AMX MIO-R4 Instruction Manual

Getting The Most From Your Mio Modero R-4
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Mio Modero R-4 Remote
“Hops” are defined as the number of gateways or repeaters the data must travel through to get to the master.
As an example, consider a simple system with one gateway. Events on the remote are communicated to the
gateway and then to the master, which constitutes one hop. Two hops would occur if an event must go through
a repeater to a gateway, and then to a master. Limiting the number of hops made greatly improves the user
experience.
Levels designed on the Mio R-4 panel pages generate a large number of messages between the R-4 and the
master. If other remotes are in use at the same time, this could limit the bandwidth available for all devices.
The amount of messages generated by a level can be artificially limited by the programmer/designer by
adjusting the time up and time down values in the programming properties for the level button in TPDesign4.
For example, assume a volume level ranging from 1-100. If the time up/time down for this is set to 5 seconds,
the remote must generate messages very frequently within that time span to cover 100 discrete points of
volume. If this was spread to 10 or 15 seconds, it would cut in half (10 seconds) or one-third (15 seconds) the
bandwidth required. Another option is to step the volume in increments of two by setting the level range to 1-
50. Whenever a level_event is processed in the NetLinx program, the programmer would multiply the level
value by 2 before it is sent to the volume control device. If the ramp time is left the same, it would cut in half
yet again the bandwidth required.
When loading custom images, use graphic files the same size as the original image button into which it was
designed to fit. Images too large must be scaled to fit and will use more processing power, slowing the
loading of pages.
To optimize page loading speed, use JPEG files for images instead of PNG files when possible.
Minimize the number of borders displayed on a single page. One border will always load faster than two or
three. Consistent use of borders will also make for a better look and feel.
Keep the number of fonts used on the Mio R-4 to a minimum, as each unnecessary font file takes space in the
device's memory that could be used for other files or functions.
Try to use no more than one or two animated images per page. Animations use considerable amounts of
processing power and slow the response time for the user.
Do not set timeouts for popups containing level/bar graph controls tied to external buttons to a short time
limit. If the popup times out before the button is released, the button release is missed by the control on the
popup and the level will continue to be adjusted in the last active direction. This can be a problem when the
popup control is for volume, among other possibilities.
Sending consecutive listbox update send_commands too closely together can adversely affect the
performance of the data transfer when sending a large number of update commands. Up to 20 listbox update
commands probably could be sent very quickly. However, if sending more than 20 updates, the master code
should be set up to insert an approximate 1/2-second delay between the commands. Otherwise, too many
commands can be queued on the gateway in too short a time. The end result is that messages could be lost.
Because of this, dynamic listboxes should be kept somewhat limited in size. Scrolling through a list of 20 or
30 items is also easier for the user than a list of 100 or 1000 items.
The amount of traffic generated for online events is connected to the number of ports and channels that are
opened up. Start at a low port number and increment port numbers by 1 when needed, and do the same for
channels. This will ease the load on the ZigBee network and the Mio R-4 and will consume fewer resources
on the NetLinx master.
The bottom line is to understand what the remote is being designed to interface with, design the pages to limit
the amount of data required from any particular device, and write the NetLinx program to minimize data
traffic and to maximize efficient use of bandwidth. To accomplish this, the programmer must be aware of the
amount of traffic the NetLinx program will generate to the device.

AMX MIO-R4 Specifications

General

Flash memory	32 MB
RAM capacity	64 MB
Certification	FCC, IC, CE, IEC 60950, Japan Approval
Maximum range	30 m
Frequency band	2.4 GHz
Languages support	ARA, CHI (SIMPL), DEU, ENG, ESP, FRE, GRE, HUN, ITA, JPN, KOR, POR, RUS, THA
Number of devices supported	2
Interface	IR Wireless
Input type	Press buttons
Hard buttons	Yes
Product color	Black
Buttons quantity	29
Remote control proper use	-
Display diagonal	2.4 \
Display resolution	240 x 320 pixels
Storage temperature (T-T)	-20 - 70 °C
Operating temperature (T-T)	0 - 40 °C
Package weight	25 g

Weight and Dimensions

Depth	19 mm
Width	51 mm
Height	240 mm
Weight	20 g