Xbox original remote on Kodi Leia -> problems to create keytable/ no events

lcgh · April 18, 2018 at 9:28 PM

Dear all,

can anyone help me to get an original xbox remote working. I use a RPi1 along with a GPIO receiver

GPIO config and boot output:

Code

leia1:~ # cat /flash/config.txt
...
dtoverlay=gpio-ir

Code

leia1:~ # dmesg|fgrep lirc
[   15.798007] lirc_dev: IR Remote Control driver registered, major 245
[   16.430358] rc rc0: lirc_dev: driver ir-lirc-codec (gpio-rc-recv) registered at minor = 0

version of Kodi Leia used:

Code

LibreELEC (community): devel-20180418020427-#0417-ga934092 (RPi.arm)

output of ir-keytable:

Code

leia1:~ # ir-keytable
Found /sys/class/rc/rc0/ (/dev/input/event2) with:
Driver: gpio-rc-recv, table: rc-rc6-mce
lirc device: /dev/lirc0
Supported protocols: lirc rc-5 rc-5-sz jvc sony nec sanyo mce_kbd rc-6 sharp xmp
Enabled protocols: lirc
Name: gpio_ir_recv
bus: 25, vendor/product: 0001:0001, version: 0x0100
Repeat delay = 500 ms, repeat period = 125 ms

using raw signales with 'mode2'

Code

leia1:~ # mode2
Using driver default on device /dev/lirc0
Trying device: /dev/lirc0
Using device: /dev/lirc0
Warning: Running as root.
space 16777215
pulse 269
space 11744
pulse 281
space 11730
pulse 222
space 10784
pulse 222
space 10474
...

Display More

So basically the remote is recognized. Here is the lircd.conf copied from an older LE Leia built where it works with the old original USB IR receiver on a RPi2.

Code

leia1:~ # cat /storage/.config/lircd.conf
# Please make this file available to others
# by sending it to <lirc@bartelmus.de>
#
# this config file was automatically generated
# using lirc-0.9.1-git(default) on Sat Jan 26 21:54:39 2013
#
# contributed by
#
# brand:                       xbox.conf
# model no. of remote control:
# devices being controlled by this remote:
#

begin remote

name  XboxDVDDongle
bits            8
eps            30
aeps          100

one             0     0
zero            0     0
gap          163983
min_repeat      4
#  suppress_repeat 4
#  uncomment to suppress unwanted repeats
#  toggle_bit_mask 0x72
toggle_bit_mask 0x0

begin codes
KEY_OK                   0x0B
KEY_PLAY                 0xEA
KEY_STOP                 0xE0
KEY_PAUSE                0xE6
KEY_NEXT                 0xDF
KEY_PREVIOUS             0xDD
KEY_FASTFORWARD          0xE3
KEY_REWIND               0xE2
KEY_MEDIA                0xD5
KEY_EPG                  0xE5
KEY_INFO                 0xC3
KEY_UP                   0xA6
KEY_DOWN                 0xA7
KEY_LEFT                 0xA9
KEY_RIGHT                0xA8
KEY_MENU                 0xF7
KEY_EXIT                 0xD8
KEY_0                    0xCF
KEY_1                    0xCE
KEY_2                    0xCD
KEY_3                    0xCC
KEY_4                    0xCB
KEY_5                    0xCA
KEY_6                    0xC9
KEY_7                    0xC8
KEY_8                    0xC7
KEY_9                    0xC6
end codes

end remote

Display More

Now, the ir-keytable does not give any event output so I cannot create a proper keytable. I tried every protocol of the supported ones, but no output at all. Does this mean I have to switch to another remote or what can I do? Out of curiosity, I tried an old WD live remote which worked with the 'nec' protocol ie. it produced events, but I want to understand why the old Xbox does not work and then use it (see above, raw signals do work). Here the trial with the WD live remote:

Code

leia1:~ # ir-keytable -p nec -t
Protocols changed to nec
Testing events. Please, press CTRL-C to abort.
4471.469693: event type EV_MSC(0x04): scancode = 0x847908
4471.469693: event type EV_SYN(0x00).
4472.559743: event type EV_MSC(0x04): scancode = 0x847904
4472.559743: event type EV_SYN(0x00).
4473.289678: event type EV_MSC(0x04): scancode = 0x84790a
4473.289678: event type EV_SYN(0x00).

