Universal Remote Control Aurora MX-950, Programming Manual

Page 1: ...MX950 Programming Manual MX 950 RF IR Color LCD Remote Control COMPLETE CONTROL Universal Remote Control BY WATCH HDTV CABLE DVD MOVIE VIDEO TAPE TIVO TV SATELLITE ...

Page 2: ... OPERATIONAL TECHNICAL OR EDITORI AL ERRORS OMISSIONS MADE IN THIS MANUAL The information in this manual may be subject to change without prior notice Complete Control is a registered trademark of Universal Remote Control Inc Entertainment Made Simple is a trademark of Universal Remote Control Inc All other brand or product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companie...

Page 3: ...ersus Toggle Commands 11 Use the IR Database Navigator to Find Discrete Commands 11 Use the Universal Browser to find Discrete IR Commands 13 TEST ALL COMMANDS AND RELABEL FOR EASY OPERATION 15 Using the LCD Button Editor to Relabel and Re arrange Buttons 15 Hiding Pages in LCD Button Editor 17 Using Page View to Relabel and Re arrange Buttons 17 Hiding Pages in Page View 19 LEARNING 20 Tips for L...

Page 4: ...Push and Hold Macros 30 Variable Macros 31 USING SOUNDS 34 Setting the Default Sound 34 Using the Sound Gallery 34 USING THE IMAGE GALLERY 34 PROGRAMMING PUNCH THROUGH 35 PROGRAMMING RF CONTROL OPTIONS 36 The RF Setup Window 36 Adjusting Signal and IR Output Options 36 Adding RF Base Stations Conguring ID s and Front Blasters 37 ENABLE OR DISABLE STANDALONE EDITING 38 DOWNLOADING TO MX 950 39 USIN...

Page 5: ...racting installer file downloadable from www universalremote com You need a connection to the internet to download the file or to update MXEditor Installing MX 950 Editor and Microsoft ActiveSync MX 950 Editor installs with a companion program for communication Microsoft ActiveSync You must install both programs and if uninstalling uninstall both programs To install the two programs follow these s...

Page 6: ... database is constantly growing with the inclusion of new devices every month Keep your soft ware up to date by using the Live Update feature Rather than un installing and re installing the software you download updates to the software from the internet Simply follow these steps a Connect to the Internet normally b Open MX 950 Editor c From the Communications Menu select Live Update d In the Live ...

Page 7: ... to program edit or record a macro Edit and Label Buttons window is used to control a buttons graphics text and activation The Macro window is used to view and edit macros The information bar displays whether your keyboard is cap locked or num locked The important thing to remember as you program is that most Windows conventions hold true in MX950 Editor Explore the program menus Hover your mouse ...

Page 8: ...ing any programming Use the customer s name and a rev i e SmithTheaterRev1 mxf C Use the Program Menu The Program Menu is your lifeline to a fast easy programming experience Follow the steps in the order shown in the Menu for best results Typically you will download to the remote control several times throughout this process and test what you have done so far You ll need to download after finishin...

Page 9: ... and Name Devices window by clicking on the first item of the Program Menu or by clicking on the Toolbar icon as shown here Creating Devices 1 After the Create and Name devices window appears select the WATCH or the LISTEN menu from the Device list box 2 Select the button position you d like to create a new device name in by clicking on it Now decide if you need a combined or a splt label A split ...

Page 10: ...ted and the simulator shows the new WATCH page with all the new device buttons displayed 5 Select SAVE from the File menu or click on the SAVE icon on the toolbar Setting the Backlight Color of Each Device 1 Right click on any device in Tree View including the WATCH or the LISTEN device Select Backlight Color from the context menu that appears Creating Naming and Arranging Devices ...

Page 11: ...CONTROL 2 Uncheck the Use Default Color checkbox by clicking on it 3 Adjust the sliders to the new color setting then click on OK to save your changes TIP Use two colors or more for the brightest backlighting 4 The new color now shows on the simulator Creating Naming and Arranging Devices ...

Page 12: ... first list box MX 950 Editor lists the names of the devices you ve created and named in your configuration Select the device you would like to program from the list box 2 IR Data From Select the type or category of component i e TV VCR or DVD player via the IR Data From listbox 3 Brand Select the company that made the component i e B K Sony Krell by clicking on the correct brand name in the scrol...

Page 13: ...nent is a recent model test the higher numbered Inclusive code sets first Here s what the inclusive code sets look like 5 Test the Code Set A Verify the MX 950 is charged and connect it to the PC via the USB port B Point the connected MX 950 so that it is in range and within line of sight of the component C Power On the component D Select the model number or the Inclusive Code set in the model win...

Page 14: ...ee that the Live TV DVR command is being dragged to an empty posi tion on page one This empty position was created by dragging some less important commands to page three 8 Once you have placed the most important commands on page 1 and the less used commands on the other pages click on the APPLY button 9 Continue with the rest of the devices you need by clicking on the NEXT DEVICE button and repeat...

