[mythtv-users] My notes on getting the ATI remote working with lirc

[Matt White]

Tim Litwiller wrote:
> I am still tweaking this howto but the basics are here if you want to 
> give it a try.
> 
> http://mailhost.bccwebhosting.com/software/mythtv
> 
> my lircrc file is based on various others that I have found and doesn't 
> use all the buttons
> but I haven't decided yet what I want each button to do.
> 
> Suggestions for button assignments and other changes welcomed.
> 
> the layout and readability should improve once I get the content 
> complete and add step numbers and a style sheet etc.

Nice.  Just to round this out, I've been using this remote for
a while now, but I'm using the ati_remote kernel module.  I think
it's got a couple of advantages:

  * no need to run irxevent or anything - it's just like a keyboard
  * no messing around with running 2 copies of lirc if you need an
    IR blaster (I ran for a while with an IRMan and an IR200L, and
    it worked, but it was a PITA.  Now I just run the IR200L and the
    ATI)

I know you can use xmodmap to remap the keys, but I've always found
it easier to just change the source before I compile to make the remote
emit exactly the keys I want - it's even commented fairly nicely.

First of all, here's the layout of the remote (just ascii, sorry):

     A      B     PWR

    TV DVD WEB BOOK HAND

     < MOUSE CONTROL >

    LMB             RMB

   Vol -/+  MUTE  Ch -/+

      1      2      3

      4      5      6

      7      8      9

    menu     0    check

      C     <up>    D

Timer <left><ok><right> Resize

      E    <down>   F

     <<      >      >>

     rec   stop    pause


And here's how I currently have these mapped (excluding
the obvious number keys and directional keys around the OK
button, which were OK as they were):

ATI Key         My Mapping
--------------------------
<ok>            space
menu            E
book            F
hand            D
vol-            [
vol+            ]
ch-             pgup
ch+             pgdown
C               ESC
D               M
E               Z
F               I
Play >          space
rew <<          left
ff  >>          right
pause           P
stop            P
rec		R

That gives me my main control cluster around the OK button, with
my most-used functions around it: clockwise,starting from
top-left (C), the keys are ESC (back a level), M (show EPG),
I (info/OSD), and Z (commercial skip).  Some of the less-used
stuff (F for adjusting picture quality, D for deleting a recording,
etc) are up at the top.  I'm not even using all the keys right now -
I keep meaning to set some of the top keys (TV, DVD, WEB, etc.) up
using the jump keys stuff in MythWeb.

Basically, there's no setup.  You just tweak whatever you want in the
source and run 'make' and 'make install'.  Then, edit your modules.conf
and add the following:

--snip--
add below ati_remote mousedev keybdev hid input
--snip--

Run depmod -a, and you should be able to just modprobe ati_remote.

Now, you need to edit your XF86Config.  Add a section for the new
mouse/keyboard device:

--snip--
Section "InputDevice"
         Identifier      "ATI Remote"
         Driver          "mouse"
         Option          "SendCoreEvents"
         Option          "Device"                "/dev/input/mice"
         Option          "Protocol"              "PS/2"
EndSection
--snip--

and then in your "serverlayout" section, add the new inputdevice:

--snip--
Section "ServerLayout"
         Identifier      "Default Layout"
         Screen          "Default Screen"
         InputDevice     "Generic Keyboard"
         InputDevice     "ATI Remote" "CorePointer"
         InputDevice     "Mouse" "AlwaysCore"
EndSection
--snip--

Now you should be able to start X, pop open an XTerm, and use the
ATI remote to echo keystrokes to the terminal window.  After that,
just run mythfrontend - as far as it's concerned, it's just getting
keystrokes from a USB keyboard.

If anyone is interested, I've tarred up my copy of ati_remote.c and
the Makefile, and I can email them to interested parties, or I can
post them to the list if there's enough interest (it's only about
5K gzipped).

-- 
Matt White                          whitem at arts.usask.ca
Arts and Science Computer Labs      University of Saskatchewan

It sure is Monday... Ain't it a sin
I've gotta work my way thru the week again.
	- Mark Chesnutt..."Sure Is Monday"