[mythtv-users] So confused. Firewire to STB - channel change script - mythchanger

Thu Mar 27 00:44:47 UTC 2014

On Wed, Mar 26, 2014 at 1:40 PM, Philip Isaacs <showcasefloyd at gmail.com>wrote:

>
>
>
> On Wed, Mar 26, 2014 at 12:07 PM, Karl Newman <newmank1 at asme.org> wrote:
>
>> On Wed, Mar 26, 2014 at 8:57 AM, Philip Isaacs <showcasefloyd at gmail.com>wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Wed, Mar 26, 2014 at 11:53 AM, Karl Newman <newmank1 at asme.org> wrote:
>>>
>>>> On Wed, Mar 26, 2014 at 7:05 AM, Philip Isaacs <showcasefloyd at gmail.com
>>>> > wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> On Tue, Mar 25, 2014 at 5:22 PM, Peter Bennett (cats22) <
>>>>> cats22 at comcast.net> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>>  On 03/25/2014 02:50 PM, Philip Isaacs wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>  @Gabe - Do you know where I can find an example (or a tutorial) of
>>>>>> how to write a channel changing script that will call my IR Blaster from
>>>>>> within MythTV? I understand how it works now, but I'm not sure where to go
>>>>>> from there.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>  Like you, I have Comcast, and like you, I found that nothing I did
>>>>>> would make channel changing work through firewire. I recommend using an
>>>>>> IguanaIR IR blaster, you can get it from their website (
>>>>>> iguanaworks.net) for $40. My script is here
>>>>>>
>>>>>> https://code.google.com/p/mythtv-scripts/source/browse/trunk/install/opt/mythtv/bin/channelchange.sh
>>>>>> Other necessary scripts are also there. The IR channel changing is
>>>>>> 100% reliable with these scripts, and you just point mythtv to the external
>>>>>> channel change script /opt/mythtv/bin/channelchange.sh. The script takes
>>>>>> care of a number of glitches that can happen, like the Iguana service
>>>>>> failing, lirc failing, the set top box being turned off etc. One thing that
>>>>>> DOES work with the Comcast set top box is detecting through firewire that
>>>>>> it is turned on.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> To use those scripts a number of things need to be set up - iguana
>>>>>> service, lirc, etc.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Since tuning the set top box with an IR blaster takes a few seconds,
>>>>>> I set in mythtv the option to start recordings 15 seconds early.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> A small tip - you can use the set top box built in "VCR timer" to set
>>>>>> it to turn on at the correct times for the programs. You can see the
>>>>>> upcoming program list on mythtv and set the set top box to tune the correct
>>>>>> channels at those times. However this method is really only for emergencies
>>>>>> since it is very tedious and you can easily make mistakes.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Peter
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> @Peter. This is really awesome thanks so much.
>>>>>
>>>>> I've already started messing around with setting up a IR Blaster using
>>>>> my MCE USB Kit (that came with the WINTV HVR 1600)  and I have no plans to
>>>>> buy anything new at this time. That being said will your scripts work with
>>>>> the "mceusb" remote? I downloaded the "LircChannelChanger" one last night "
>>>>> http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/LircChannelChanger" and started trying to
>>>>> get it to work from the command line, but the STB didn't seem to respond.
>>>>> My STB is the RNG150N.
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> One small detail--did you find a lircd.conf file with the appropriate
>>>> lirc IR codes for your STB?
>>>>
>>>> Karl
>>>>
>>>
>>> @Karl - I don't think so. Where would I find the appropriate lircd.conf
>>> file. Is it posted somewhere online?
>>>
>>> Floyd
>>>
>>> You might try this one:
>> http://lircconfig.commandir.com/lircd.conf/?viewremote=1227 which I'd
>> recommend starting with since it uses the (probably more correct and
>> reliable) XMP flags, or there's one that was posted to this list a couple
>> years ago here:
>> http://www.mythtv.org/pipermail/mythtv-users/2012-March/330131.html See
>> the notes about transmitter placement in that latter link, however.
>>
>> Karl
>>
>
> @Karl, this is great thanks! I'll give this a try tonight and see if I can
> get it working. I'm also thinking of ordering the IguanaIR. I want to try
> this approach first and see if it works.
>
>
>

Okay. I'm just stuck at this point. Here's what I can tell you

I'm trying to get my IR Blasting working with my MCEUSB Kit. It uses a
little IR Transmitter which connects to the back of the USB
transmitter/reciver. The remote controll works fine with my MythBox. And
IRW shows me it's receiving commands. I was under the impression to get IR
Blaster to work so I could change the channels on my STB Box (Cisco RNG
150) I just had to point it at the Cable Box's IR Reciever and it would
work. Im mean once i got it set up correctly.