Still there is from the RPi2 built (see above) a lircmap.xml and Lircmap.xml that worked there. Copied them to try out whether kodi will work with it despite ir-keytables shows nothing, but without success. However, manually starting kodi via systemd 'systemctl start kodi' and looking with 'ps aux' lircd was properly started with

Code

leia1:~/.kodi/userdata # ps aux
PID   USER     TIME  COMMAND
...
  803 root      0:00 {kodi.sh} /bin/sh /usr/lib/kodi/kodi.sh --standalone -fs
  807 root      7:10 /usr/lib/kodi/kodi.bin --standalone -fs
...
  892 root      0:00 lircd --device=/dev/input/event2 /storage/.config/lircd.conf
...

Thanks a lot and best regards.

**HiassofT** · April 18, 2018 at 11:58 PM

The mode 2 output looks very odd - the space values are oddly large. So I'm not 100% sure if there might be some problem with IR reception - or maybe the batteries of the remote are flat and it's not working properly?

I'm not familiar with the original xbox remote, but if ir-keytable configuration doesn't work you could try the lircd.conf files from here: lirc-remotes / Code / [395780] /remotes/microsoft

This one looks like it could work: xbox.lircd.conf?format=raw

Download the file and copy it to /storage/.config/lircd.conf, then reboot (LE9.0 preview builds will automatically pick the file up and run lirc, in LE 8.2 you have to enable Lirc in LE settings).

But before doing that I'd check into the mode2 output, the pulse/space values should usually be about 400-2000.

so long,

Hias

lcgh · April 20, 2018 at 8:56 AM

Hij HiassofT,

thanks for the infos. Will try that out. First glance seems to be that the original xbox remote does not work that properly with the GPIO driven sensors in contrast to several other IR remotes I tried. I have two of those old xbox remotes and tried both with new batteries, and from time to time the pulse/space values had values >>>2000, but sometimes also below that. - And btw - both remotes work perfectly with a very old Millhouse Leia built on a RPi2 along with the original USB xbox dvddongle before this module was removed from the kernel (what a pity... I mean it is not a monolithical kernel issue, it is just a module and worked perfectly for many years now).

Would it be possible to "tweak" the "driver options" so that the pulse/ spaces are interpreted differently (I ask because this unknown territory for me, but if there is a trial&error way it can be investigated)?

But will try out the xbox.lircd.conf's.

best wishes,

lcg

**HiassofT** · April 20, 2018 at 1:32 PM

Which IR receiver (exact part number) are you using?

There's nothing you can do in software to influence pulse/space detection, this is performed inside the IR receiver.

Basically there are 2 key parameters for choosing an IR receiver, one is the carrier frequency of the IR signal (usually 36-40kHz), the other is the remote protocol a receiver has been optimized for and/or how well it can deal with external IR interference (eg sun shining directly on the receiver, nearby CCFL lamps etc).

Usually using a 38kHz (which is used eg for NEC proto)l receiver will work fine, 36kHz (used eg for rc-5 and rc-6) and 40kHz (eg sony) are near enough to work fine.

As for protocol optimization have a look at the last page of this document on the Vishay website: dataform.pdf - more detailled info are in the specific datasheets of the receivers.

AGC1 is the most universal AGC implementation, AGC4 (which is optimized for eg NEC and RC5/6) doesn't work well with a bunch of protocols.

So, my recommendation would be to try a TSOP34138 (1 is the AGC version, 38 the frequency). TSOP34438 (AGC4) could be problematic.

Some IR protocols have a rather large pulse/space at the beginning (eg NEC starts with a ~9000 pulse and ~4500 space) and you'll also see a large space (or a timeout) between button repeats. But the other pulse/space values within an IR message are usually in the 400-2000 range.

