Re: LIRC - Failed to initialize hardware - Mac & IrDroid

On 2019-09-25 02:53, Joe Dugandzic wrote:
> Hello again,
> 
> So I've made some good progress thanks to Alec & Bengt, but it seems 
> that my Lirc install just won't work with my IrDroid. I managed to use 
> Bengt's IrScrutinizer to capture and export the .conf file for my custom 
> remote, and Lirc doesn't seem to have an issue parsing it. But somehow 
> it just won't initiate the hardware.
> 
> To be specific, I'm running Lirc 0.9.4d installed via MacPorts on macOS 
> Sierra - https://ports.macports.org/port/lirc/summary
> 
> Here's the error log that I get when running Lirc as a daemon 
> "interactively"...
> 
> Sep 24 12:27:05  lircd-0.9.4d[33564] <Info>: Info: lircd:  Opening log, 
> level: Info
> Sep 24 12:27:05  lircd-0.9.4d[33564] <Warning>: Warning: Running as root
> Sep 24 12:27:05  lircd-0.9.4d[33564] <Info>: Info: Using remote: Candles.
> Sep 24 12:27:05  lircd-0.9.4d[33564] <Notice>: Notice: lircd(irtoy) 
> ready, using /var/run/lirc/lircd
> Sep 24 12:27:07  lircd-0.9.4d[33564] <Notice>: Notice: accepted new 
> client on /var/run/lirc/lircd
> Sep 24 12:27:07  lircd-0.9.4d[33564] <Warning>: Warning: Failed to 
> initialize hardware
...
General comments:

1. For support on this list, preferably use the current upstream lirc on 
Sourceforge. For support "foobar version", ask foobar.  Current version 
contains several fixes relevant to IrToy/IrDroid.

2. Raise the loglevel (in the installation phase). It is --loglevel 
trace1 (for example) in the current version, for MacPorts... you have to 
ask someone else.

One of the reasons for not buying IrDroid is that it comes with an 
obsolete firmware (bad), and it comes without a bootloader (worse), so 
you cannot easily update it. Some versions of Lirc does not cope with 
the firmware version of IrDroid (2.0?), the current one does (I think at 
least).

If you are somewhat hardware savvy you CAN update the firmware the hard 
way: Solder five pins to the unoccupied holes on the PCB, making an ICSP 
connector. Get a MicroChip compatible programmer, like PicKit3. They 
used to be in the upper two-digit range (€ or $), but recently I have 
seen very cheap ones (clones?) on ebay. I have done this update myself. 
The compiled FW you find by dangerous prototypes. Also, the housing does 
not fit any more after soldering the ICSP pins (voiding IrDroid's only 
advantage :-)).

Greetz,

Bengt