Difference between revisions of "LIRC"
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Setting up LIRC can range from very easy to incredibly difficult. The difficulty level is likely related to what hardware you end up using for LIRC. There are several different hardware pieces for recieving and sending LIRC commands. A few are: | Setting up LIRC can range from very easy to incredibly difficult. The difficulty level is likely related to what hardware you end up using for LIRC. There are several different hardware pieces for recieving and sending LIRC commands. A few are: | ||
* The reciever that comes with your TV card. For example, the PVR series from Hauppauge sometimes have a reciever. | * The reciever that comes with your TV card. For example, the PVR series from Hauppauge sometimes have a reciever. | ||
| − | * A Serial Port reciever you can make yourself or buy for a small fee (Often called a homebrew reciever) | + | * A Serial Port reciever you can make yourself or buy for a small fee (Often called a homebrew reciever) I have made a list of [[homebrew lirc reciever parts]] that are readily available at RadioShack. |
* A Serial Port transmitter you can make yourself or buy for a small fee (called a homebrew transmitter) | * A Serial Port transmitter you can make yourself or buy for a small fee (called a homebrew transmitter) | ||
* A commercially available USB reciever. | * A commercially available USB reciever. | ||
Revision as of 22:37, 12 February 2006
Definition: Linux Infrared Remote Control
So you want to control MythTV with your remote on the couch eh? Well LIRC will help...
LIRC is a program that gives your computer the ability to send and recieve infrared remote signals. Most distributions include LIRC packages, but you may have to compile your own version of the program to use certain features that the packagers did not include.
In it's most basic concept, you press the 'play' button on your remote control which sends an infrared signal to an infrared reciever connected to your computer. This infrared reciever sends a signal to LIRC, which identifies that you hit the 'play' key on your remote and then generates a keystroke on your computer that instructs MythTV to play.
The concept of a transmitter is a little more complex. You might want to use a transmitter if, for instance, you want MythTV to control a cable/sattelite box so it can record the right shows on the right channels. Lets say LIRC just sent 'Channel +' keystroke to Mythtv (like detailed above). MythTV then sends a signal back to LIRC instructing it to transmit a 'Channel +' command to the cable box. The infrared transmitter on your computer then emits an infrared signal to your cable box instructing it to change the channel + (just as if you had pressed the channel + key on the original cable remote).
The transmitter and reciever mentioned above are two separate devices (sometimes packaged into a single box). You cannot transmit through a reciever or recieve through a transmitter.
Setting up LIRC can range from very easy to incredibly difficult. The difficulty level is likely related to what hardware you end up using for LIRC. There are several different hardware pieces for recieving and sending LIRC commands. A few are:
- The reciever that comes with your TV card. For example, the PVR series from Hauppauge sometimes have a reciever.
- A Serial Port reciever you can make yourself or buy for a small fee (Often called a homebrew reciever) I have made a list of homebrew lirc reciever parts that are readily available at RadioShack.
- A Serial Port transmitter you can make yourself or buy for a small fee (called a homebrew transmitter)
- A commercially available USB reciever.
- A USB reciever you can make yourself.
It should be noted also that some people bypass the need for lirc altogether, and simply 'train' infrared codes from an infrared keyboard to their universal remote control. This way, pressing a key on your universal remote control would be picked up by the infrared keyboard's sensor, and pass the keystroke directly to MythTV as if you had been using an actual keyboard and not a remote at all.
For Help Setting up LIRC on your computer, follow some of these excellent resources:
I have built several homebrew recievers, and it is a fun project. If you are faint-of-heart when around soldering irons and little resistors, then you might want to check out some of these sites that offer pre-built models:
-- Dave Hofstra
The key things to remember are:
- If you're using a PVR-350, at least, it won't work with stock LiRc. You need 0.7.0 (as mentioned in Jarod's Guide)
- Set up
/etc/lircd.confto fit your remote. - Use the
irwprogram to see whether LiRc and your remote are working before going any further. It shows what events are generated by your remote. This is very helpful! - Set up
~/.mythtv/lircrcwith the keys that are needed for MythTV and MPlayer - Setup
~/.lircrcfor Xine. I have the~/.mythtv/lircrcbe a softlink to~/.lircrc. See my lircrc for a MythTV + Xine lircrc suggestion using the Hauppauge Grey remote.
-- Peter Morch
I use KnoppMyth and it worked out of the box for me with a Homebrew transmitter & receiver.
I use this SKY channel changer script with Sky in the UK - my sky box doesn't always change channels so it does it twice :) It also has 'locking' and works with the SKY dog remover script. I the ideas for this from a website somewhere.
-- David Greaves
2.6
LIRC26 is how I installed Lirc (well, the lirc_serial driver) under 2.6.4 and 2.6.6
