[mythtv-users] USB dual channel IR blaster?

[Mark Knecht]

On Mon, Feb 22, 2010 at 8:30 AM, Brian Wood <beww at beww.org> wrote:
> On Monday 22 February 2010 09:27:11 am Tony Brummett wrote:
>> On Mon, Feb 22, 2010 at 2:06 AM, Johnny Stenback <myth-users at mythtv.org>
> wrote:
>> > On 02/21/2010 08:10 PM, Tony Brummett wrote:
>> >> I'm starting to gather parts to put together a new backend machine.
>> >> [...]  I'd keep using that kind of set up, except that it seems
>> >> that modern-ish motherboards only have one serial port anymore.
>> >
>> > True, lots of modern mb's only have one serial port, but they all have
>> > plenty of USB, and USB to serial adapters are a dime a dozen (maybe not
>> > quite, but $7 or so on eBay last I looked) so I'd just get one of those
>> > and keep using the blasters you already have.
>>
>> Since LIRC uses the port in a non-standard way, USB serial adapters won't
>>  work.
>
> Correct, lirc toggles the handshaking lines to drive an LED. The MyBlaster
> uses the serial port in the standard way (using txd and rxd) so it will work
> with USB adapters.
>
> Al the OP alluded to, there are PCI Express X1 cards available with a couple
> of serial ports on them, which will work with lirc type blasters. Most modern
> mobos have at least one X1 slot.

Each time I run up against this problem (tuning an external device
with IR) I back away. Recent motherboards I've looked at no longer
have __any__ serial ports. Most of the ones I'm looking at don't even
have PCI slots in favor of things like 1x/8x/18x PCI-Express and
eSATA. I had to purchase a more expensive MB a few weeks ago to even
get 3 PCI slots. PCI is going away.

Is there any really reliable and inexpensive (say <$30 per IR Blaster)
technology that allows multiple blasters on a single modern PC? (No
serial, no PCI)

Thanks,
Mark