2006-03-27, 05:47 PM
First, let me just say thanks for this wonderful piece of software that is gbpvr! I am a former MythTV user and was pleasantly surprised at the level of maturity of this project. In a gesture of thanks, I would like to offer this documentation for others who might want to build their own serial based ir receiver and use it with gbpvr.
Step One -- Build/Buy the hardware
Visit the lirc.org homepage for the schematic of the serial ir receiver:
http://lirc.org/receivers.html
http://lirc.org/images/schematics.gif
This circuit is pretty simple. If you're not handy with a soldering iron or understand how to read the schematic, chances are you can probably find someone who is. I'm pretty frugal, but you may prefer to buy a receiver. Links to people who sell the receiver can be found off the lirc.org homepage
Step Two -- Install WinLIRC
Go to the WinLIRC homepage and download the latest version:
http://winlirc.sourceforge.net/
http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/winli...p?download
Unzip the file to whatever directory you want the software to be in. There is no installer. Run winlirc.exe . This should start the configuration sequence.
Choose your com port and make sure that DCD device is set. Change the config file at the bottom of the window to whatever you want to call your file. Mine is named 'Cinema7-2000.cf' as I am using a Cinema7 universal remote with code 2000.
Now click the Learn button. First name the remote. In my case I used Cinema7-2000 as the name. Select the default value of 25 for margin of error, hit enter for gap and length. Now follow the instructions pressing buttons as needed. At this point you will be prompted for a button name. You will need to go through each of the buttons on your remote that you would like to use. I configured all my buttons although I am not using all of them. This will allow you to add functions to the unused button later. After the last button has been recorded, press enter and you will be brought back to the configuration menu.
At this point, you want to press the Analyze button. This will only take a second. Once you are done, click the OK button on the configuration menu. Now try out the remote by pressing one of the learned buttons. You should see the WinLirc tray icon change from grey in color to green while the button is being pressed.
Step Three -- Install irex
Now that you've got WinLIRC installed, you need something that will take the codes and convert them into key presses that gbpvr can understand. Download irex:
http://www.ramscan.com/irex/
Again, this program has no installer, so put it in whatever directory you like.
Open the irexe.cfg file and add the entries you need to control gbpvr. The entries are formatted as remote name, remote button (name given in the Learn sequence above), action to take (key=keypress), and then what key press to send (although you can do other things like control the volume). Here is what my irexe.cfg file looks like:
Start irex.exe . You can now start gbpvr and your remote should work.
If you are having difficulties, you can open notepad and press the 1 key on your remote and you should see a 1 appear in notepad. If it doesn't work, make sure that WinLIRC is recognizing your remote signal (is the trayicon turning green when you press the button?). If WinLIRC is working, make sure that your remote name and remote button names are the same as what's in your WinLIRC config file.
Step Four -- Wrap it up
If everything is working, all that needs to be done is to get WinLIRC and irex to start automatically. Go into the WinLIRC folder, right click on winlirc.exe and choose send to -> Desktop (create shortcut). Go into the irex folder, right click on irex.exe and choose send to -> Desktop (create shortcut). Open C:\Documents and Settings\{YOUR USERNAME}\Start Menu\Programs\Startup . Move the two shortcuts you made for WinLIRC and irex into this folder.
Now reboot, start up gbpvr, and try the remote. All should be well. If not, make sure that the WinLIRC and irex tray icons are in the system tray.
I hope that someone finds this information useful. With about $10, a little time to build the hardware, and this guide, you should be able to use just about any remote you want to use with gbpvr. Good luck!
Step One -- Build/Buy the hardware
Visit the lirc.org homepage for the schematic of the serial ir receiver:
http://lirc.org/receivers.html
http://lirc.org/images/schematics.gif
This circuit is pretty simple. If you're not handy with a soldering iron or understand how to read the schematic, chances are you can probably find someone who is. I'm pretty frugal, but you may prefer to buy a receiver. Links to people who sell the receiver can be found off the lirc.org homepage
Step Two -- Install WinLIRC
Go to the WinLIRC homepage and download the latest version:
http://winlirc.sourceforge.net/
http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/winli...p?download
Unzip the file to whatever directory you want the software to be in. There is no installer. Run winlirc.exe . This should start the configuration sequence.
