rlstephens Posted September 8, 2008 Share Posted September 8, 2008 Looking to extend my C4 control to family room...Before adding a new HC/HTC, thinking about using exiting CAT5 and Xantech IR block...How hard is it to simply connect the MC's IR block to the Xantech and then add the new room as an extension of the IR block? Seems like it would be pretty easy.Thanks,Robert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deleted Posted September 8, 2008 Share Posted September 8, 2008 I suppose it depends what you are looking to control in the 2nd room. On the IR subject, I take it that you want to use IR to control whatever the device(s) is? If so why not just run a IR cable/bud from the back of the HC/MC to the device? Unless of course you have no spare IR ports. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rlstephens Posted September 8, 2008 Author Share Posted September 8, 2008 That's the idea...all IR...4 devices. I have a Xantech connector with 4 blasters now (to hide the devices in a cabinet). So i just want to run the IR from the MC with a new C4 v3 remote. The question is how to hook the Xantec to the MC? Or do I need a diff device? I was thinking that one output on the MC would "blast" to all 4 devices (like the Xantec does now), but I assumed I couldnt "splice" 4 blasters into one MC output. I could probably put all 4 on the MC (with the one CAT5), but that seems like overkill. Reading the Xantech guide, it says not to connect the blaster output of another device to the IR input of it. Ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thecodeman Posted September 8, 2008 Share Posted September 8, 2008 Well that would be your only option if you wanted to use the Xantech. I was looking into it myself, but decided instead to run CAT5 (which i wont use in the future, stranded wire is much better). You'd be surprised at the distance the IR will run from the output of the MC/HTC.I dont beleive programming will allow you to have more than one device per IR out on the controller, though please correct me if I'm wrong.I think you'll have to use CAT5 to get 4 IR emitters in one run and have them splice into individual outputs on the back of the MC. {IE: IR out 1 emitter is spliced to pair Blue white / Blue which emits on the other end for TV control, IR out 2 emitter is spliced to pair Orange white / orange which emits on the other end to the DVD player, IR out 3 emitter is spliced to green white /green which emits on the other end to ?, and IR 4 is spliced to brown white/ brown for ? control). 4 emitters - 4 pairs of cable in one cat5 - 4 emitters.} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyanE Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 You *can* bind more than one device to an IR output in ComposerPro.As long as the devices you don't "double-up" don't share IR codes, it works fairly well, other than the port can only send out one code at a time, so if both devices are supposed to send commands at the same time, one of them has to wait until the other ones' code has gone.It's not a recommended practice, however.Also note that I believe that the higher-numbered 4 ports on the MC are higher-power output than the lower-numbered ports. i.e. if you're sending it further, use ports 5-8, not 1-4.RyanE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rlstephens Posted September 9, 2008 Author Share Posted September 9, 2008 Thanks Ryan. I thought that was the case, and I knew about the higher powered ports...But, what about driving multiple devices via the Xantech/similar? Is there no solution for remote IR blasters? like an IR expander or something? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deleted Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 Am I right in saying that the 6th IR port is in fact a IR blaster port? And the HC apparently has a concealed front IR blaster that is engaged when there is nothing plugged into port 6. Try it, set up a IR driver for one of the devices you want to control and attach a IR blaster bud to port 6 and try it from a distance. Please post back on the result if you do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slemay Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 Not on a MC - that's HC-300 / HC-500's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rlstephens Posted September 9, 2008 Author Share Posted September 9, 2008 Ahh...then put a single emitter in front of all devices in the cabinet...Is that a special emitter, or do you think one of the Xantec emitters i have now will work?Also, that wont solve it completely, as the TV is out side the cabinet...(Maybe I should put it inside the cabinet too ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rlstephens Posted September 9, 2008 Author Share Posted September 9, 2008 Ok...What about 3 emitters in parallel on one of the high power ports? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slemay Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 You could split the signal 3 ways from each IR port - Xantecs work good... yes - if you split it - use the high powered ports... try and put the IRs in front of each device - but you could try an IR Blaster (like from Xantec) and see how that works. All are acceptable solutions. Not sure about Parallel - never tried - we've also just binded them all together at the source. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rlstephens Posted September 9, 2008 Author Share Posted September 9, 2008 Sorry about my EE terminology...by parallel I meant running one IR output from the MC over a pair in the CAT5 and then putting 4 emitters all on that one pair at my endpoint...spliced together... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deleted Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 According to Ryan that will work. You just have to try and ensure the IR codes for each device do not overlap other wise you will be operating more than one device at a time. In Composer you have to bind each device to the same IR port. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slemay Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 Correct and Correct to both of you! 4 splices as well as distance may make it weak - so be sure to plug into one of the high powered ports, but you should be fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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