Page 15: ...nents Why are they secret Because the manufacturer wants the remote control that accompanies the component to have the simplest appearance fewest buttons Since toggles reduce the number of buttons they make the remote control appear easier to operate Many manufacturers understand the needs of custom installers and build their components to also respond to dis crete codes They distribute the discre...

Page 16: ...Once you see a command that has a promising sounding name click on it so that it is highlighted select ed then click on the TEST button You can test any IR command in the list 3 When you find a command that you want simply click and drag it to the button on the simulator 2 Finding Discrete Commands for Reliable Macros U S I N G M X 9 5 0 E D I T O R T O P R O G R A M ...

Page 17: ... you can import LEARNED IR codes from a ccf file an mxf file or an rcc file You cannot import any kind of Database codes only LEARNED codes On the internet you can find many unusual discrete codes by browsing the files section of a website popular with other custom installers www remotecentral com You can often find discrete codes by posting at one of many other sites popular with custom installer...

Page 18: ...el View and the Action List view will reveal whether it has Learned Data or not Only buttons with Learned Data can be transferred 5 Click and drag the button to the MX 950 simulator 6 After you ve dragged the button the blue indicating a Learned IR command is displayed on the button 4 Finding Discrete Commands for Reliable Macros U S I N G M X 9 5 0 E D I T O R T O P R O G R A M ...

Page 19: ...e Buttons Begin testing the codes you downloaded to the MX 950 Make sure that you test all buttons hard buttons and the LCD buttons on each page or every device Don t try to learn new commands yet wait until you can do all of them at once systematically First you must delete commands that don t work and change the labeling so that your client instantly understands why you ve made the button availa...

Page 20: ... at all the other pages drag any buttons you consider important to the first page 5 Select a button you d like to convert to Single Column and click on the Single Column button at the top of the window 6 Test All Commands and Relabel for Easy Operation U S I N G M X 9 5 0 E D I T O R T O P R O G R A M ...

Page 21: ...ng the HIDE checkbox which appears at the bottom of each page in LCD Button Editor Unlike MX 850 Editor you can hide any page without hiding any other Using Page View to Relabel and Re arrange Buttons Begin testing the codes you downloaded to the MX 950 Make sure that you test all buttons hard buttons and the LCD buttons on each page or every device Don t try to learn new commands yet wait until y...

Page 22: ...Cascade or if you d like to clean things up Close All Tile is usually the best option when lots of Pages are displayed 4 Now drag any unimportant commands from the first page to the last page of the device 4 Take a look at all the other pages drag any buttons you consider important to the first page 5 Select a button you d like to convert to Single Column and click on the Single Column button at t...

Page 23: ... View A hidden page is accessible during programming so you can teach commands to buttons on hidden pages and use them in macros The interesting thing about hidden pages is that the end user cannot manually access the page using the PAGE button You HIDE pages by right clicking on a device in Tree View then selecting Hide from the context menu that appears After you ve hidden a page the page is gre...

Page 24: ... Pressing and Holding With buttons that the client will only tap when using this may produce better results Normally you should press and hold OR 2 The Flutter Technique If you are having problems with a Code that has to be sustained like volume up or down sometimes fluttering the button on the original remote at least seven times while you are learning will successfully teach the code 3 Vary the ...

Page 25: ...he code learned correct ly Actually the GOOD means that the code might be good You need to test it Select the code in the Current Learned IR List then click on the test button while pointing the MX 950 at the device TIP Always POWER OFF the RF Base Station when testing Learned Codes Test line of sight only If there is any interference or IR saturation your tests will fail not because of learning i...

Page 26: ...your buttons before beginning Tip 2 Verify with one button that the codes from the new remote learn normally Once you ve prepared batch learning goes very quickly 1 Select the STARTING Button Select the button that is the top left of the buttons you want to teach to When MX 950 Editor automatically saves and selects the next button it moves left to right unless it is learning a group of buttons wi...

Page 27: ...Remote Control Setup You may have disabled the Standalone Editing feature Make sure that the Disable checkbox is UNCHECKED 2 Download to the remote control Now all your buttons are correctly labeled 3 Disconnect the remote from the USB cable 4 Press and hold both the LISTEN button and the ENTER button for five seconds The EDIT menu will appear 5 Select the LEARN button from the EDIT menu on the MX...

Page 28: ...Are NO Discrete Codes By creatively experimenting you may find that you can workaround the lack of discrete codes This takes time and there is no guarantee that you will find a workaround for any given component Here are some common examples DVD and VCR Power Workaround Most DVD players will turn on when off when they receive a Play command Thus you can workaround like this DVD ON 1 Play DVD OFF 1...

Page 29: ...lay a page with a status feedback message or image Delete First select the step you want to delete then click on this button or the Delete key on the keyboard Import a Macro First select the the button without a macro then click on this button then click on the button that has the macro you want imported IR Data Click on this to open IR Database Navigator then drag a code from the Navigator to a m...

