www.pushcontrols.com.au
Push Controls
Room Remote
Guide: Luke Bowers
Version 1.0
www.pushcontrols.com.au
© Copyright 2014 Push Controls Proprietary Limited
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CONTENTS 1. Overview and Planning ................................................................................................................................... 3
1.1. Room Remotes and RF Receivers Overview ......................................................................................... 3
The Room Remote ......................................................................................................................................... 3
The RF Receiver .............................................................................................................................................. 3
Compatibility – Controller ............................................................................................................................. 3
Compatibility – Software ............................................................................................................................... 4
Compatibility – Modules ................................................................................................................................ 4
1.2. Planning – RF Receiver Layout .............................................................................................................. 4
Rooms and Addresses .................................................................................................................................... 4
RF Range ......................................................................................................................................................... 5
Example 1 - Single Room (IR Devices Only) - Single Remote ........................................................................ 5
Example 2 - Single Room (With Two-Way Devices) - Single Remote ........................................................... 6
Example 3 - Multiple Rooms (No Two-Way Devices) - Multiple Remotes ................................................... 7
Example 4 - Multiple Rooms (With Two-Way Devices) - Multiple Remotes - Single Receiver .................... 8
1.3. GUI Binding Concepts ............................................................................................................................ 9
2. Programming ................................................................................................................................................ 12
2.1. Programming – Room Remote ............................................................................................................ 12
Before You Set Up A Room Remote ............................................................................................................ 12
Add a new Room Remote ............................................................................................................................ 12
Add a new RF Receiver ................................................................................................................................ 13
Assign Remote Properties ............................................................................................................................ 13
Assign System On/Off Macros ..................................................................................................................... 14
About Activities ............................................................................................................................................ 14
Activity Macros ............................................................................................................................................ 15
Button Programming – Individual ............................................................................................................... 15
Button Programming - Drag & Drop ............................................................................................................ 16
Button Programming - The Fast Way .......................................................................................................... 16
Command Tags - Remote Editor .................................................................................................................. 17
Command Tags - Project Tree ...................................................................................................................... 18
Volume Tip ................................................................................................................................................... 19
Testing .......................................................................................................................................................... 20
2.2. Programming – GUI Bindings .............................................................................................................. 21
GUI Binding .................................................................................................................................................. 21
Before You Set Up GUI Bindings .................................................................................................................. 21
Select an Activity .......................................................................................................................................... 21
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Select a GUI Group ....................................................................................................................................... 22
Select Room Pages ....................................................................................................................................... 22
Select the Room Off Page ............................................................................................................................ 23
Select the Activity Page ............................................................................................................................... 23
Finishing Up .................................................................................................................................................. 23
3. Miscellaneous ............................................................................................................................................... 24
3.1. Using The Room Remote ..................................................................................................................... 24
Introduction ................................................................................................................................................. 24
Button Types ................................................................................................................................................ 25
Power Buttons.............................................................................................................................................. 26
Activity Buttons ............................................................................................................................................ 26
Back Lighting ................................................................................................................................................ 27
Batteries ....................................................................................................................................................... 27
Addressing .................................................................................................................................................... 27
3.2. RF Receiver Wiring .............................................................................................................................. 28
Connection Wiring ....................................................................................................................................... 28
3.3. Addressing a Room Remote ................................................................................................................ 29
Introduction ................................................................................................................................................. 29
Enter Addressing Mode ............................................................................................................................... 29
Enter The New Address ................................................................................................................................ 30
Store The New Address ................................................................................................................................ 30
3.4. Serial Port Settings – RF Receiver ........................................................................................................ 31
Settings ......................................................................................................................................................... 31
Wiring ........................................................................................................................................................... 31
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1. OVERVIEW AND PLANNING
1.1. ROOM REMOTES AND RF RECEIVERS OVERVIEW
THE ROOM REMOTE
The Room Remote is a simple handheld RF
remote control designed to complement Push
Controls apps and hardware. It features LED
backlighting, an intuitive and familiar button
layout, and controls up to 8 activities. A Push
installation can contain up to 255 Room
Remotes. Be sure to plan ahead and select the
correct mix of controllers, Room Remotes, and
RF Receivers.
