The MX 850 has a very distinguished look featuring a charcoal grey finish and new laser etched buttons for extended durability. Also, the MX 850 now includes a 5-way transport key with a separate center select button for more accurate control of button presses. These features differentiate the MX 850 from the MX 800.

2) HOW MANY DEVICES CAN THE MX850 CONTOROL?

The MX 850 is capable of controlling up to 20 devices IR only, RF only, or IR/RF simultaneously.

3) WHAT DO I NEED IN ORDER TO PROGRAM MY MX 850?

You need a personal computer with a serial port. MX 850 Editor will run on any Pentium II or faster Windows PC. Your PC should be equipped with an adequate amount of RAM for the operating system you use. MX 850 Editor is compatible with the Windows 98, ME, 2000, XP and XP Pro operating systems. It is not compatible with Windows 95 or previous versions of Windows.

4) WHAT IF MY COMPUTER DOESN’T HAVE A SERIAL PORT?

If your computer doesn’t include a serial port, you can always use a USB to serial converter cable. The recommended brands to use are the high speed converter cables made by Belkin or Keyspan

5) IS MX-EDITOR COMPATIBLE WITH A MAC?

You can use the MX-editor software on a Macintosh. However, it must be used through PC emulator software like Virtual PC.

6) HOW DO I UPDATE MY MX 850’S FIRMWARE AND GET NEW CODES?

Click on the gold satellite button located on the far right of the Toolbar. If an update is available it will proceed to download. The blue progress bar will indicate that you are receiving the Live Update information. You can check your software version number by clicking on the help tab, then clicking on about. If no update is available, the screen will say "No updates available at this time". If you do get an update, you must close MX-Editor and restart it for the update to take effect.

7) MY MX-EDITOR SOFTWARE AND REMOTE ARE NOT COMMUNICATING. WHAT DO I DO?

Typically, there are a few reasons for this problem. The number one problem we have found is the use of ActiveSync or Hot Sync software that is holding on to the active com ports and preventing your PC from communicating with the MX-850. Some digital camera software or software for wireless docking stations, keyboards, or mice can also prevent communication with your MX-850. You may have to disable or even remove the software that is blocking communication with your MX-850. Alternately, the MX-Editor and computer port may not be set to communicate properly, or you may have a bad cable connection. Here is the best way to check to see if your settings are correct: 1. In MX-Editor click "COMMUNICATIONS" 2. Click "SETTINGS" 3. Write down the COM PORT NUMBER 4. Go to your Windows Device Manager (Usually found under "Control Panel", "System", then the "Hardware" tab) 5. Click the "+" next to "PORTS" 6. Find the port that has "(COM ...)" at the end of it and make sure it matches the COM Port number you wrote down in step 3 7. If the number matches, right click on that port and select "PROPERTIES" 8. Select the "PORT SETTINGS" tab 9. The settings should read as follows: Bits per second: 9600 Data bits: 8 Parity: None Stop bits: 1 Flow Control: None Click "ADVANCED" Make sure "Use FIFO buffers..." is CHECKED Make sure both sliders for "RECEIVE BUFFERS" and "TRANSMIT BUFFERS" are all the way to the right Make sure the "COM PORT NUMBER" matches the Com Port you wrote down in step 3 Click "OK" until you have closed the Device Manager and Control Panel 10. Reopen the MX-Editor software and test it by attempting to do a download to the remote (full download).

8) CAN THE MX 850 CONTROL RF DEVICES DIRECTLY?

The MX 850’S radio signals will not directly control components that operate with “no pointing” RF remote controls. The only devices that will receive the radio signal from the MX 850 are the addressable MRF base stations (MRF 200, 250 and MRF 300). The component must have the ability to be controlled direct line of sight in order to be compatible with the MX 850.

9) I COULDN’T FIND A CODE FOR MY DEVICE IN THE IR DATABASE, WHAT CAN I DO?

