[mythtv-users] USB dual channel IR blaster?

[Mark Knecht]

On Mon, Feb 22, 2010 at 9:35 AM, Brian Wood <beww at beww.org> wrote:
> On Monday 22 February 2010 09:58:18 am Mark Knecht wrote:
>> 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)
>
> I think I paid about $60 for a 1x card with 2 serial ports, so that would be
> about your price point, if you don't count shipping. The card says
> "StarTech.com" on it, but I've seen the same card with other names. It came
> with both a low-profile and a standard bracket. If using both ports with the
> lo-pro bracket you have to use the header on the card for the second port, the
> lo-pro bracket has only a single DB-9 connector, the standard one has 2.
>
> There are also USB solutions like the MCE units, but i don't know much about
> them.
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Like this sort of thing?

http://www.serialgear.com/PCI-E-Portpress-Cards-PCIe-2RS2LP.html

- Mark