Microsoft Media Center / 1044 Keyboard - Source of Extended Keyboard Codes?

[Jason-R1]

Hi,

Firstly, thank you for the excellent IRPlus project and the huge amount of work that has clearly gone into building the remote library.

I'm currently investigating the Microsoft Media Center infrared keyboard (Microsoft Keyboard for Windows Media Center, Model 1044) and wondered if anyone knows the provenance of the Microsoft Media Center remote library included with IRPlus.

In particular, the library contains a working ALT+F4 command which successfully controls a genuine Microsoft eHome IR receiver.

I've been trying to extend this to generate additional keyboard combinations (e.g. Alt+Tab, Ctrl+Alt+Del, Win+E, Win+D, etc.) without success.

What I've established so far

• I own a genuine Microsoft 1044 IR keyboard and Microsoft eHome receiver.
• I can successfully learn individual keyboard transmissions into IRPlus, but replaying those learned codes does not generate keyboard events.
• The eHome receiver acknowledges the replay (normal LED flash), suggesting the protocol is recognised, but Windows ignores the packet.
• Some internet Pronto Hex examples produce a different "long flash" from the receiver and are clearly invalid.
• The ALT+F4 command included in the IRPlus Media Center library works perfectly.

My question

Does anyone know:

1. Where the Microsoft Media Center library originally came from?

2. Whether the working ALT+F4 command was:

   • learned from a genuine Microsoft device,
   • converted from LIRC,
   • imported from another database,
   • or created manually?

3. Whether additional Microsoft keyboard commands (especially modifier combinations) exist somewhere but were never included in the library?

4. Whether anyone has documentation for the Microsoft Media Center keyboard IR protocol (sometimes referred to as MCIR, MCIR-2 or Microsoft Keyboard protocol), particularly for generating packets rather than simply decoding them?

I'm happy to share everything I've discovered so far if it's useful. I'm currently reverse-engineering the protocol and documenting the packet structure with the aim of producing a complete, documented library of working Pronto Hex commands for IRPlus, SmartLife IR blasters and other compatible systems.

Any information about the origin of the existing Media Center codes, or pointers to the original source material, would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks!

[serp369molot]

___Для начала желательно прикрепить файл с кодами команд, которые удалось определить. По имеющеймя информации, для управления Microsoft Media Center используется протокол RC-6, как и в пультах компании Филипс. А поддержка дополнительных команд Alt+Tab , Ctrl+Alt+Del , Win+E , Win+D зависит не от передающего устройства - а от принимающего устройства, типа Microsoft eHome.

[Jason-R1]

6Thank you for your reply.

I agree that the Microsoft eHome receiver ultimately determines what keyboard function is generated from a received command. However, I have encountered some behaviour that I cannot yet explain, which makes me think there may be additional information in the Microsoft keyboard protocol beyond the standard RC6 modulation.

Test hardware

• Genuine Microsoft Keyboard for Windows Media Center (Model 1044)
• Genuine Microsoft eHome IR receiver
• IRPlus (Android)
• SmartLife IR blasters (for later automation)

What I have observed

1. The original Microsoft keyboard works normally.

2. I learned several keyboard commands directly from the genuine keyboard into IRPlus.

3. When these learned commands are replayed from IRPlus:

   • the Microsoft eHome receiver gives its normal acknowledgement flash,
   • but Windows generates no keyboard event.

4. Some Pronto Hex codes found on the Internet produce the receiver's long flash, suggesting that those packets are rejected as invalid.

5. However, the ALT+F4 command included in the IRPlus Microsoft Media Center library works perfectly. The receiver gives its normal acknowledgement flash and Windows immediately closes the active application.

This suggests that the learned packets are recognised as valid IR transmissions, but are not accepted as valid keyboard commands.

Files attached

• Microsoft_MediaCenter_IRPlus_Library.irplus – the standard IRPlus Media Center library containing the working ALT+F4 command.
• Microsoft1044_Keyboard_Learned_SingleKeys.irplus – individual keys learned directly from the genuine Microsoft 1044 keyboard (e.g. A, Enter, Win, etc.).
• Microsoft1044_Keyboard_Learned_KeyCombinations.irplus – captures of key combinations and modifier sequences learned directly from the genuine Microsoft 1044 keyboard.

If anyone is willing to compare these files, I would be very interested in understanding why the learned keyboard commands do not replay successfully while the supplied ALT+F4 command does.

My questions

• Does anyone know the original source of the Microsoft Media Center IRPlus library?
• Was the working ALT+F4 command learned from genuine hardware, converted from another database (LIRC, RemoteCentral, etc.), or created manually?
• Has anyone documented the Microsoft Media Center keyboard protocol beyond standard RC6?
• Has anyone successfully generated additional keyboard commands such as Alt+Tab, Ctrl+Alt+Del, Win+E or Win+D?
• Has anyone successfully learned commands directly from a genuine Microsoft 1044 keyboard and replayed them from IRPlus (or another programmable IR transmitter) so that the Microsoft eHome receiver generated the expected keyboard events?

Any pointers or technical information would be greatly appreciated. I am trying to document the protocol and ultimately build a complete working library of keyboard commands for IRPlus, SmartLife and other RC6-compatible transmitters.

Thank you!

Microsoft_MediaCenter_IRPlus_Library.xml
Microsoft1044_Keyboard_Learned_KeyCombinations.xml
Microsoft1044_Keyboard_Learned_SingleKeys.xml

The attached files have been renamed from .irplus to .xml because GitHub Issues does not permit .irplus attachments.