The Room Remote is especially easy to use.
THE RF RECEIVER
The RF Receiver connects to a compatible Push controller
via RS232. The RF Receiver is powered from the Push
controller's +12VDC terminal.
Multiple RF Receivers can be installed in a project, but only
one per serial port.
For wiring/connection info, see RF Receiver Wiring.
See Serial Port Settings - RF Receiver for information
about setting up a serial port for use with an RF Receiver.
COMPATIBILITY – CONTROLLER
The Room Remote and RF Receiver are compatible with all current generation Push controllers. This includes
all PC1, PC2, and PC4 (Gen 2) controllers.
Controller PC4 (Gen 1) PC4 (Gen 2) PC2 PC1
Max RF Receivers
Per Controller NA 1 2 4
Room Remotes per RF Receiver
NA 1 Up to 255 (combined project
maximum)
Up to 255 (combined project
maximum) Activities Per Room
Remote NA 8 8 8
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COMPATIBILITY – SOFTWARE
Room Remote GUI Binding is supported in Push 1.9.9 or higher for iOS and Android. Project Editor support was
introduced with 1.9.60, but installers should always use the latest available versions of Project Editor and
associated controller firmware.
COMPATIBILITY – MODULES
In general, any device or module that is supported by controller macros can be controlled by the Room
Remote. If you are unsure of a modules support for macros, please email through to support:
1.2. PLANNING – RF RECEIVER LAYOUT
ROOMS AND ADDRESSES
A single Room Remote is not intended to act as a whole-house controller. Each room in an installation should
have its own Room Remote. Each remote will be assigned a unique address so that it will only control its
intended room's activities. The number of RF Receivers that is required will depend on the system layout.
FIGURE 1 - ONE ROOM REMOTE PER ROOM
mailto:[email protected]
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RF RANGE
The effective RF range of a Room Remote will depend on a number of factors, including building construction,
interference from other devices, etc. Typically, users can expect up to 30' of RF range between the Room
Remote and the RF Receiver in most residential installations.
Since large houses may contain multiple Push controllers and Room Remotes, multiple RF Receivers may be
required. Since each controller is connected to the local network, Room Remotes can trigger actions on
controllers and devices in locations outside the RF range of the Room Remote.
FIGURE 2 - RECEIVER LAYOUT AND RANGE
EXAMPLE 1 - SINGLE ROOM (IR DEVICES ONLY) - SINGLE REMOTE The simplest configuration would include a single Room Remote controlling one room. If the system includes
no two-way devices, you would need:
1 X RF Receiver
1 X PC4 (Gen 2) controller (or PC2/PC1 depending on number of devices to be controlled)
1 X Room Remote
FIGURE 3 - HIGHLIGHTING SINGLE REMOTE PER RECEIVER ON PC4S
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EXAMPLE 2 - SINGLE ROOM (WITH TWO-WAY DEVICES) - SINGLE REMOTE
Since PC4 controllers cannot control two-way devices if the serial port is being used for an RF Receiver, you
would use a PC2 or PC1 controller. In this configuration you would need:
1 X RF Receiver
1 X PC2 OR PC1 controller (depending on number of devices to be controlled)
1 X Room Remote
FIGURE 4 - SINGLE ROOM REMOTE CONTROLLING DEVICES OVER ALTERNATIVE METHODS
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EXAMPLE 3 - MULTIPLE ROOMS (NO TWO-WAY DEVICES) - MULTIPLE REMOTES
This example illustrates an installation that contains multiple rooms, but each room contains a small, IR-only
system. In this configuration you would need:
# X RF Receivers
# X PC4 (Gen 2) controllers (or PC2/PC1 depending on number of devices to be controlled)
# X Room Remotes
(where # equals the number of rooms)
FIGURE 5 - MULTIPLE ROOMS CONTROLLING DEVICES ACROSS ALL CONTROLLERS
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EXAMPLE 4 - MULTIPLE ROOMS (WITH TWO-WAY DEVICES) - MULTIPLE REMOTES - SINGLE RECEIVER
This example illustrates a combined system where one RF Receiver connected to a PC2 controller receives
commands from multiple Room Remotes. The PC2 controller communicates with other controllers in the
installation via the network, which allows Room Remotes to control devices connected to any controller in the
installation.
