[mythtv-users] Getting HVR-1600 IR receiver to work

faginbagin mythtv at hbuus.com
Tue Apr 20 16:22:58 UTC 2010



Jarod Wilson wrote:
> On Mon, Apr 19, 2010 at 12:12 PM, faginbagin <mythtv at hbuus.com> wrote:
> ...
>> The HVR-1600's cable looks the same as the PVR-150, with both receiver and
>> blaster. I just haven't needed a blaster, although maybe my cable co (WOW -
>> Wide Open West) will force cable boxes on me some day. So it sounds like
>> lirc_zilog is probably the right module, even though I don't have near term
>> plans to use the blaster, right?
> 
> lirc_zilog is the more correct module, but its possible lirc_i2c would
> work as well, if you don't yet care about transmit support.
> 
>>>> I welcome thoughts on lirc vs keyboard emulation, like which might
>>>> provide
>>>> the best user experience in 2.6.32? Right now, I'm wondering which to try
>>>> first. Has anyone played with both and formed an opinion?
>>> Both can be used with lirc, so there's really not a big difference in
>>> the end, if you want to control mythtv. The input layer ("keyboard
>>> emulation") route Just Works for anything that knows how to talk
>>> native linux input layer without requiring any end-user configuration
>>> work, but mythtv is not in that class (yet).
>> I assume you're referring to the "new ir-core bits" you mentioned above and
>> not to the ir-kbd-i2c module.
> 
> Both, actually.
> 
>> Yes, I do want to control mythtv. Controlling
>> other apps would be nice, but it's not a "must have". Let me see if I
>> understand the options:
>>
>> 1) lirc with the lirc_zilog module (or maybe lirc_i2c).
>>
>> 2) lirc with the ir-core module.
>>
>> 3) input layer/keyboard emulation with the ir-core module, with
>> configuration via a configuration file and input-kbd, right?
>>
>> 4) input layer/keyboard emulation with the ir-kbd-i2c module, with
>> configuration via a configuration file and input-kbd, as suggested by Mark.
> 
> Options 2 and 3 aren't yet possible, lirc_zilog still needs to be
> ported to ir-core, and I'm not sure what configuration file we're
> talking about in 3 or 4. Option 1 is fairly straight-forward, assuming
> you can get lirc_zilog built and bound to the card. Option 4 is
> slightly more involved in configuring on the lirc side, but with
> lircd's devinput support, can be done...
> 
>> Assuming all of these options are viable, I'm wondering if one is faster and
>> more reliable in delivering key presses to mythtv than the others. I believe
>> option 1) is closest to what I was used to on kernels <= 2.6.28. On those
>> older kernels, my impression was that lirc, with both PVR-150 and HVR-1600
>> IR receivers, was somewhat sluggish and would drop second, third ... presses
>> of the same key if done too soon after the first. If one option is a little
>> more efficient in how IR codes propagate up from the receiver to the driver
>> to the application, and is better at handling multiple key presses, then
>> that's the option I'd like to pursue.
> 
> I'm not sure on the key delivery reliability differences of any of the methods.
> 
>> If it's all the same, then I'm
>> thinking options 1) or 2) are probably going to be less work, since I can
>> use the same configuration files for lirc I've always used, right?
> 
> For option 1, yes. Option 2 actually requires a different configuration.

I really appreciate the time you've spent answering my questions. It has helped me formulate my upgrade plans. I think I'll try option 1) first. Hopefully I'll get it working without too much pain.

Thanks,
Helen



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