So here's some help stuff.

IRW

000000037ff07bed 00 KEY_CHANNELUP mceusb
000000037ff07bed 01 KEY_CHANNELUP mceusb
000000037ff07bed 02 KEY_CHANNELUP mceusb
000000037ff07bed 00 KEY_CHANNELUP mceusb

My Hardward.conf

# /etc/lirc/hardware.conf
#
#Chosen Remote Control
REMOTE="Windows Media Center Transceivers/Remotes (all)"
REMOTE_MODULES="lirc_dev mceusb"
REMOTE_DRIVER=""
REMOTE_DEVICE="/dev/lirc0"
REMOTE_SOCKET=""
REMOTE_LIRCD_CONF="mceusb/lircd.conf.mceusb"
REMOTE_LIRCD_ARGS=""

#Chosen IR Transmitter
TRANSMITTER="Microsoft Windows Media Center V2 (usb) : Motorola Cable box"
TRANSMITTER_MODULES="lirc_dev mceusb"
TRANSMITTER_DRIVER=""
TRANSMITTER_DEVICE=""
TRANSMITTER_SOCKET=""
TRANSMITTER_LIRCD_CONF="motorola/dctxxxx.conf"
TRANSMITTER_LIRCD_ARGS=""

#Enable lircd
START_LIRCD="true"

#Don't start lircmd even if there seems to be a good config file
#START_LIRCMD="false"

#Try to load appropriate kernel modules
LOAD_MODULES="true"

# Default configuration files for your hardware if any
LIRCMD_CONF=""

#Forcing noninteractive reconfiguration
#If lirc is to be reconfigured by an external application
#that doesn't have a debconf frontend available, the noninteractive
#frontend can be invoked and set to parse REMOTE and TRANSMITTER
#It will then populate all other variables without any user input
#If you would like to configure lirc via standard methods, be sure
#to leave this set to "false"
FORCE_NONINTERACTIVE_RECONFIGURATION="false"
START_LIRCMD=""

And my lircd.conf

#This configuration has been automatically generated via
#the Ubuntu LIRC package maintainer scripts.
#
#It includes the default configuration for the remote and/or
#transmitter that you have selected during package installation.
#
#Feel free to add any custom remotes to the configuration
#via additional include directives or below the existing
#Ubuntu include directives from your selected remote and/or
#transmitter.

#Configuration for the Windows Media Center Transceivers/Remotes (all)
remote:
include "/usr/share/lirc/remotes/mceusb/lircd.conf.mceusb"

#Configuration for the Microsoft Windows Media Center V2 (usb) : Motorola
Cable box transmitter:
include "/usr/share/lirc/extras/transmitters/motorola/dctxxxx.conf"

I did try and use the lircd.conf at "
http://lircconfig.commandir.com/lircd.conf/?viewremote=1227" but to be
honest I'm not sure what I'm doing here and it just seem to break everything

Also one last thing. When running a the command LircChannelChanger.sh
script I do get the IR Transmitter to light up but the STB does nothing.
Also heres the output of that

 ./LircChannelChanger --remote=mceusb --delay=.2 KEY_CHANNELUP --debug
lockCreate for lock type semaphore
Creating lock semaphore 727522346 (0x2b5d1c2a)
lockGet for lock type semaphore
Lock acquired
Issuing system command: irsend  SEND_ONCE mceusb KEY_CHANNELUP
  child exited with value 0
adding .2 to delay accumulator: after digit key
zeroing delay accumulator after lirc commands
lockFree for lock type semaphore

Okay any advice at this point would be helpful. Where and I screwing up
here?

Floyd
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