FIGURE 6 - MULTIPLE REMOTES CONTROLLING DEVICES ACROSS MULTIPLE CONTROLLERS THROUGH ONE RF RECEIVER
Using multiple Room Remotes with a single RF Receiver is only recommended when each room is within
reliable RF range of the single RF Receiver.
Note that RF receivers connected to PC4 (Gen 2) controllers can only be used with a single Room Remote.
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1.3. GUI BINDING CONCEPTS
WHAT IS GUI BINDING?
GUI Binding allows the 'state' of a given room to be shared across multiple user interfaces. This means that
when you select a new activity (such as "Watch BluRay") on a remote, tablet, or phone, all of the other devices
assigned to that room automatically know which devices to control and which GUI page to display without the
need to re-select the current activity. This gives users faster and easier access to control of the current activity.
USAGE EXAMPLE 1
A user selects the "Movie" activity icon on the Room Remote. The "Watch BluRay" activity macro is triggered,
and the remote is now controlling the BluRay player and AV Receiver.
If a user opens up the Push App, instead of starting off on the Home Page, it detects that the current activity
has changed and automatically navigates to the "Watch BluRay" page.
FIGURE 7 - DEMONSTRATING THE GUI SYNCHING WITH THE ROOM REMOTE ACTION
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USAGE EXAMPLE 2
Now the user is controlling the "Watch BluRay" activity on their iPad. Let's say they use the iPad to switch to
the "Watch TV" activity. If they put down the iPad and pick up the Room Remote, the system already knows
that we switched activities. The user does not have to re-select the "Watch TV" activity on the remote as it's
already in the correct mode.
FIGURE 8 - SYNCHING CURRENT REMOTE ACTIVITY WHEN BEING SELECTED FROM A ROOM DEVICE
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USAGE EXAMPLE 3
GUI Binding even works across multiple GUI devices. Any phones or tablets that belong to the same room as
the Room Remote will stay synchronized whenever the current activity for that room changes.
FIGURE 9 - SYNCHING ALL DEVICES TO THE CURRENT ROOM ACTIVITY
MAKING IT WORK
See the GUI Binding Programming lesson to learn how to successfully implement this powerful feature.
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2. PROGRAMMING
2.1. PROGRAMMING – ROOM REMOTE
BEFORE YOU SET UP A ROOM REMOTE
You should program and test all of your devices, macros, and GUI Groups before setting up any Room
Remotes.
Read Room Remotes & RF Receivers Overview if you haven't already done so
ADD A NEW ROOM REMOTE
Right-click the REMOTES node in the Project Tree, and select "Add Room Remote"
FIGURE 10 - ADDING A ROOM REMOTE TO A PROJECT
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ADD A NEW RF RECEIVER
If the project contains no RF Receivers, you will be prompted to add one. The RF Receivers tab is used to add,
remove, rename, and assign serial ports to RF Receivers in the project.
1. Click the RF Receivers tab.
2. Click Add.
3. Rename the RF Receiver (optional)
4. Select which serial port the RF Receiver is connected to
FIGURE 11 - HIGHLIGHTING THE AREAS OF THE REMOTE PROPERTIES CORRESPONDING TO THE RF RECEIVER STEPS
ASSIGN REMOTE PROPERTIES
Each Room Remote has a few properties that must be assigned.