I searched a bit and the original Xbox remote indeed seems to use a non-standard protocol. So in-kernel decoding won't work, but you could be able to create a lircd.conf with irrecord (you might have to use irrecord raw mode if normal mode doesn't work) - but first you have to sort out the IR reception (pulse/space) issues.

As for the old lirc_xbox driver: well, that never made it into the official Linux kernel, OpenELEC/LibreELEC included it as long as possible (it needed a bit of tweaking now and then, but not too dramatic), but it's time had ended and we had to drop it. All IR receiver drivers in the kernel got moved to a new code base (which allows IR decoding in the kernel) and the old code lirc_xbox was built around got dropped.

so long,

Hias

lcgh · April 20, 2018 at 9:41 PM

Thanks Hias for those detailed explanations,

- IR receiver -> tried different ones which indeed differed in responsiveness. Best was a TSOP38238 VISHAY. One worked only if the IR was directly before. But should not be a problem to buy another TSOP34138 as you pointed out.

- for some trials I switched back to plain raspbian lite (feel better with an apt-environment) and tried an old WD live remote, configured it with irrecord and it properly gave event keys as output. Strange are only (not always) escape sequences while pushing buttons on the remote with 'irw', like e.g.

Code

^[[B + KEYCODE
^@ + KEYCODE
^[[D + KEYCODE

but basically the receiver and lirc seem to work. Will reproduce this next few days with LE, same IR receiver, same remote.

For the old Xbox remote, the first trial with the 'raw' option was promising - cool, this was unknown to me. First, a file was created (was not possible before) with 'irrecord', and afterwards 'irw' gave an output (although not for every key properly, so I have to repeat the procedure, but that's maybe due to the IR remote being really old).

So I think with the 'raw' option it should be able to manage the situation also for LE. After it worked with 'mode2', but not with any other of the configure tools (except the 'raw' mode), it was obvious that it probably uses a non-standard protocol.

Btw - for PC I found a page on the net for a 4.14(?) kernel that offered a slightly adjusted version of the lirc_xbox module (I use kodi also on a PC, so I can continue there for a while, and for the RPi the GPIOs are really easy if the IR receiver is ok).

Thanks again!

best,

lcg

**HiassofT** · April 20, 2018 at 11:42 PM

Thanks for the status update and fingers crossed things work out with the TSOP34138. Please keep us posted about the progress, I'd be interested in knowing if you can get the old Xbox remote to work.

Concerning lirc_xbox: it can still work be made to work with kernel 4.14 but in LibreELEC we ship (optional in LE9) newer DVB drivers which also update the code for IR remotes to very bleeding edge kernel level - and lirc_xbox does no longer work with that.

Therefore we made the decision to drop lirc_xbox completely in LE9. It would have been rather confusing to users to have lirc_xbox support in the base installation but not when you enable one of the optional DVB drivers.

so long,

Hias

lcgh · April 23, 2018 at 12:26 PM

Hi Hias,

yes, it works :-). I can confirm that the old xbox-remote works if the lircd.conf was created via the 'raw'-mode. A TSOP 38238 vishay was used bought from a German raspishop. I had some problems with keys, but these are more related to the IR remote itself and being really old than LE, lircd, or the IR receiver. The OS is LE latest Millhouse build (2018041802427-#417-ga934092) and the hardware is a RPi1 (version with P5 header). But it should work on every RPi that way.

The lircd.conf has still to be adjusted a little bit along with the names to match lircmap.xml, but these are rather minor issues.

thanks again!

best,

lcg

**HiassofT** · April 23, 2018 at 1:37 PM

Thanks a lot for reporting back and glad you got it working! Knowing that it works with a TSOP38238 is really useful info.

If you got a working lircd.conf file could you upload it here? That could be useful for other people using the same remote.

so long,

Hias

lcgh · April 24, 2018 at 1:19 PM

Sure. Please see below.