Page 30: ...TV Cable TV 1 In Tree View navigate to the WATCH device On the simulator select the On button 2 Verify that the Type list box at the bottom of the Macro Window has the default NORMAL selected 3 Click on the RECORD icon or select Macro from the Program Menu 4 In Tree View expand all the pages of the devices you are going to power on Navigate to the first device you d like to turn on Since the Plasm...

Page 31: ...asma TV s Video 5 input 6 Program a jump to the Device and Page they use for their favorite activity Click on the JUMP icon 7 Select the correct device and page from the Jump window The jump appears in the Macro window in the column under Jump 8 Now test if delays are necessary in your macro First turn the TV and the Receiver to the wrong input then turn off everything in the theater Point the con...

Page 32: ... have 3 commands one second has elapsed 12 Again turn the TV and the Receiver to the wrong input then turn off everything in the theater Point the connected MX 950 at the system Select the first step in the list by clicking on it Now click on the TEST button Observe the television and the receiver Did they both switch to the correct input Continue to revise the macro with delays or changes until t...

Page 33: ...ound ensures that the DVD player turns off Finally so that this macro will work correctly when you set up Punch Through program a jump to the WATCH pages Thus if the user presses OFF after watching a DVD movie the MX 950 will jump to the WATCH device perfect for picking up the remote tomorrow night Copying or Importing Macros for Activity Macros You can often speed programming by instantly inserti...

Page 34: ...eir activity macros to only issue when they press and hold the button for two seconds you can program each but ton to simply Jump to the device when they tap the button Here s 1 Select the button you d like to program with two different macros 2 S elect Press Hold Mode from the Type list box at the bottom of the Macro Window Then set the TIME in the Options window to 2 seconds This ensures that th...

Page 35: ... issued if the button is pressed and the same variable is now equals 1 Variables allow you to track when a particular button has been pressed Then when another button is pressed you can do something different based on the previous button press Clever use of variables can enable you to add all kinds of elegant improvements to operation Here s an exam ple of variables used in this case to remove the...

Page 36: ...able name appears in the Variable window as the selection 6 Now your macro window displays two different tabs One is the macro that will be sent when the projectorpower variable 0 the other when the projector power variable 1 Program the macro in Variable 0 with the Power On commands and the delay while the macro in Variable 1 does not 32 Macro Programming U S I N G M X 9 5 0 E D I T O R T O P R O...

Page 37: ...er to 0 7 In all macros that power on the projector repeat steps 1 7 then add a new step to all the macros Click on the Set Variable button on the macro toolbar 8 The Set Variable window opens Select the ProjectorPower variable and set it to a state of 1 indicat ing that the projector is now powered on Afterwards the new step appears in the macro list 9 In all macros that power OFF the projector a...

Page 38: ... then place the optimum delay after each sound Using the Image Gallery The MX 950 has a limited ability to use images instead of text First make sure you are in Simulator and Page View mode then double click on the page you want to place an image as a button label Double clicking opens a new Page View and sets the Simulator to the same page Now from the tools menu open the Image gallery Drag an im...

Page 39: ...und receiver After programming flags remind the programmer that the buttons have been set to punch through 1 Open the Punch Through window by clicking on the shortcut button in the toolbar or by selecting Punch Through from the Program Menu 2 Select the devices which you want to change programming by clicking on them while holding down the CONTROL key on the keyboard If you want them all selected ...

Page 40: ...to change After clicking a list box of options will appear SIGNAL controls how the MX 950 will send commands IR and RF Both RF signals and IR com mands are sent from the MX950 The RF signals will also be issued as IR commands by the MRF 300 IR Only IR commands are sent from the MX950 as a result the MRF 300 does not send any com mands RF Only RF signals are sent from the MX950 as a result only IR ...

Page 41: ...y first selecting the receiver s name cell then clicking on the Rename button If you want the Front Blaster turned OFF on any receiver reset it by clicking on the cor rect CELL and selecting OFF NOTE In some installations the MRF 300 s Front Blaster is so powerful that it can overload nearby components and give poor or intermittent operation Try re positioning the MRF 200 to reduce the power flood...

Page 42: ...you may want to prevent your customer from accessing these settings 1 Open the Remote Control Setup window by selecting it from the Communications Menu 2 Check the Disable checkbox if you want to prevent anyone from accessing the Edit menu on the MX 950 Click on OK when you ve made your changes TIP You cannot disable the MX 950 Settings Menu The Settings menu appears when WATCH and Enter are press...

Page 43: ...and Hold both the WATCH and the ENTER button for five seconds 2 Once the Setup menu appears you can browse between it s two pages via the PAGE buttons It will automatically time out or you can press the WATCH or the LISTEN button to exit TIME Set the clock here however if you want to change whether it is displayed or not go to INDICATOR on page 2 of the Setup Menu BACKLIGHT Configure the amount of...

Page 44: ...n Section Title U S I N G M X 9 5 0 E D I T O R T O P R O G R A M 500 Mamaroneck Avenue Harrison NY 10528 Phone 914 835 4484 Fax 914 835 4532 www universalremote com COMPLETE CONTROL Universal Remote Control BY ...