1. Click the Remote Properties tab.
2. Rename the Remote (optional)
3. Select which RF Receiver should respond to commands from this Room Remote.
4. Choose a Room Number for this Room Remote. This number will correlate directly to the remote
address assigned to a remote.
FIGURE 12 - HIGHLIGHTING THE AREAS OF THE REMOTE PROPERTIES CORRESPONDING TO THE REMOTE PROPERTIES STEPS
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ASSIGN SYSTEM ON/OFF MACROS
The Power On and Power Off buttons (1) on the Room Remote are primarily used to turn the entire system in
a given room on or off, regardless of which activity is currently selected.
As such, you must select the appropriate macros for these actions. Any macros you have created will appear in
the Room Off and Room On macro select lists (2).
ABOUT ACTIVITIES
Each Room Remote can control up to 8 activities in a given room. Each activity consists of an Activity Macro
(which would be programmed to switch all AV components to the correct input/mode) and all of the
associated button programming.
There are four activity buttons on a Room Remote. Each one provides access to a primary and secondary
activity. In use, the primary activity is accessed by a normal press/release of the activity button. The secondary
activity is accessed by holding the activity button down for longer than two-seconds.
You can choose which activity you want to edit by selecting an activity button (1) or via the Selected Activity
list (2). You can toggle back and forth between an activity button's primary and secondary programming by
clicking the same activity button, or via the Selected Activity list.
FIGURE 13 - HIGHLIGHTING STEPS TO ASSIGN SYSTEM ON/OFF MACROS
FIGURE 14 - DEMONSTRATING ACTIVITY SELECTION
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ACTIVITY MACROS
Use the Activity Macro list (1) to choose which system macro should be executed when the current activity is
selected.
FIGURE 15 - HIGHLIGHTING THE ACTIVITY MACRO SELECTION FOR THE CURRENTLY SELECTED ACTIVTY
BUTTON PROGRAMMING – INDIVIDUAL
There are a number of ways to program Room Remote button actions. You can edit programming on an
individual basis by selecting a button (1) on the Room Remote or Button list (2).
Individual button programming works the same way as GUI Button programming in the GUI Editor's Button
Properties window. You simply use the action selection lists (3) to choose the action you want the selected
button to perform.
FIGURE 17 - PROGRAMMING INDIVIDUAL BUTTONS ON THE ROOM REMOTE
FIGURE 16 - HIGHLIGHTING INDIVIDUAL BUTTON PROGRAMMING
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BUTTON PROGRAMMING - DRAG & DROP
You can also drag individual commands from the Project Tree onto the Room Remote button you want to
program.
BUTTON PROGRAMMING - THE FAST WAY
The fastest way to program a Room Remote is by using the same command tag functionality that speeds up
GUI programming. Each button has a known 'tag' that defines what type of command should be programmed
onto it. You can leverage command tags by dragging an entire device from the Project Tree onto the Room
Remote background. You can even program activities in the Project Tree alone, without opening the Room
Remote properties window.
FIGURE 18 - ASSIGNING COMMANDS USING DRAG AND DROP
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COMMAND TAGS - REMOTE EDITOR
Drag an IR Device node (1) from the Project Tree onto the Room Remote background.
The Device Drop window (2) will appear.
Select which command types should be programmed onto the currently selected activity and click OK.
Each button that has a corresponding action in the IR Device will be programmed automatically.
FIGURE 19 - DEVICE DRAG AND DROP WITH COMMAND TAGS
2
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COMMAND TAGS - PROJECT TREE
You can even program Room Remote activities without opening up the Room Remote Editor.
Here's how you can quickly program an activity using just the Project Tree.
1. Drag an IR Device (1) onto the corresponding Activity in the Room Remote (2).
2. The Device Drop window will appear. Choose which command types you want to program and
click OK.
