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View Full Version : Re: How do Clifford "scratch" remotes work?


Scott M
August 11th 03, 11:22 AM
DaveC wrote:

> Took my Clifford remote (2 button, for IG 200) in to Clifford dealer. He
> opened it up and looked at the back of the PCB where he showed me small
> scratches the assembler had made.
>
> He said that these scratches correspond to the unique digital ID of the alarm
> (to keep anyone with a similar alarm from stealing your car, I presume). I
> didn't fully understand the significance of these.

On the PCB there will be something like 8 circuit tracks connected to
pins on the chip. The tracks will all be grounded (or dragged high.) By
scratching through various track you break the connections and set a
unique[1] binary value for that remote (connection intact = 0,
connection broken = 1 or vice-versa.)


> If I buy a used 2-button remote of the same model, is it possible to
> re-program it for my alarm? Do I need to?

a) Technically, yes.

b) Probably not reading what you say below.


> I thought that all you needed to do is go through the programming sequence
> that is listed in the owner's manual to get the alarm to recognize a new
> remote. This "scratch remote" stuff has me confused.

The "programming sequence" will be to set the alarm unit to recognise
the code set in the remote.

--
Scott

[1] Well, 1 of 256[2] combinations

[2] Or 2^x where x is the number of tracks in the remote.

Where are we going and why am I in this handbasket?

DaveC
August 20th 03, 04:31 PM
On Mon, 11 Aug 2003 3:22:30 -0700, Scott M wrote
(in message >):

> DaveC wrote:

>> If I buy a used 2-button remote of the same model, is it possible to
>> re-program it for my alarm? Do I need to?

> a) Technically, yes.
>
> b) Probably not reading what you say below.

>> I thought that all you needed to do is go through the programming sequence
>> that is listed in the owner's manual to get the alarm to recognize a new
>> remote. This "scratch remote" stuff has me confused.

> The "programming sequence" will be to set the alarm unit to recognise
> the code set in the remote.

So, the actual "code" that the remote is set to isn't important, as long as
it is uinque (ie, random). Then the programming sequence you walk through
with the brain, simply recognizes that unique code?
--
Dave C.