Ruark Vita Audio R4 R4i R4MK3 radio Remote control faults and IR Codes

[rh100605]

The Ruark audio R4i is a desktop DAB/FM CD player and USB stick player. It has a depression on the top that the removable Infra red Remote control sits in.

R4 MK3 and R2i remote codes are in later additions to this post below.
A separate post on the R2i remote codes describes how to program (not learn from an existing remote) an "all for one" URC1210/1240 remote with all the codes in this post.

The R4/R4i radio will not work without the remote, there are no operating buttons on the radio itself.  As the remote often gets lost and a replacement from Ruark is about £60, I tried to repair a non functional remote.
I had hoped to modify an existing remote but the cheap IR remotes use a 0x00FF custom code and are not modifiable. My aim was to produce a solution that anyone in my family could use, which I still need help with !

Opening the circular remote by removing the bottom metal cover, exposes two AAAA batteries and two screws. The chip was found to be a Princeton Technology PT2221 which is a copy of the original NEC uPD6121 (datasheet attached).
The data sheets describe the 38khz format and circuit diagrams (NEC datasheets are more detailed and have fewer silly errors)

I started by purchasing an IR 38Khz receiver from eBay the YS-IRTM board which  when used with the "Realterm serial capture terminal program 3.0.1.44" allowed hex to be read from a remote and sent to a computer via a serial port. There is also a IR transmitter on the YS-IRTM board. The user manual is attached below.
It only works for 38Khz and NEC coding structure.
I read the codes transmitted for each button on the good remote which are shown below going anticlockwise from the large "OK" button.
This way I could check what the faulty remote transmitted and use Realterm to send hex to the radio to check that the radio responded correctly. e.g using the ys-trm board to send these codes you must first send  A1 F1 making 5 bytes / command ( for example A1 F1 8F EF 0F is vol down)
8FEF08   ok               sw14
8FEF09   right            sw15
8FEF00   info             sw06
8FEF0A   source         sw12
8FEF05   pr5              sw01
8FEF04   pr4              sw02
8FEF03   pr3              sw03
8FEF02   pr2              sw04
8FEF01   pr1              sw08
8FEF06   audio           sw10
8FEF0E   clock            sw16
8FEF07   left              sw13
0B,0C,0D not used
8FEF1E    power     (push)
8FEF0F    vol down (rotate left)
8FEF1F    vol up     (rotate right)
8FEFFF    Mute       A bonus, not on remote but works on R4i models not R4.

The last byte is set by each of the switches listed above.
The custom code (0x8FEF) is set by D1 to D5 (1N4148 or A6) and R1,R2,R6 to R9 100k resistors. As outlined in the datasheet schematic.

I found that my remote was sending the wrong custom code due to an open 100k resistor.

For this remote the circuit is as follows:-
The diodes set the first 8 bits by tying five selected KI/O lines to the CCS line ( 0x8F is a diode from KI/O 0-3 and KI/O7  to CCS)
The resistors set a second code by tying six selected KI/O lines to the SEL line (0x9F is a resistor from KI/O 0-4 and KI/O7 to SEL--- R6,R1,R7,R8,R2,R9 respectively)

The NEC datasheet shows how the second code is used to modify the first code to give the second byte.
LSB is first as that is the way it is shown on the datasheet......
0x8F     1111 0001
0x9F     1111 1001      These bits mean invert when 0 on the first code 0x8F resulting in.

0xEF     1111 0111

So now I could control the radio using the Realterm program/ YS-IRTM board or even PIC/Arduino/RP2040 and knowing how to set the "Custom"codes I could build/modify a remote using the PT2221 or NEC uDP6121 .
I may also be able to use the wifi to IR transmitters on eBay such as the Tuya WiFi IR RF Universal Controller

BUT I would still like advice for making a family friendly remote for this radio !

