Re: HD-PVR IR Blaster

Hello,

On Mon, Nov 21, 2022 at 01:10:03PM -0600, Rob Wiskow wrote:
> I've been using lirc 0.9.0 for years to transmit IR signals through my
> HD-PVR 1212, via the lirc_zilog driver.
> I'm trying to migrate to a new system (Ubuntu 22.04) which has lirc 0.10.1,
> and am unable to get it to work.
> 
> I've added the modprobe option to enable the irblaster ("options ir-kbd-i2c
> enable_hdpvr"), and it does recognize the device and creates /dev/lirc0 as
> expected:
> [72288.062734] ir-kbd-i2c 4-0071: Zilog/Hauppauge IR blaster firmware
> version 2.1.0
> [72288.062749] Registered IR keymap rc-hauppauge
> [72288.062849] rc rc0: HD-PVR as
> /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1d.7/usb1/1-8/i2c-4/4-0071/rc/rc0
> [72288.063066] rc rc0: lirc_dev: driver ir_kbd_i2c registered at minor = 0,
> scancode receiver, raw IR transmitter
> [72288.063115] input: HD-PVR as
> /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1d.7/usb1/1-8/i2c-4/4-0071/rc/rc0/input484
> [72288.106979] hdpvr 1-8:1.0: device now attached to video0
> 
> The next hurdle was that the packaged setup of lirc was specifying the
> "devinput" driver. I changed this to "default" and set the device to
> "/dev/lirc0".
> But now when I try to do an irsend, I get a "transmission failed" error:
> irsend SEND_ONCE blaster 0_4_KEY_POWER
> irsend: command failed: SEND_ONCE blaster 0_4_KEY_POWER
> irsend: transmission failed
> 
> There's a little more detail in the syslog:
> Nov 21 10:45:20 mythserv lircd[37880]: lircd-0.10.1[37880]: Notice:
> accepted new client on /var/run/lirc/lircd
> Nov 21 10:45:20 mythserv lircd[37880]: lircd-0.10.1[37880]: Info: Cannot
> configure the rc device for /dev/lirc0
> Nov 21 10:45:20 mythserv lircd[37880]: lircd-0.10.1[37880]: Notice: the

This driver uses the LIRC_MODE_SCANCODE mode for receiving, which is not
supported by lircd. I should really write a patch for this, should not be
hard to write.

> receive method of the driver is not yet supported by lircd
> Nov 21 10:45:20 mythserv lircd-0.10.1[37880]: Notice: accepted new client
> on /var/run/lirc/lircd
> Nov 21 10:45:20 mythserv lircd[37880]: lircd-0.10.1[37880]: Error: write
> failed
> Nov 21 10:45:20 mythserv lircd[37880]: lircd-0.10.1[37880]: Invalid argument

It looks like you may have this lircd.conf file or something similar:

	https://people.canonical.com/~mdeslaur/mythtv/lircd.conf

The new driver does not work with this file, you need a regular definition
of the remote, not this weird database of remotes. The values in this file
mean nothing to the driver - they worked with the driver in kernel before
4.16, but not after.

Please help us understand what you are trying to send, and what lircd.conf
you are using.

> Nov 21 10:45:20 mythserv lircd[37880]: lircd-0.10.1[37880]: Error: error
> processing command: SEND_ONCE blaster 0_4_KEY_POWER
> Nov 21 10:45:20 mythserv lircd[37880]: lircd-0.10.1[37880]: Error:
> transmission failed
> Nov 21 10:45:20 mythserv lircd[37880]: lircd-0.10.1[37880]: Info: removed
> client
> Nov 21 10:45:20 mythserv lircd-0.10.1[37880]: Info: Cannot configure the rc
> device for /dev/lirc0
> Nov 21 10:45:20 mythserv lircd-0.10.1[37880]: Notice: the receive method of
> the driver is not yet supported by lircd
> Nov 21 10:45:20 mythserv lircd-0.10.1[37880]: Error: write failed
> Nov 21 10:45:20 mythserv lircd-0.10.1[37880]: Invalid argument
> Nov 21 10:45:20 mythserv lircd-0.10.1[37880]: Error: error processing
> command: SEND_ONCE blaster 0_4_KEY_POWER
> Nov 21 10:45:20 mythserv lircd-0.10.1[37880]: Error: transmission failed
> Nov 21 10:45:20 mythserv lircd-0.10.1[37880]: Info: removed client
> Nov 21 10:45:20 mythserv systemd[1]: Starting Ubuntu Advantage Timer for
> running repeated jobs...
> Nov 21 10:45:20 mythserv systemd[1]: ua-timer.service: Deactivated
> successfully.
> Nov 21 10:45:20 mythserv systemd[1]: Finished Ubuntu Advantage Timer for
> running repeated jobs.
> 
> That's where I'm currently stuck. Does anyone have any tips for getting
> this working?
> I'd be perfectly willing to downgrade back to lirc 0.9.0, but haven't had
> much luck with that either. If anyone has information on how that can be
> done, I'd try that.

It looks a bit like you're using a pre-kernel 4.16 setup which needs
upgrading.

> Has anyone gotten a simple RS232 IR blaster to work with lirc 0.10.1? I
> think I've got enough stuff in my parts bin, I could quickly solder
> something like that together if it's actually a viable option.

There are some instructions at https://www.lirc.org/transmitters.html


Sean