FINDING DEVICES

When the application launches the first thing it will do is initiate a search for RedRat hardware. By default the RedRat Device Manager will look for devices connected to your PC via USB and to your network. The network search uses a UDP broadcast and waits for a response from devices. While the USB search is instantaneous, the network search takes a few seconds and so if you are only interested USB devices then the search can be made quicker. In the options dialog (File → Options) there is the option of excluding network devices from the search. Once the search has finished all devices found are then listed in the main window and additional searches can be initiated manually at any time via Devices → Find.

If UDP broadcasts are not permitted on your network, then you can manually add an irNetBox or RedRat-X using its IP address by going to Devices → Add (IP Address).

SETTING A DEVICE’S IP ADDRESS VIA ITS MAC ADDRESS

If you find that you can’t communicate with a device because the IP address is not correct for your network, for example it has been moved from one network to another, then there is a mechanism in place for resetting its IP address (Devices → Set IP via MAC Address). The information you need for this is slightly different for different devices.

For the irNetBox-II and III you will need:

1. The last two bytes of the device’s MAC address. This can be found on the back of the irNetBox, or on older units, by removing the lid and looking at the number on the XPort network module.
2. The IP address that you would like to give the irNetBox so that it will work on your network. You can also give it the address 0.0.0.0 which will instruct the unit to use a dynamic IP address from a DHCP server.

For the irNetBox-IV and RedRat-X you will need the device's full MAC address. For the irNetBox-IV this can be found by cycling through the front panel display menu while for the RedRat-X this is printed on the underside of the device. This will instruct the unit to use a dynamic IP address.

Once the necessary information is provided a change IP address instruction is sent to all devices via UDP broadcast. However, only the device with the correct MAC address will respond to it. A new search will then commence and your device should appear in the main window.

DEVICE PROPERTY FIELDS

TESTING IR OUTPUT

For devices that have IR capabilities, double clicking on them will show an IR Input + Output window. For a selected device the window can also be shown via Devices → IR Input + Output or by right clicking on the device.

The IR Input + Output window for the irNetBox IV

The right hand side of the window allows control of various aspects of the device. The purpose of this dialog is to validate that we have network communication with the device, to help install the stick-on emitters and to ensure that the A/V equipment under control responds correctly.

COMMUNICATIONS TEST

• Blink: Causes all output indication ports on the front panel of an irNetBox or both LEDs on a RedRat-X to flash. This quickly validates communication with RedRat devices.
• Continuous test: For irNetBoxes an extended test can be conducted. For the irNetBox I-III a repeating LED pattern can be displayed while for the irNetBox-IV the text on the display panel can be set. This establishes operation validation and reliable communication with the device.

IR SIGNAL

To test signal output, use this area to learn/capture an IR signal from a remote control. The application stores a single signal only – for full signal database management please use the IR Signal DB Utility.

• Learn Signal: Starts a signal input/learning operation. The remote should be placed about 10cm from the detector during learning.
• Drag Signal: Drag an already learnt signal from the IR Signal DB Utility.

IR PORTS & OUTPUT CONTROL

For irNetBoxes and RedRat-Xs, these areas allow the testing and validation of the IR outputs, for example to check that output number 4 is actually wired up to a particular device. The state of the device’s ports is indicated by a graphical representation and selecting an output will enable/disable it. There is a default power level setting but the power levels of individual outputs can be changed by right-clicking on them.

• All On: Enables all IR outputs.
• Reset: Puts the IR outputs into the reset state, i.e. all off.

Additionally, for the irNetBox-IV there are two display modes; Blink and Power. Blink replicates the display behaviour of the LEDs on previous versions i.e. on/off, while Power allows various power levels to be displayed. The display mode can be changed in the top-left hand panel of the window.

OUTPUT TEST

• Output Signal: This will output a learnt/captured signal through all IR outputs that have been enabled.
• Start/Stop Repeat: This starts or stops a sequence of repeatedly outputting the IR signal through each output. Such a test can be useful for irNetBox/RedRat-X installations. For example, when placing a stick-on IR emitter, it can be moved around while the IR signal is being output until the optimum position is found.

SIGNAL CAPTURE PARAMETERS

These parameters are used to adjust the exact behaviour of signal input. In cases of difficulty when capturing a signal, these values can be adjusted to improve signal learning, however this is not generally needed. The parameters are all returned to their default value if the device is restarted. They can be changed in the top-left hand panel of the window.

• Max Number of Lengths: The maximum number of length values (the signal alphabet) that can be used in a single signal. This parameter cannot be changed for the irNetBox-IV and RedRat-X.
• Signal Memory Size: The number of bytes allocated to hold the IR signal data.
• No. Periods for Mod. Freq.: The carrier or modulation frequency is measured during the first pulse of the IR signal. The larger the number of periods used to measure, the more accurate the result is likely to be, however some signals have short initial pulses, so in some case it may be necessary for applications to adjust this value.
• Length Delta: RedRat devices use a set of lengths as the alphabet to represent most IR signals. Due to the approximate nature of IR signal data, two supposedly identical values will be slightly different, so this attribute controls the maximum variation allowed between values for them to be considered the same.
• End of Signal Timeout: The value for the IR dead period at the end of a signal used by the device to determine the end of a signal. Units are in ms.
• Min. Pause Size: Any periods of IR inactivity shorter than this value will be stored as part of the signal. Units are in ms.

Hardware/Firmware Configuration

A Hardware/Firmware Information window can be shown for some devices via Devices → Hardware/Firmware Info or by middle or right clicking on the selected device.

The Hardware/Firmware Info window for the irNetBox-III

The purpose of this dialog is to reconfigure the device if necessary and to update its firmware.

Configuring an IRNetBox's XPort

If an irNetBox's XPort loses its setup or is completely reset, the irNetBox will not be able to function, so the XPort will need to be re-configured. This is done via Devices → Configure XPort or by right clicking on the selected device and care should be taken when doing this to ensure that the correct irNetBox version is set.

By default, the configuration steps will not allow changing the irNetBox type. This, however, can be overridden in the options dialog (File → Options).

Another issue that can happen if the XPort loses configuration information is that RedRat applications and software will not think it is an irNetBox, so will not list it. In this situation, in the options dialog the option "Accept responses from hardware not explicitly labelled as a RedRat device…" can be selected.

Note: Care must be taken with this as there may be other devices on the network using XPorts and so these should not be configured as irNetBoxes! So only use this option if you recognise the IP/MAC address as an irNetBox.

Network Configuration

DEVICE WEBPAGE

The irNetBox-IV and RedRat-X host a basic HTTP web server at the device's IP address. Their webpage can be loaded using your default browser via Devices → Device Webpage or by right clicking on the selected device.

BULK FIRMWARE UPDATES

For the irNetBox-IV and RedRat-X, a firmware update can be installed on multiple devices as a single operation instead of having to do it individually for each device. This can be done via Devices → Bulk Firmware Update.