[mythtv-users] Echostar & IR Blaster

Ajay Sharma ssharma at revsharecorp.com
Fri Mar 5 13:05:58 EST 2004


Frank Linhares wrote:
> If anyone out there is using Myth & lirc with an echostar box, I have 
> written up a how to on getting it to work properly.  The how to can be 
> found on www.pvrcentral.net under the faq section.

I was stoked to read this (abit brief) howto on getting an IR blaster 
working with my echostar box (dish network 2700, super old).  So I 
ordered an ir transmitter (ACT-IR200L) and started playing around with 
it tonight.  I'm running into a few problems so hopefully someone can 
help me out.

I'm running gentoo linux with vanilla-sources 2.4.25, I installed lirc 
0.6.6 manually just so I got the ./configure line correct:

./configure --with-module-dir=/lib/modules/2.4.25/misc/  \
    --with-syslog --with-driver=act200l --with-major=61 \
    --with-port=0x3f8 --with-irq=4 --with-transmitter --prefix=/opt/lirc

Then a make and make install which threw everything into /opt/lirc.

I built the echostar_raw and used it to create my /etc/lirc.conf file. 
I did a 'modprobe lirc_sir', should I be modprobing anything else?

(output from dmesg):
lirc_sir: I/O port 0x03f8, IRQ 4.
enable_irq(4) unbalanced from e3c43b52
lirc_sir: Installed.

then I ran '/opt/lirc/sbin/lirc -n':
lircd 0.6.6[22206]: lircd(act200l) ready

I modified the "change-channel-lirc.pl" script in the mythtv contrib 
folder to use the /opt/lirc/bin/rc program, adjusted the remote name to 
"JVC_RAW", and changed the final "ENTER" command to "SELECT" to match up 
with the key in /etc/lirc.conf.  Now when I run the script 
('./change-=channel-lirc.pl 244') I don't get any output.  In the "lirc 
-n" window I get:

lircd 0.6.6[22206]: accepted new client on /dev/lircd
lircd 0.6.6[22206]: removed client
lircd 0.6.6[22206]: accepted new client on /dev/lircd
lircd 0.6.6[22206]: removed client
lircd 0.6.6[22206]: accepted new client on /dev/lircd
lircd 0.6.6[22206]: removed client

So it looks like it's sending the commands but nothing is happening.
I've even tried switching the serial ports as maybe I have com1 and 2
mixed up but that wasn't it.

In the instructions I don't know how to change my system id to '9' and
I lost the manual for my receiver a long time ago.

Is lirc 0.6.6 cool or should I be using a pre-release of 0.7?  I do have 
a pvr250 and plan on using that for my ir receiver.  Part 1 of this is 
just to get my computer to control my dish network box.

I'd appreciate any help as the lirc stuff is the last piece to my mythtv 
puzzle.

Thanks,
Ajay

-- 
Satyajot (Ajay) Sharma
RevShare Corp
System Administrator


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