[mythtv-users] USB IR Receivers

[Jerry Rubinow]

On Wed, Sep 2, 2015 at 12:23 PM, Kirk Bocek <t004 at kbocek.com> wrote:

>
>
> On 9/2/2015 8:47 AM, Jerry Rubinow wrote:
>
> On Wed, Sep 2, 2015 at 9:28 AM, Kirk Bocek <t004 at kbocek.com> wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> On 9/1/2015 6:41 PM, Roger Heflin wrote:
>>
>>> Kirk,
>>>
>>> You *MUST* have an adjusted kernel to make certain USB devices work on
>>> Liva.  There was an earlier post about this with this link on it:  It
>>> is a pain, it may be a kernel bug the notes I originally found this
>>> info from was from someone elses kernel patch.
>>>
>>>
>>> http://www.gossamer-threads.com/lists/mythtv/users/587930?search_string=jerry;#587930
>>>
>>> Jerry used the directions I worked out on mine and that also fixed
>>> his.  There is something funny in the kernel in regards to it appears
>>> some usb (possibly usb1 low speed) devices on the usb3.  On the liva
>>> both ports appear to be controlled by the same usb3 chipset so both
>>> ports have the issue.
>>>
>>> Without the patch I was getting completely different garbage each time
>>> pushing the same key.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>> This is my second Liva. On my first Liva, I am using an *ancient*
>> Microsoft branded USB IR receiver. It totally works with LIRC and the stock
>> Fedora kernel. No questions asked. I've got the unit serving us in the
>> bedroom now and it works great.
>>
>> My original question was, what commercially available IR receiver are you
>> using with Myth now? I guess I should have asked what is available that
>> works with standard Linux distros and LIRC? Because right now this Chinese
>> unit clearly isn't. Alec has given me a work-around that sounds like it
>> *should* work. But so far that isn't helping.
>>
>> My other generic MCE receiver that works under CentOS 6 and it's older
>> kernel seems to have stopped working under the 4.1.5 kernel of Fedora 21
>> too.
>>
>> I bought an HP IR receiver on Amazon hoping it would work. When it failed
>> like this one I threw it in the trash. I probably should have held on to it
>> so I could try these work arounds. but man, that felt *good.*
>>
>
> The problem I ran into - and I'm not saying you are having the same
> problem, I don't know - but what I encountered was a result of a
> combination of the kernel usb driver, the Liva USB hardware, and the
> particular mce ir receiver I was using.  That is, I could use the exact
> same kernel and ir receiver on a different computer and not have the issue.
>
>
> On the Liva both USB ports go through xHCI.  The ir receiver I have uses
> an older h/w protocol which the kernel driver does not process properly
> when going through xHCI.  On a different computer, going through a USB 2.0
> port, this issue does not happen.  The Liva's 2.0 port however uses xHCI.
>
>
>
> It was suggested to try both the 2.0 and 3.0 (I read you are supposed to
> call them 3.1 ports now -- whatever) but that didn't help. So what are you
> using on your Liva and is there a fix for the xHCI issue? Roger suggests
> kernel patching. But as I said my old Microsoft receiver is working. And if
> that's not an "old" hardware protocol nothing is.
>

The 2.0 port on the Liva uses xHCI, and the BIOS doesn't let you disable
it, so it makes no difference which port.  If the Fedora kernel you're
using has the same issue as the Ubuntu kernel (what I'm using), then it
sounds like your issue may be different.  Or it could be a version of the
kernel which doesn't have the issue.

What kernel version are you using on your first Liva?  I ended up patching
my kernel to fix things, since it's impossible to know what hardware
protocol the ir receivers are using without actually buying/trying.

-Jerry
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