3. Now drag the appropriate activity macro (3) onto the Room Remote activity.
You can repeat this process for each activity.
FIGURE 20 - PROGRAMMING WITH COMMAND TAGS
1
3
2
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VOLUME TIP
It is very common to want the volume buttons on a Room Remote to always control the AV Receiver,
regardless of which activity is currently selected. You can accomplish this very easily.
1. Program each activity's buttons and macros using one of the previous methods.
2. Drag the AV Receiver IR Device (1) onto the main Room Remote node (2) in the Project Tree.
3. When the Device Drop window appears, select only the Volume command group (3), and click OK.
Now the volume and mute buttons in every activity have been programmed to control the AV Receiver.
1
2
3
FIGURE 21 - APPLYING VOLUME ACROSS THE WHOLE REMOTE
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TESTING
Click OK when you are finished making changes to the Room Remote configuration. Upload each controller in
the project before testing the remote.
FIGURE 22 - SAVING REMOTE PROGRAMMING
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2.2. PROGRAMMING – GUI BINDINGS
GUI BINDING
GUI Binding is a powerful feature that enables you to make sure a given room's activity selection always stays
in sync across all user interfaces, including Room Remotes, phones, and tablets. Setting up GUI Bindings will
typically be the last step in a Push Controls project.
BEFORE YOU SET UP GUI BINDINGS
You should program and test all of your devices, macros, and GUI Groups before setting up any GUI
Bindings.
Read GUI Binding Concepts if you haven't already done so
SELECT AN ACTIVITY
Each Activity in a Room Remote can be associated with a GUI page in one or more GUI Groups. Each GUI Group
in a project may have its own set of GUI Bindings for a given Room Remote/Activity.
Select an Activity (1) in the Room Remote editor.
FIGURE 23 - SELECT ROOM ACTIVITY
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SELECT A GUI GROUP
1. Select the GUI Binding Tab.
2. Select the GUI Group you want to work with.
SELECT ROOM PAGES
The Push Touch app will only navigate to a new activity page based on a Room Remote activity change if the
app's current page is a member of the same room.
Many installations have multi-room GUI configurations. When GUI page room memberships are properly
defined, a user controlling one room via Push Touch will not experience unexpected GUI navigation caused by
an activity change in a different room.
Use the checkboxes (1) to bind or unbind a given GUI page to the current Room Remote.
If the GUI Group you are working with only controls a single zone (such as the Home Theatre, or Living Room),
you will most likely Select All(2) pages in the group.
If you do not want any pages in a group to navigate to a new page when the current Room Remote changes
activities, click Clear All (3).
FIGURE 24 - SELECT GUI GROUP TO WORK WITH
FIGURE 25 - SELECTING ROOM GUI PAGES
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SELECT THE ROOM OFF PAGE
If the GUI Group you are working on has a "Home Page" that should be navigated to when the current room's
system is turned off, select it in the Room Off page list (1).
SELECT THE ACTIVITY PAGE
If the GUI Group should navigate to a specific page when the current Room Remote switches to the currently
selected activity (1), select it via the activity page list(2).
FINISHING UP
Continue setting up GUI Bindings for each GUI Group.
Once all changes are made, be sure to upload each controller and GUI Group in the project.
FIGURE 26 - SPECIFIYING THE HOME PAGE TO REVERT TO WHEN THE SYSTEM IS SHUTDOWN
FIGURE 27 - SPECIFY THE PAGE TO NAVIGATE TO WHEN THE CURRENT ACTIVITY IS SELECTED ON THE REMOTE
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3. MISCELLANEOUS
3.1. USING THE ROOM REMOTE
INTRODUCTION
From the end-user's perspective, the Room Remote looks and works much like any other handheld remote
control. It has an intuitive design and button layout that should be familiar to anyone who has used a common
set-top box or TV remote. However, there are a number of advanced features that allow the Room Remote to
rival or surpass the capabilities of other remotes that cost three times as much.