If your model component is still not available in the IR database after trying to live update your editor software, you can use the factory supplied remote from that specific component to “teach” the MX 850 codes through the learning feature.

10) WHICH BUTTONS ARE CAPABLE OF LEARNING CODES?

You can learn to any button on the MX 850 besides the PAGE, MAIN, and FAV buttons.

11) WHAT BUTTONS CAN PLAYBACK A MACRO?

Only LCD buttons and the POWER ON and POWER OFF buttons can be PROGRAMMED with a Macro. However, any button can playback a Macro by using a shortcut to a button that has a Macro in it. (See p.22 of the manual for information on shortcuts).

12) I’M HAVING TROUBLE LEARNING TO MY MX 850 FROM ANOTHER REMOTE, WHAT CAN I DO?

Sometimes certain PC/windows combinations can create timing gaps that disrupt IR data transfer. Try using the Standalone learning feature (see p. 27 in manual).

13) HOW CAN I IDENTIFY DISCRETE CODES IN THE IR DATABASE?

If discrete codes are available for a particular device, they are usually located on the LCD buttons. In the IR database, discrete codes can sometimes be found as model names themselves under certain manufacturers that make them available.

14) IS IT POSSIBLE TO ENTER HEX OR BINARY IR CODE DATA INTO THE MX EDITOR?

The MX editor does not support direct entry of Hex or Binary code data.

15) I HAVE ANOTHER REMOTE CONTROL FILE FORMAT. CAN I IMPORT IT INTO THE MX EDITOR?

You can import LEARNED IR codes from .CCF files through the Universal Browser, (p. 60 in manual). Also, you can import LEARNED IR codes from other MX Editor File formats including MXF, MXA, MXT, MXG and RCC files. You can find an abundance of various learned files on specialized Forums like www.RemoteCentral.com

16) CAN I PROGRAM THE MX 850 WITH ANOTHER UNIVERSAL REMOTE CONTROLS EDITOR SOFTWARE?

No. When programming the MX 850 be sure to use MX 850 editor software only.

17) HOW DO I STORE MY REMOTE BACK TO THE FACTORY SETTINGS?

You can reset your MX 850 by loading up a new 10 or 20 device template and downloading it by selecting the partial download option. Another alternative to reset is by pressing and holding the MAIN and STOP buttons simultaneously for 10 seconds until you reach the reset screen.

18) MY MX 850 IS LOCKED ON A TEST PAGE, HOW CAN I UNLOCK IT?

If your MX 850 freezes up during a test session, you can restore it very easily. First, Take one battery out and then press the light button to clear the remotes charge. Next, put the battery back in and immediately press and hold the MAIN and STOP buttons simultaneously until the little guy onscreen disappears. Now connect the remote to the PC and on the MX 850 editor software, pull up a new 10 device configuration and download it to the remote using the Partial download option. The remote will then run through a test session again and revert back to MAIN.

19) WHAT MRF BASE STATIONS ARE COMPATIBLE WITH THE MX 850?

The MX 850 is compatible with all of the addressable MRF base stations. These include the MRF 200, MRF 250, & MRF 300.

20) CAN I ADJUST THE CONTRAST OF THE SCREEN?

You can make the LCD contrast darker by pressing the MAIN button and UP on the joystick simultaneously. You can make it lighter by pressing the MAIN button and DOWN on the joystick simultaneously.

21) IF THE BATTERIES DIE, DO I HAVE TO RE-PROGRAM THE REMOTE?

If the batteries die, you do not have to re-program the remote. The MX 850 will retain its programming in its non-volatile flash memory. You also have your saved MXF file readily available on your PC just in case.

22) WHAT IS THE SAFEST WAY TO CLEAN MY MX 850?

It is always best to clean your MX 850 with a soft dry cloth. Never use abrasives or cleaning solutions on the cloth.

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MX-850

1) WHAT MAKES THE MX 850 DIFFERENT FROM THE MX 800?