Choose your com port and make sure that DCD device is set. Change the config file at the bottom of the window to whatever you want to call your file. Mine is named 'Cinema7-2000.cf' as I am using a Cinema7 universal remote with code 2000.
Now click the Learn button. First name the remote. In my case I used Cinema7-2000 as the name. Select the default value of 25 for margin of error, hit enter for gap and length. Now follow the instructions pressing buttons as needed. At this point you will be prompted for a button name. You will need to go through each of the buttons on your remote that you would like to use. I configured all my buttons although I am not using all of them. This will allow you to add functions to the unused button later. After the last button has been recorded, press enter and you will be brought back to the configuration menu.
At this point, you want to press the Analyze button. This will only take a second. Once you are done, click the OK button on the configuration menu. Now try out the remote by pressing one of the learned buttons. You should see the WinLirc tray icon change from grey in color to green while the button is being pressed.
Step Three -- Install irex
Now that you've got WinLIRC installed, you need something that will take the codes and convert them into key presses that gbpvr can understand. Download irex:
http://www.ramscan.com/irex/
Again, this program has no installer, so put it in whatever directory you like.
Open the irexe.cfg file and add the entries you need to control gbpvr. The entries are formatted as remote name, remote button (name given in the Learn sequence above), action to take (key=keypress), and then what key press to send (although you can do other things like control the volume). Here is what my irexe.cfg file looks like:
Code:
; remote key type command
server ip 127.0.0.1
server port 8765
trayicon on
cinema7-2000 mute vol mute
cinema7-2000 volup vol up
cinema7-2000 voldown vol down
cinema7-2000 enter key enter
cinema7-2000 up key up
cinema7-2000 down key down
cinema7-2000 left key left
cinema7-2000 right key right
cinema7-2000 exit key esc
cinema7-2000 menu key home
cinema7-2000 chup key up
cinema7-2000 chdown key down
cinema7-2000 sel key enter
cinema7-2000 play key ctrl p
cinema7-2000 stop key ctrl s
cinema7-2000 pause key ctrl q
cinema7-2000 rew key ctrl d
cinema7-2000 ff key ctrl f
cinema7-2000 rec key ctrl k
cinema7-2000 prevch key ctrl w
cinema7-2000 display key ctrl b
cinema7-2000 progguide key ctrl g
cinema7-2000 1 key 1
cinema7-2000 2 key 2
cinema7-2000 3 key 3
cinema7-2000 4 key 4
cinema7-2000 5 key 5
cinema7-2000 6 key 6
cinema7-2000 7 key 7
cinema7-2000 8 key 8
cinema7-2000 9 key 9
cinema7-2000 0 key 0Start irex.exe . You can now start gbpvr and your remote should work.
If you are having difficulties, you can open notepad and press the 1 key on your remote and you should see a 1 appear in notepad. If it doesn't work, make sure that WinLIRC is recognizing your remote signal (is the trayicon turning green when you press the button?). If WinLIRC is working, make sure that your remote name and remote button names are the same as what's in your WinLIRC config file.
Step Four -- Wrap it up
If everything is working, all that needs to be done is to get WinLIRC and irex to start automatically. Go into the WinLIRC folder, right click on winlirc.exe and choose send to -> Desktop (create shortcut). Go into the irex folder, right click on irex.exe and choose send to -> Desktop (create shortcut). Open C:\Documents and Settings\{YOUR USERNAME}\Start Menu\Programs\Startup . Move the two shortcuts you made for WinLIRC and irex into this folder.
Now reboot, start up gbpvr, and try the remote. All should be well. If not, make sure that the WinLIRC and irex tray icons are in the system tray.
I hope that someone finds this information useful. With about $10, a little time to build the hardware, and this guide, you should be able to use just about any remote you want to use with gbpvr. Good luck!
