[mythtv-users] Device to receive IR and send as PS2/AT keyboard signals?

Joseph A. Caputo jcaputo1 at comcast.net
Sun Jul 13 01:01:37 EDT 2003


On Friday 11 July 2003 18:23, Vernon Graner wrote:
> Ok,
>
> So maybe I'm not the most talented programmer or user of MythTV (heck
> mine doesn't even work yet!) But I do have a bit of talent at embedded
> processors.
>
> After reading a few posts about difficulties with LIRC and the problems
> with emulating various keyboard keystrokes with an IR remote, I was
> thinking about a project. The idea would be to build a small dedicated
> circuit using a PIC micro controller to receive IR and to transmit mapped
> PS2/AT style keyboard signals.
>
> This would be a small unit that would plug into your Keyboard jack and
> present an IR receive window somewhere on the front of your PC. You would
> then use it to very simply receive IR commands and then map them to
> keystrokes (or a series of keystrokes ala "macro") from the keyboard. For
> example, pressing PLAY on the IR remote could be mapped to "F1" or even
> "ALT-TAB, ALT-TAB SPACE CTRL-F1" or some such.
>
> The Parallax Basic Stamp (http://www.parallax.com) even already has some
> PS2/AT-Keyboard code floating around as well as some IR receive/interpret
> code for IR remotes. I would be willing to take a shot at building such a
> device if the general consensus was positive on such an endeavor. Of
> course, in order to become a beta tester, I would require you come over
> and help me get to the bottom of what's wrong with my MythTV box! :D  but
> I digress... :)
>
> Anyway, if there is such a device already, or the idea sounds stupid,
> then... uh. never mind. But, if such a device might be of value to the
> community as a whole I might try and gen up a prototype. Comments? :)

Rather than design a new device (and keep in mind that some newer PCs don't 
have PS/2 ports anymore), why not design a kernel module (lirc_keyboard) that 
sits on top of the low-level lirc driver (i.e., lirc_serial, etc) and 
converts the signals to keyboard scancodes, then passes the event through the 
keyboard driver where whatever app is attached to the keyboard will get it?  
Granted, I really don't know enough about kernel or driver development to 
know if this is really feasible, but it's an avenue to explore...

-JAC


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