IR Fault .... reared up again

[brucecampbell]

I need help diagnosing the cause here, as this is a major issue for me. And it has happened before, causing damage to my speakers.

I have a Sony receiver used for music in my pool area.
I use Spotify on my iPhone as the source, with 'Spotify Connect' to C4.
I use the C4 app on my phone to change the volume.

I used the C4 App to turn the volume up.
One touch yet the volume kept ramping up to full volume - only stopping when I noticed what was happening, so hit the room off button.

I go to my rack to watch what is happening.
I run through the same sequence of audio selection and volume change again and I see the IR bug signalling constantly to ramp the volume up.
I turn off and try again.
This time I hit volume down on my phone, the volume correctly goes down a notch, but then immediately the IR bug lights up again and volume keeps ramping up.

I decide to try next using the SR260 remote.
This time the volume adjustments work ok.
So I go back to my phone and now the volume adjustments work ok again.

 

The first time this happened, I was on an older OS with HC800's running the show. I also had a different iPhone
I'm now on 3.3 with a Core 5.

It's only ever happened when using the C4 app to change volume.
Its only ever happened with this one room. (though other rooms are usually controlled by the remote)

After the last time, I also edited the sony driver - manually removing and adding back in the IR codes for volume up and down and power cycle.

Where is the fault?

How can I fix this?
 

 

 

 

 

[mujtaba.khokhar]

I reckon it could be a driver issue. Worth checking it out to see if the IR repeats can be changed. 
 

I would also try another IR bug too. 
 

Also does the amp support serial? maybe worth exporting that avenue if it does. 

[brucecampbell]

9 minutes ago, mujtaba.khokhar said:

I reckon it could be a driver issue. Worth checking it out to see if the IR repeats can be changed. 

I would also try another IR bug too. 

Also does the amp support serial? maybe worth exporting that avenue if it does. 

I thought it was the driver too, which is why I rebuild some of the codes.
Perhaps I should bin the driver I'm using and build a brand new one. (after all, I only need power on/off, volume up/down, mute and source selection)

Not expecting the bug at fault, as wouldn't think the wire itself could cause the issue - but I have plenty more, so no harm in changing it too.

The amp is quite old, no serial or IP support, just IR.

Cheers.

 

[alanchow]

This issue most likely is caused by poor network communications.

In summary Control4 sends a proxy notification for START_VOL_UP and STOP_VOL_UP.  If your control device has spotty communications (poor wifi, poor zigbee, etc) then it may miss sending the proxy commands.

As such it fails to receive the STOP_VOL_UP command.

Solution is to build a better wifi and/or zigbee network.

[brucecampbell]

13 minutes ago, alanchow said:

This issue most likely is caused by poor network communications.

In summary Control4 sends a proxy notification for START_VOL_UP and STOP_VOL_UP.  If your control device has spotty communications (poor wifi, poor zigbee, etc) then it may miss sending the proxy commands.

As such it fails to receive the STOP_VOL_UP command.

Solution is to build a better wifi and/or zigbee network.

Thanks Alan,

That does sound like a logical explanation, however, two questions this raises.

1. Is this same logic of START_VOL_UP and STOP_VOL_UP used no matter where the command comes from? ie: remote vs iphone app?
       assuming the remotes use zigbee? - its never happened with the remote, so perhaps my zigbee is ok?
       iphone is obviously using wifi - so potentially the issue, it does happen usually when I'm outside, so could be on the limit of wifi range.
       However, pretty unusual that I could repeat the same issue about 5 times in a row while sitting next to my rack, only 5 metres from my wifi router.

2. How would this explain a volume down command resulting in the volume ramping up continuously?

[alanchow]

1 hour ago, brucecampbell said:

Thanks Alan,

That does sound like a logical explanation, however, two questions this raises.

1. Is this same logic of START_VOL_UP and STOP_VOL_UP used no matter where the command comes from? ie: remote vs iphone app?
       assuming the remotes use zigbee? - its never happened with the remote, so perhaps my zigbee is ok?
       iphone is obviously using wifi - so potentially the issue, it does happen usually when I'm outside, so could be on the limit of wifi range.
       However, pretty unusual that I could repeat the same issue about 5 times in a row while sitting next to my rack, only 5 metres from my wifi router.

