, I was thinking of whipping up a small 'gadget' with the required controls (knobs, gotta love 'em) and a small CPU/MPU sending the information to the IR-input on an XMC-1. 
The IR-codes are nicely specified in the manual but the electrical (and timing) specifications seems hard to find, I haven't been able to anyhow.

So, my questions are:

• What are the electrical specifications? Does the IR Input have power available (on 3.5mm 'ring' for example)?
• What is the recommended/maximum signalling speed? If I have a manual knob and turn it quickly I would like the XMC to be able to handle this 'rapid' pushing of volume up/down...
• Are there 'hidden' IR-codes, more specifically is there a way to set volume/trims to specific values or do you have to 'rapidly' increase/decrease as if pushing these buttons on the remote?

Lastly, as a sanity check, are there existing ways (or other more logical ways) do do what I need? What I mean is, can I remotely change volume/trims on the XMC in any other way than using the IR-input (and I do not want an 'app' or such, I do not thrust WiFi for this)?


Sincerely,
Henrik

[KeithL]

There are basically two types of "IR remote control electrical inputs".
One type accepts a passive IR detector (phototransistor) directly (it provides the bias current and such).
The other expects an active signal (that's what ours is.)

If you look at Monoprice - they have what they call an "IR repeater".
You connect one of more "IR eyes" (the passive detectors) to its inputs; it amplifies the signal, and sends it out of the output.
Normally you connect an IR LED module to the output (a "flasher").
However, you can also connect this output to the "IR in" on our units.
I'm pretty sure the signal LEVEL is 5v (standard logic level) in and out, and it isn't terribly fussy.
The actual signal is a series of pulses (different lengths for one and zero) used to modulate an ultrasonic carrier frequency (I think it's 38 kHz or 40 kHz).

There is a standard for all that - called the Phillips Pronto standard....

HERE is an excellent description of the frequencies and pulse sequences used:
www.remotecentral.com/features/irdisp1.htm
I've attached the full list of IR commands for the XMC-1 (I don't think there are explicit level set commands).

The XMC-1 can also be controlled by network commands sent over Ethernet.
I've attached the network protocol as well.
(There is no RS-232 remote control on the XMC-1).

There are limits to how quickly the XMC-1 will respond to volume commands.... and it's even possible to spin the front panel know faster than it will respond.
(if you're looking for some sort of "panic button" to cut the volume rapidly if the level of your source goes up, you might try MUTE, or simply switching to an unused input)

May 5, 2017 8:06:13 GMT -5 unbeliever said:

Hi,

Sorry if there is another thread about this but I have not been able to find it. Searching for the words "IR", "IN and "Out" is tricky...

For my upcoming home theater I need to be able to control volume and trims quickly and safely and from another room. I will be feeding the my amps from a HTPC and with four 18" subs running on 6kW, I really want a quick and safe way to reduce volume immediately to avoid any brown-pants moments.
Since I am an electronics designer by trade, I was thinking of whipping up a small 'gadget' with the required controls (knobs, gotta love 'em) and a small CPU/MPU sending the information to the IR-input on an XMC-1. 
The IR-codes are nicely specified in the manual but the electrical (and timing) specifications seems hard to find, I haven't been able to anyhow.

So, my questions are:

• What are the electrical specifications? Does the IR Input have power available (on 3.5mm 'ring' for example)?
• What is the recommended/maximum signalling speed? If I have a manual knob and turn it quickly I would like the XMC to be able to handle this 'rapid' pushing of volume up/down...
• Are there 'hidden' IR-codes, more specifically is there a way to set volume/trims to specific values or do you have to 'rapidly' increase/decrease as if pushing these buttons on the remote?

Lastly, as a sanity check, are there existing ways (or other more logical ways) do do what I need? What I mean is, can I remotely change volume/trims on the XMC in any other way than using the IR-input (and I do not want an 'app' or such, I do not thrust WiFi for this)?


Sincerely,
Henrik

Attachments:

XMC-1 IR Hex Codes 20150427 Supplimental C....xlsx (23.35 KB)

XMC-1 IR Hex Codes 20150922 Complete Pronto....pdf (211.3 KB)

Emotiva Remote Interface Description 2016_....docx (167.81 KB)

[RichGuy]

May 5, 2017 15:08:54 GMT -5 KeithL said:

XMC-1 IR Hex Codes 20150922 Complete Pronto....pdf (211.3 KB)

Keith, I don't suppose you have a pdf you can post with the hex codes for the XSP-1 ?

[almue]

May 5, 2017 15:08:54 GMT -5 KeithL said:

There are basically two types of "IR remote control electrical inputs".
One type accepts a passive IR detector (phototransistor) directly (it provides the bias current and such).
The other expects an active signal (that's what ours is.)

