[mythtv-users] MyBlaster.pl codes

[Brian Wood]

Daniel Arfsten wrote:

> 
> I have a generic serial IR blaster from irblaster.info, the one that has the 
> head that lights up red. It was $15. I have read somewhere that myblaster 
> can work with a serial ir blaster. you're saying that it can't? I can even 
> get the head to light up when using myblaster.pl as the external channel 
> changing command (the head lights up when I start mythtv) but it doesn't 
> affect the stb so I just figured it didn't have the correct code inside.

My understanding is that the type of blaster you have is not truly a
"serial" device in the RS-232 sense. It does connect to a serial port,
but instead of using the standard tx/rx lines in the conventional way it
uses one or more of the control/handshake lines to drive the LED, thus
all of the timing has to be generated by your machine (ie: lirc).

The MyBlaster uses the serial port in the normal way, with data being
sent to it via the normal data lines, and all timing is generated in the
MyBlaster itself. This is why you can usually use a USB -> Serial
adapter with the MyBlaster but not with the units such as yours.

Thus the myblaster.pl script probably sets one or more handshake lines
(RTS/CTS or DSR/DTR) and this is causing your device to light up.

This explains why myblaster.pl will not work for you, but it doesn't
explain why your unit doesn't work the way it was intended. Lots of
folks seem to have these working.

So somebody who know more about lirc than I do will hopefully jump in
here. I know lirc has to be compiled with support for the transmit
device, but I don't know much more than that.

Sorry I can't be of more help.

beww