[mythtv-users] IRK! Infrared Remote controlled USB keyboard project

[Andrew Armstrong]

Andrew,

I used a 2x16 LCD because I'd already harvested it from some old equipment.
Also, the 2x16 units are cheap on eBay (around $10 AUD). I also want it to
fit in a standard 5.25" drive bay so I have to keep the size down. I'm
having trouble finding a "blank" 5.25" drive box actually - might have to
make one.

The MikroC API for LCD allows for writing to multiline LCDs so it shouldn't
be hard to do. It can also talk to graphic LCDs if you want. You will need
the MikroC compiler though...

www.mikroe.com

...which is at least at a hobbyist price point. Also, I highly recommend a
USB logic analyser like "Logic"...

www.saleae.com

...for checking IR signals are ok. I'm pretty sure that if your learning
remote just records modulation on/off times then IRK! will work fine.

As for displaying messages I think that may need some sort of
operating-system dependent driver software. I want to keep IRK! OS-agnostic
so it just works when you plug it in - and I'm never going to be sitting
close enough to the LCD to worry about what it displays anyway!

Cheers,
Andrew.

On Sun, May 23, 2010 at 11:03 PM, Andrew C. Stadt <acstadt at stadt.ca> wrote:

> On 22/05/2010 3:58 AM, Andrew Armstrong wrote:
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> For those handy with a soldering iron I've started a new SourceForge
>> project called IRK!
>>
>> http://sourceforge.net/projects/irk-usb/
>>
>> IRK! is an alternative to LIRC (on Linux) for people who want to control
>> their MythTV system using a LEARNING infrared remote control.
>> This is an open-hardware Infrared Remote Controlled USB keyboard
>> implemented using a PIC microcontroller and written in MikroC C-language.
>> IRK! enables you to use your LEARNING remote control to control any system
>> that you can plug a USB keyboard into. It is operating-system agnostic.
>>
>> "Open-hardware" means that you will need to be handy with a soldering
>> iron, have reasonably advanced electronic circuit board assembly skills and
>> have the equipment to be able to program a PIC microcontroller. I didn't say
>> it was going to be easy!
>>
>> Once you build the hardware and program the microcontroller with the hex
>> code from sourceforge you can then select which keystrokes are to be
>> programmed into your LEARNING infrared remote. IRK! will teach your LEARNING
>> remote a code for each keystroke combination that you select. Once your
>> remote has learned the code onto a button, pressing that button will cause
>> IRK! to send the keystroke via USB to your MYTHTV system.
>>
>> The beauty of this system is that IRK! doesn't need to recognise a zillion
>> remote controls, and it doesn't need to conform to any particular remote
>> control protocol standard.
>>
>> Note, if you don't have a LEARNING remote control then IT WON'T WORK. And
>> I can't vouch for all learning remotes. It works with mine, a TheaterMaster
>> MX500.
>>
>> IRK1 is completely free (GPL v3 license) and can be built by anyone.
>>
>> Enjoy!
>> _______________________________________________
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>> mythtv-users at mythtv.org
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>>
>>  Interesting concept - anyone have any luck getting this to work with
> something like the Logitech Harmony series of remotes?
> I also noted in the schematic a HD44780, and particular reason you chose a
> 16x2 versus one of the larger, and can it be used to display system
> messages, or is it just for IRK itself to display messages?
>
> Cheers,
> Andrew.
>
>
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