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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"> So I found something out tonight that I thought I'd post back to the community at large since it was so odd, and fixed a problem.</p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">For a few weeks now, my LIRC installation hasn't been working. Given that I have a wireless keyboard and mouse attached to my Myth box it's not been THAT big a deal but tonight I got bored and decided that i'd go through and try to figure out where my installation went wrong. I've recently upgraded to the
2.6.22 RedHat Kernel and figured that's where my problems started.</p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">I did my usual checks and found that I did in fact have the correct kernel drivers, that they are installed, the devices all have the right permissions, etc. Being confused about what could be wrong (all the config files were still in place too) I decided to go back to the beginning and start over again. This is a "home brew" serial receiver (I didn't make it, I bought from a guy who did make it) running on Com1.
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">So, reading through the LIRC docs, the first thing is to check that the hardware works.</p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">So I load the drivers (unload LIRCD) and run mode2.</p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">Spam, and lots of it. The mode2 app starts spitting out a CONSTANT stream of pulse/wait messages. Thinking this a bit odd I started pressing remote buttons and I could see (before it spammed off the top of my screen) the numbers changing as a pushed a button. Now knowing that my remote worked and that the drivers were ok I started trying to figure out why the receiver was constantly spamming pulse/wait messages. Being unsure if this was normal or not (It's not btw.) I decided to see what would happen if I completely shut off all light source to it. I put my hand, tightly, over the eye and the pulse/wait spam stopped.
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">Now knowing that the receiver will not spam if not receiving a signal (which, I suppose should have been obvious but hey who ever said I was smart?), I started trying to figure out what would cause the pulse/wait spam. Knowing there wasn't another infra-red device in the vacinity that would be conflicting, and having an notion that using the remote in the bright of day GENERALLY has worked in the past (it only stops working the darker the room gets) I took a flashlight and shined it DIRECTLY into the infra red iris. (Sort of the "take a flashlight out into direct sunlight and you can't see the beam concept).
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">The spam stopped...and even when I removed the light source, it stayed stopped. Loaded up LIRCD and IRW (which wouldn't report ANY keypresses while the spam was going on) and bingo, remote shows fine. Load up MythTV and there you have it, full remote ability.
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">So I pose to the community that if you are having issues with LIRC loaded and running, but your remote simply refusing to work at times, that potentially holding a flashlight to the Eye can "correct" the issue.
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">Hey, I warned you all it was strange didn't I?</p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">So, for those of you more technical on the hardware side, anyone have a theory as to what gives? Given that it didn't stop when I put my hand around the iris but DID once I shined a bright light into it, I am pretty sure i can rule out a source of infra red around the iris screwing it up...
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">Is it possible that an infra red signal is getting "trapped" and bouncing around? (Yea, ok, i'm grasping at straws here). Why would darkness not reset it (but it does stop it) but bright light took care of the issue?
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">Is there a more permanent solution anyone can think of besides having a flashlight sitting by the TV all the time?</p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">--Doug Wagner</p>