2. How would this explain a volume down command resulting in the volume ramping up continuously?

Volume down causing volume up makes no sense and there is nothing native to control4 that would cause this.

I would get your control4 programmer to review their programming as it could be due to bad programming statements as that could be the only real cause.

[brucecampbell]

9 minutes ago, alanchow said:

Volume down causing volume up makes no sense and there is nothing native to control4 that would cause this.

I would get your control4 programmer to review their programming as it could be due to bad programming statements as that could be the only real cause.

Thanks for the input.

I think I'll write the IR driver from scratch, only including the few select codes that I actually need.
Hopefully it's just something not quite right with the current driver.....

[South Africa C4 user]

1 hour ago, brucecampbell said:

Thanks for the input.

I think I'll write the IR driver from scratch, only including the few select codes that I actually need.
Hopefully it's just something not quite right with the current driver.....

And set a maximum volume for the amp so that you reduce the risk of ever blowing anything!

[alanchow]

7 hours ago, brucecampbell said:

Thanks for the input.

I think I'll write the IR driver from scratch, only including the few select codes that I actually need.
Hopefully it's just something not quite right with the current driver.....

I don't think that will fix it.  I would put pressure on your dealer to resolve the issue as that most likely is not the issue.

If your dealer has issues resolving it they can escalate to Control4 tech support. They are there to help dealer's resolve scenarios such as this.

[RAV]

What is the IR bug attached to processor wise?

You said pool house, so I'm assuming there's a zir or small control4 processor there, or did they extend IR all the way from the house main processor?

[brucecampbell]

21 hours ago, South Africa C4 user said:

And set a maximum volume for the amp so that you reduce the risk of ever blowing anything!

I've not found anything in the receiver's manual or playing with the menu items which allows this.

Given the volume knob physically rotates, I'm considering gluing a stopper on it.

 

[brucecampbell]

15 hours ago, alanchow said:

I don't think that will fix it.  I would put pressure on your dealer to resolve the issue as that most likely is not the issue.

If your dealer has issues resolving it they can escalate to Control4 tech support. They are there to help dealer's resolve scenarios such as this.

Thanks, I'll try that.

[brucecampbell]

11 hours ago, RAV said:

What is the IR bug attached to processor wise?

You said pool house, so I'm assuming there's a zir or small control4 processor there, or did they extend IR all the way from the house main processor?

No pool house, just a swimming pool with it's own speakers (own 'room' as far as C4 is concerned)
All wiring is back to a single rack with Core5 and IO extender

The IR Bug is wired to the IO extender.
In fact, I have 8 IR in use and all are connected to the IO extender, none to the Core 5 (however this same issue happened when I was running HC800's so I don't think it is the hardware.)

 

[RAV]

As Alan mentioned, if the system is not receiving from the app the "stop ramping up command" due to a network issue, then modding the driver isn't going to solve anything.
Your experience where volume down was sent, and then it did a volume up, suggest a delay or it was still processing the original volume up command.

When the HC800 existed, were the IR plugged into it, or still the IO extender? Might try moving it to the Core5 directly, one less hop.

The only other thing to suggest (other than network) is to add a 1 sec or 1.5 sec timer to programming. When volume up start received, start timer, timer expires send volume up stop. Max volume up ramp would be limited to timer length.

[cdcllc]

2 hours ago, RAV said:

The only other thing to suggest (other than network) is to add a 1 sec or 1.5 sec timer to programming. When volume up start received, start timer, timer expires send volume up stop. Max volume up ramp would be limited to timer length.

I like this a lot - it has the extra benefit of if it solves the problem, it probably means you've diagnosed the cause as well.

[brucecampbell]

9 hours ago, RAV said:

When the HC800 existed, were the IR plugged into it, or still the IO extender? Might try moving it to the Core5 directly, one less hop.

I had two HC800's running, but not sure if the IR was on the primary controller
The IO Extender is brand new, purchased at the same time as the Core.
 

 

9 hours ago, RAV said:

The only other thing to suggest (other than network) is to add a 1 sec or 1.5 sec timer to programming. When volume up start received, start timer, timer expires send volume up stop. Max volume up ramp would be limited to timer length.

Thanks, I could try this.