Probably some things have to be tweaked more like repeating button presses, etc. But with that old remote it seems it depends on the actual hardware one uses. I use two identical ones that behave slightly different if it comes to repeated button presses. One has also to check whether the names fit.

May I ask another question? Using the 'raw' mode and adding this to lircd.conf, this is always sufficient if the key names match the entries in Lircmap.xml/ lircmap.xml?

best,

lcg

Code

# Please take the time to finish this file as described in
# https://sourceforge.net/p/lirc-remotes/wiki/Checklist/
# and make it available to others by sending it to
# <lirc@bartelmus.de>
#
# This config file was automatically generated
# using lirc-0.9.4c(default) on Mon Apr 23 21:22:17 2018
# Command line used: -f xbox.dvd_2018-04-23.conf
# Kernel version (uname -r): 4.9.59+
#
# Remote name (as of config file): xbb
# Brand of remote device, the thing you hold in your hand:
# Remote device model nr:
# Remote device info url:
# Does remote device has a bundled capture device e. g., a
#     usb dongle? :
# For bundled USB devices: usb vendor id, product id
#     and device string (use dmesg or lsusb):
# Type of device controlled
#     (TV, VCR, Audio, DVD, Satellite, Cable, HTPC, ...) :
# Device(s) controlled by this remote:

begin remote

name  xbb
flags RAW_CODES|CONST_LENGTH
eps            30
aeps          100

gap          64754

begin raw_codes

name KEY_HOME
217    7819     210    1279     260    2251
218    1280     216    2289     225    1280
232    1269     257    2248     251    1248
262    2244     226    1279     218    2301
208    1281     217    2289     255    1244
253    2254     227    1295     200    2281
221    2290     222    1280     219    2297
213    1278     250    2257     223    1277
221    2282     227

name KEY_SLOWREVERSE
236    7778     231    1274     219    2289
215    1284     225    2279     224    1280
215    1286     223    1290     240    2249
232    2279     219    2289     220    1280
218    2285     264    2248     216    1283
255    2247     223    1294     205    2287
225    2284     226    2277     222    1279
230    1272     225    1276     254    2252
227    1277     252

name KEY_FORWARD
248    7779     262    1244     253    2267
255    1231     255    2247     266    1238
259    1243     255    1241     258    2264
245    2251     260    2247     251    1250
251    1245     264    2260     209    1277
251    2252     259    1244     254    2255
225    2281     233    2271     258    1248
250    1250     258    1243     256    2246
264    2246     253

name KEY_PLAY
231    7798     256    1246     269    2234
226    1277     271    2251     210    1274
254    1245     275    1223     275    2237
221    1280     260    2246     223    1274
278    2231     258    2253     215    1285
253    2247     266    1236     263    2249
251    2282     230    2245     264    1256
243    2249     261    1242     256    2248
251    1247     262

name KEY_PREVIOUS
255    7775     224    1275     222    2298
244    1241     227    2281     260    1243
224    1276     253    2264     216    1274
221    1281     249    1249     217    2287
226    1278     306    2205     220    1279
220    2281     262    1241     226    2284
256    2266     235    1269     241    2242
228    2284     254    2263     258    1227
262    2246     224

name KEY_STOP
253    7772     226    1295     224    2269
220    1280     232    2270     228    1276
220    1300     221    1280     219    2264
224    2284     229    2282     216    2312
203    2283     224    2295     205    1283
225    2277     224    1279     220    2287
224    2285     223    2279     223    1281
228    1272     226    1275     223    1277
225    1276     219

name KEY_PAUSE
221    7804     257    1250     218    2289
251    1249     219    2283     259    1260
209    1290     207    1279     259    2249
271    2233     228    1276     220    1279
218    2293     264    2237     262    1242
254    2253     259    1257     240    2249
254    2253     256    2253     258    1239
260    1242     257    2253     257    2247
222    1276     265