Reliable RF communications allow the Room Remote to communicate with Push controller hardware
tucked away in equipment cabinets, or even in another room.
GUI Binding allows room activity selection to stay synchronized across Room Remotes and GUI
devices.
Attractive LED back lighting makes buttons easy to see in dark rooms.
Since Push controllers are networked, Room Remotes in one room can even control devices
connected to other controllers beyond the RF range of the remote.
Even though the Room Remote is part of an extremely powerful (and potentially complex) control system, it
couldn't be easier to use.
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BUTTON TYPES
There are three different types of buttons on a Push Controls Room Remote.
1. Power Buttons
2. Activity Buttons
3. Normal Buttons
FIGURE 28 - HIGHLIGHTING THE BUTTON GROUPS
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POWER BUTTONS
The main Off and On buttons are primarily used to control the power state of an entire room.
These buttons also perform a secondary function when held down for two seconds. For example, sending
power commands to an individual component. The secondary functions can be different for each activity, but
the primary function is always the main Room Off and Room On macros.
ACTIVITY BUTTONS
Each Room Remote can control 8 different activities. The four Activity buttons are used to select the current
activity. Each Activity button has a primary and secondary activity associated with it.
When an activity is selected, the appropriate activity macro is executed, and the remote will control the
devices associated with the new activity. If GUI Bindings are set up, the other user interface devices in the
room will automatically navigate to the page associated with the new Activity.
Each Activity button's secondary activity can be accessed by holding the button down for approximately two
seconds.
FIGURE 29 - THE REMOTE POWER ON AND OFF BUTTONS
FIGURE 30 - THE ROOM REMOTE ACTIVITY BUTTONS
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BACK LIGHTING
The Room Remote features an attractive white LED back light, which makes buttons easy to see in a dark
room. The back lighting will stay active for approximately 3 seconds after a button is pressed.
BATTERIES
The Room Remote requires 2 AAA batteries, which are accessible via a removable cover on the underside of
the remote. The batteries should last 6 to 12 weeks depending on use.
ADDRESSING
In order for a Room Remote to communicate with a Push installation, it must be properly addressed.
FIGURE 31 - ROOM REMOTE BACKLIGHTING
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3.2. RF RECEIVER WIRING
CONNECTION WIRING
Connect the wiring as follows:
Black - GND
White - RXD
RED - +12DC
FIGURE 32 - WIRING FOR THE RF RECEIVER
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3.3. ADDRESSING A ROOM REMOTE
INTRODUCTION
Each Room Remote must be assigned a unique address. This prevents Room Remotes in different rooms (or
neighbouring installations) from controlling unintended activities.
See Room Remote Concepts for more information regarding rooms and addresses.
ENTER ADDRESSING MODE
Hold the OK and B buttons simultaneously until the red status LED comes on solid (approximately 3 seconds)
FIGURE 33 - ENTERING ADDRESS MODE ON THE ROOM REMOTE
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ENTER THE NEW ADDRESS
Enter a new three digit address. Valid addresses range from 001 - 255.
STORE THE NEW ADDRESS
Press OK to store the new address. The red status LED will flash twice if successful. The led will flash five
times if an invalid address was entered or if the procedure times out.
FIGURE 34 - ENTERING ADDRESS FOR THE REMOTE
FIGURE 35 - STORING THE ROOM REMOTE ADDRESS
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3.4. SERIAL PORT SETTINGS – RF RECEIVER
SETTINGS
In order to use an RF receiver with a Push Controller, you must apply the correct serial port settings.
1. In the Project Tree, right-click the Serial Port you will be connecting the RF Receiver to.
2. When the Serial Port properties window appears, select RF Receiver mode and click OK.
WIRING
See RF Receiver Wiring for information on connecting an RF Receiver to a controller's serial port.
FIGURE 36 - SERIAL PORT SETTINGS FOR THE RF RECEIVER
1
2