[mythtv-users] Implementing HD-PVR IR Blaster

[Jarod Wilson]

On Nov 18, 2009, at 8:26 AM, Johnny Walker wrote:

> I've also got the HD-PVR - I would be happy to test the IR blaster
> feature on this device if it would be helpful.

Well, its not really the blaster that needs testing. It works. As does the receiver. What needs to be root-caused are hangs that may occur during recordings if the IR part is active (which means, lirc_zilog is loaded and talking to it -- the driver polls the IR part constantly).

> I use MythBuntu though - hope that's not an issue.

Only in that it requires you to patch the hdpvr driver and get lirc_zilog onto your system, both of which are already present in binary form in Fedora. Thus the sanity-check suggestion of booting a Fedora 12 live image, because I *know* that's got everything necessary in place.


> On Tue, Nov 17, 2009 at 10:32 PM, Jarod Wilson <jarod at wilsonet.com> wrote:
>> On Nov 17, 2009, at 9:43 AM, Bobby Schwartz wrote:
>> ...
>>>>> So I got compiled and snapped in the modules.  I tried several
>>>>> combinations of modprobing and connecting the HD-PVR.  Dmesg shows
>>>> the
>>>>> lirc_dev module loading "lirc_dev: IR Remote Control driver
>>>> registered,
>>>>> major 251" and I see in dmesg the HD-PVR loading...
>>>>> 
>>>>> [   10.181882] hdpvr 1-4:1.0: untested firmware version 0x12, the
>>>> driver
>>>>> might not work
>>>>> [   10.562303] hdpvr 1-4:1.0: device now attached to /dev/video0
>>>>> [   10.562332] usbcore: registered new interface driver hdpvr
>>>>> 
>>>>> But I'm not seeing any new lirc devices in /dev.  I also bounced the
>>>> box
>>>>> for grins and giggles.
>>>> 
>>>> I take it you're just running the stock hdpvr driver from the Ubuntu
>>>> kernel then. It doesn't have some necessary IR-enabling bits in it.
>>>> There's been a bit of instability of the hdpvr with the IR part active
>>>> and being polled by lirc_zilog, so the IR activation hasn't been
>>> merged
>>>> upstream yet.
>>>> 
>>> 
>>> I pulled down v4l trunk and applied your changes to it; built a new
>>> hdpvr module and I'm fairly sure that's what's running now.
>> 
>> Hrm. Should all be working then. Not sure what might be awry. Don't suppose you could boot a Fedora 12 live image on that system and see what it sees? The hdpvr module on there has the patches to enable IR, as well as the necessary lirc_zilog, so all you should have to do after booting is modprobe lirc_zilog, and it *should* be working. If so, then we know there's something not quite right with what you've got on the Ubuntu side. If not, that's good to know as well...
>> 
>>> It's understandable that it's not in trunk yet.  I believe my HD-PVR is
>>> rev E2.  I'd be more than willing to guinea pig new software if there's
>>> a need.
>> 
>> Yeah, there's definitely a need. Don't have time to do much testing right now myself.

-- 
Jarod Wilson
jarod at wilsonet.com