[mythtv-users] lirc_serial fails under load, alternatives?

[David Kramer]

Yan Seiner wrote:
> No solutions, but a plea:
> 
> It would be really, really nice for someone to design / build an open 
> source PIC-based LIRC decoder.  This would get around what you're 
> seeing, and also provide WOR (wake-on-remote) functionality....
> 
> Any PIC programmers out there?  I'm up to my eyeballs in embedded stuff 
> and can't take this on.
> 
> I'm cc'ing the LIRC list so that maybe some kind soul there will do this....

There are options.  I use a very old predecessor of
http://www.redrat.co.uk/RedRat3/
It's got a microprocessor that does all the timing-intensive math to
control the IR sender and receiver, and you just get and send it short
strings.

Years ago, when he produced his first serial-based unit, I took his
Windows-only software and rewrote it in platform-independent Perl,
adding several features in the process.

Mind you, this predates MythTV (or at least me hearing about it).  I had
this device controlling my cable box and two VCRs.  I put all my TV
programming in my crontab file to start/start recording and change
channels.  It was very geeky and very cool, and I'm so glad I've moved
past it to Myth two months ago.  I'm still very much in learning-mode
with Myth, thanks to this wonderful list.

I'm still using my seral RedRat 1 with MythTV with great success.  I
wrote a wrapper around my original Perl code to accept the channel
change parameters and have it send the codes.

Right now I'm dealing with DSL issues caused by construction on my
block, but once the pipes of the internets are once again seamlessly
connected to my DSL modem, you will be able to go to
http://www.thekramers.net/ir/
to read more about my software.