If you look at Monoprice - they have what they call an "IR repeater".
You connect one of more "IR eyes" (the passive detectors) to its inputs; it amplifies the signal, and sends it out of the output.
Normally you connect an IR LED module to the output (a "flasher").
However, you can also connect this output to the "IR in" on our units.
I'm pretty sure the signal LEVEL is 5v (standard logic level) in and out, and it isn't terribly fussy.
The actual signal is a series of pulses (different lengths for one and zero) used to modulate an ultrasonic carrier frequency (I think it's 38 kHz or 40 kHz).

There is a standard for all that - called the Phillips Pronto standard....

HERE is an excellent description of the frequencies and pulse sequences used:
www.remotecentral.com/features/irdisp1.htm
I've attached the full list of IR commands for the XMC-1 (I don't think there are explicit level set commands).

The XMC-1 can also be controlled by network commands sent over Ethernet.
I've attached the network protocol as well.
(There is no RS-232 remote control on the XMC-1).

There are limits to how quickly the XMC-1 will respond to volume commands.... and it's even possible to spin the front panel know faster than it will respond.
(if you're looking for some sort of "panic button" to cut the volume rapidly if the level of your source goes up, you might try MUTE, or simply switching to an unused input)

May 5, 2017 8:06:13 GMT -5 unbeliever said:

Hi,

Sorry if there is another thread about this but I have not been able to find it. Searching for the words "IR", "IN and "Out" is tricky...

For my upcoming home theater I need to be able to control volume and trims quickly and safely and from another room. I will be feeding the my amps from a HTPC and with four 18" subs running on 6kW, I really want a quick and safe way to reduce volume immediately to avoid any brown-pants moments.
Since I am an electronics designer by trade, I was thinking of whipping up a small 'gadget' with the required controls (knobs, gotta love 'em) and a small CPU/MPU sending the information to the IR-input on an XMC-1. 
The IR-codes are nicely specified in the manual but the electrical (and timing) specifications seems hard to find, I haven't been able to anyhow.

So, my questions are:

• What are the electrical specifications? Does the IR Input have power available (on 3.5mm 'ring' for example)?
• What is the recommended/maximum signalling speed? If I have a manual knob and turn it quickly I would like the XMC to be able to handle this 'rapid' pushing of volume up/down...
• Are there 'hidden' IR-codes, more specifically is there a way to set volume/trims to specific values or do you have to 'rapidly' increase/decrease as if pushing these buttons on the remote?

Lastly, as a sanity check, are there existing ways (or other more logical ways) do do what I need? What I mean is, can I remotely change volume/trims on the XMC in any other way than using the IR-input (and I do not want an 'app' or such, I do not thrust WiFi for this)?


Sincerely,
Henrik

[almue]

Would something like the Monoprice 5 feet IR Extender Cable/Receiver, Black (8060) at a cost of 5 bucks with Amazon work with the XMC-1. Something that I would like to avoid is the emitters that you have to glue on the preamp IR diode...

[KeithL]

Generally, anything they refer to as "an extender receiver" is a passive "IR eye".
This requires bias power from the unit it's plugged in to - which the XMC-1 does not provide.

You want something like THIS:

www.monoprice.com/Product?p_id=18533&gclid=CP7qmv_DrtQCFdgNgQodVBoO7w

You plug the receiver eye into one of its inputs.
Then you run a cable from one of what it calls "emitter outputs" to the IR input on the XMC-1.
The little black box that's part of the set provides the bias power to run the eye, and outputs an active electrical signal.
This is what the XMC-1 wants.
(Basically, the electrical signal used to run a "flasher" or "emitter" is what the XMC-1 wants to see at its input.)

I'm sure there are units that combine both the eye and its amplifier (but this is by far the cheapest option.)

Jun 8, 2017 9:05:14 GMT -5 almue said:

Would something like the Monoprice 5 feet IR Extender Cable/Receiver, Black (8060) at a cost of 5 bucks with Amazon work with the XMC-1. Something that I would like to avoid is the emitters that you have to glue on the preamp IR diode...

[floydo]

Just a comment on the electrical specification pronto codes. The pronto codes listed above do not work for, at least, a URC MX-780, and the URC database codes don't work for my XMC-1. However, as posted elsewhere in the lounge the UMC-1 codes do work for the XMC, but you don't get all the XMC operations that are listed in the pdf or on the XMC remote. (Such as Zone 2 mute). I did verify this with Emotiva tech support as they had a URC remote.
Keiths other points re monoprice in this thread are great.