WinLIRC Telnet Changer Perl Script/Exe for IR Blasting

[hokiee]

All:

In response for the need to have the GB-PVR .exe Changer plug-in control a set-top box via a serial port IR Blaster from irblaster.info and WinLIRC, I wrote this script and then packaged it into an executable file for MS Windows. The script accepts a channel number or remote control command defined in an LIRC configuration file, gets other required info from a .conf file, and then splits digits into individual IR transmissions for the WinLIRC telnet server to process. The script has features such as a "100" button the might need to be pressed before 3-digit channels, an "enter" button that might need to be pressed after entering channel digits, a configurable button press delay, configurable ip address and port settings, logging, and debugging output. I've attached a .zip file containing the script, the .exe, a required configuration file, and a README; and they are all very thoroughly documented.

I don't expect to have much time to support further development of this script or answer support type questions, but the script is documented well enough to answer most questions and allow for easy modification. Please share this script, and make it better.

Thanks for the efforts of all those involved with GB-PVR. Take care.

Edit: 20 Feb 2011 - Original Attachment re-attached.

[markbb1]

All:

In response for the need to have the GB-PVR .exe Changer plug-in control a set-top box via a serial port IR Blaster from irblaster.info and WinLIRC, I wrote this script and then packaged it into an executable file for MS Windows. The script accepts a channel number or remote control command defined in an LIRC configuration file, gets other required info from a .conf file, and then splits digits into individual IR transmissions for the WinLIRC telnet server to process. The script has features such as a "100" button the might need to be pressed before 3-digit channels, an "enter" button that might need to be pressed after entering channel digits, a configurable button press delay, configurable ip address and port settings, logging, and debugging output. I've attached a .zip file containing the script, the .exe, a required configuration file, and a README; and they are all very thoroughly documented.

I don't expect to have much time to support further development of this script or answer support type questions, but the script is documented well enough to answer most questions and allow for easy modification. Please share this script, and make it better.

Thanks for the efforts of all those involved with GB-PVR. Take care.

This is probably the biggest advance for WinLIRC since it was created. I always wanted to write an application that did what this does, but never got around to it (since I bought a MCE remote, beanbag and blaster). I would have used AutoIT, but as long as it contains the functionality, this is probably just as good. A big THANK YOU from everyone that will ever use WinLIRC with GBPVR.

[shaunpatrick77]

Does anyone still have this exe, or any winlirc channel changer that works with the recording service?

Thanks!

[hokiee]

After over a year of use, here are my observations:

1. I run WinLIRC 0.6.5 as a service via the srvany.exe method (http://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=197). (I originally wanted it to run as a service so that it would be able to recover from standby mode, but now I don't let my computer enter standby.) This requires me to perform the following sequence after booting Windows so that WinLIRC responds to my channel changer program:
a. Open the WinLIRC GUI by double clicking on the icon in the notifications area of the Windows task bar next to the time.
b. Select the remote control I need WinLIRC to emulate from the top pull-down menu.
c. Select the Power command from the bottom pull-down menu.
d. Press the Send button twice. (Once to turn my satellite receiver off, another time to turn it back on.)
e. Click Hide Window to get rid of the WinLIRC GUI.
After these steps, my WinLIRC seems to be listening properly on its TCP server and things work well until I restart. This is annoying, and I blame it on srvany.exe, but I haven't found another way to make it work. I haven't tried starting WinLIRC by putting a shortcut to it in the Startup folder in the Programs portion of the Windows Start menu, but maybe it's an alternative.

1.1 I tried using sc.exe from the Windows resource kit to make WinLIRC a service (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/251192). Using this method, the Windows service manager reports an error when trying to start the WinLIRC service because WinLIRC doesn't do what the service manager is expecting. Making a WinLIRC version that works as a Windows service would be awesome, because srvany.exe seems to be a mediocre work around.

2. My program doesn't work with the new WinLIRC 0.8.7a because the WinLIRC server is looking for different arguments (http://winlirc.sourceforge.net/developer.html). This shouldn't be too hard to fix, but I don't have the time or the setup to compile the perl script now.

3. My program works the same in both GBPVR and NPVR because they implement the channel changer function identically.

I'd love to hear if anyone has suggestions about how to get around issues 1 and 2.