IMPORTANT update August 23 :-
The early Ruark radios such as the R4 and R2 use Infra red receivers that are sensitive to High Frequency Fluorescent lighting ( CFL or Electronic ballast). The long push on "info" , "Presets", "Volume up/down" and "Left/Right"  will not function reliably.
The null repeat field has random pulses (Caused by the HF fluorescent tube) in it so the radio thinks a new command has started.
Later IR receivers in R4i and R2i use an internal AGC system that seems to eliminate such interference- See Vishay datasheets TSOP31238.

[Koray]

Great information! Vita Audio or Ruark Audio R4 has beautiful design and very good sound. However, the remote design is really stupid. The AAAA batteries are a pain to find and they deplete very quickly. The rubbery texture on the remote goes gummy. Good luck with your design, anything new will be better than the original design!

K.

[rh100605]

Koray,
I have just found a retailer who sells the GeeMarc TV10 programmable as a control for the R4i.  It has large buttons and fits in the hand better than a round control.
I have tried both the GeeMarc TV10 and the One for all Contour universal remote. Both can be programmed using an existing remote or the YS-IRTM board and an PC.
Programming the GeeMarc is  problematic as it it does not always learn properly. However once programmed it works fine.
The One for all remote was easy to program and works well with a better selection of keys.

All I need now is someone to tell me the IR codes for the Ruark-Vita audio R2i !

[pej]

My YS-IRTM board arrived yesterday and here I use it to show the codes for the R2i after some delay:

Clock   86 6B 12                                               
Audio   86 6B 1A                                               
On/Off   86 6B 1E                                               
1   86 6B 01
2   86 6B 02
3   86 6B 03
4   86 6B 04     
5   86 6B 05     
Info   86 6B 06   
Back   86 6B 07   
OK   86 6B 08 
Fwd   86 6B 09 
DAB   86 6B 0A
FM   86 6B 1B   
Vol+   86 6B 1F         
Aux   86 6B 0C   
iPod   86 6B 0D   
Vol-   86 6B 0E

I tried both the original Vita Audio remote and a universal remote - both gave the same codes as above.

Delays encountered on the way:
1. This probably will not effect you, but as I used a Bus Pirate UART.  I had to enable Bus Pirate +5v to power the YS-IRTM.
2. I already have Tera Term SW Terminal installed but Tera Term cannot handle hex.  RealTerm was needed for the hex above to show.
3. Realterm took no notice of my 9600 baud request - it turned out you have to close the port and reopen it for new 9600 baud setting to take place!

I see a new thread has been opened for the R2i remote. I will soon post how I programmed a universal remote to work the R2i.  If you have an R2 then you will find this solution will also work very well with only a small restriction.

[rh100605]

Update:- Ruark R4 MK3 IR remote codes.
This remote uses 38Khz NEC1 encoding
The device code is 0x02 sub device 0xFB, Hex function codes (OBC) follow
+         00
Power   01
Menu    06
-          09
Left      0A
Select   0C
Source  0E
Preset   14
Right     15
Example :- Power 0x02 FB 01 or Source is 0x02 FB 0E

Note that the source forge program RMIR uses decimal when entering the One Button Codes (OBC) and the device / sub device numbers. Source would be 2, 251, 14

You can now produce a  "one for all remote" URC 1204/1210 that controls the R4, R4 Mk2 and R4 Mk3 using the program RMIR downloaded from Source Forge. See my post on Ruark R2i IR codes

[Biff00]

Hi, thanks for the post. I have a vitaaudio r4 but no remote.. do you know if the ruark r4i remote is compatible? They look the same cosmetically.
If not am I correct in thinking the remote you mentioned could be an alternative to get it working again?
Thanks

[rh100605]

Biff00,
The R4i remote will work the R4. They are expensive and use AAAA batteries that do not last long.

The cheaper solution using the  URC 1210/1240 remote, which is available on ebay or Amazon, is to program the URC remote using a USB to Serial converter and the program RMIR as described in EEVBlog posts search for Ruark.

If you want one ready programmed I could list one on eBay but it is not difficult to make one or go through the remotes learning procedure that comes with the remote if you can borrow a Ruark remote that is !