name KEY_NEXT
221    7808     237    1267     217    2287
224    1277     251    2255     228    1272
255    1249     258    2249     252    1245
227    1289     246    1242     256    1242
225    1276     221    2282     231    1270
227    2287     215    1284     222    2280
222    2290     221    1279     220    2300
210    2279     241    2272     220    2285
226    2279     221

name KEY_TITLE
218    7808     264    1240     225    2284
257    1241     259    2265     246    1239
258    1243     256    1243     290    2225
252    2261     238    1250     258    2244
257    1247     218    2290     253    1259
240    2251     260    1241     255    2255
257    2251     260    2242     260    1244
252    1250     216    2290     253    1244
254    2252     228

name KEY_UP
217    7810     227    1293     222    2270
216    1282     218    2288     224    1280
217    2302     209    1277     219    2284
227    2281     222    1283     224    1306
213    2259     220    2307     225    1278
221    2267     221    1276     224    2282
230    1277     220    2286     223    1275
225    1292     207    2285     223    2285
217    1299     221

name KEY_INFO
217    7811     262    1242     222    2283
270    1227     230    2288     313    1179
217    1284     223    2292     209    2299
212    2299     242    2261     313    1188
268    1222     277    2246     223    1275
244    2248     242    1273     246    2250
240    2264     237    1275     244    1258
207    1294     205    1283     223    2280
265    2259     241

name KEY_LEFT
271    7748     260    1241     307    2197
220    1277     223    2282     260    1242
255    2250     250    1246     262    2241
259    1244     307    2197     313    2186
261    1241     260    2245     306    1193
314    2187     222    1277     219    2304
240    1245     222    2280     310    1188
283    2226     305    1207     241    1241
306    2199     262

name KEY_RIGHT
252    7775     226    1276     259    2247
224    1289     208    2286     223    1277
245    2258     230    1274     223    2288
215    1283     242    2264     218    2290
221    2300     209    2279     222    1284
225    2282     258    1242     217    2299
242    1249     218    2289     254    1247
219    2285     264    1254     207    1279
218    1283     216

name KEY_DOWN
322    7708     316    1185     277    2229
315    1186     270    2233     311    1189
277    2233     307    1194     273    2231
311    2200     310    1190     281    1221
275    1221     274    2233     311    1193
274    2232     308    1189     278    2233
311    1190     277    2230     312    1189
277    1236     264    2226     315    2196
313    2188     315

name KEY_SELECT
245    7785     258    1241     225    2278
223    1277     231    2293     207    2286
227    2281     257    2250     250    2268
245    1239     227    2284     257    1263
257    1226     270    2232     251    1266
241    2255     236    1283     253    1276
207    1258     308    1187     248    1246
255    2251     259    1239     238    2272
258    2261     240

name KEY_MENU
253    7773     254    1248     260    2268
232    1247     264    2245     254    1247
250    1246     275    1230     257    1258
240    2253     258    1242     256    1242
277    1224     254    2255     253    1260
240    2250     262    1244     253    2251
257    2261     240    2255     257    2252
258    1243     256    2246     266    2259
241    2253     255

name KEY_BACK
253    7773     317    1187     269    2234
225    1279     313    2194     254    1246
252    1250     259    2244     273    1232
260    1240     258    2247     314    2192
258    2264     247    2246     222    1274
277    2231     227    1278     251    2267
243    2249     260    1243     276    2231
219    2286     279    1225     251    1245
278    1227     275

name KEY_1
247    7780     266    1237     258    2251
259    1240     260    2262     246    1240
257    1244     253    2251     262    2244
224    1281     219    1282     215    1285
254    2248     264    2247     251    1249
259    2245     225    1279     262    2241
259    2252     256    1241     258    1246
253    2252     258    2251     259    2244
259    1243     254

name KEY_2
251    7778     250    1250     256    2247
254    1247     262    2248     221    1292
238    1249     258    2246     255    2253
257    1244     254    1247     252    2254
257    1245     252    2255     255    1245
252    2264     249    1243     254    2253
258    2244     255    1247     263    1240
270    2238     260    2242     258    1247
249    2259     254

name KEY_3
235    7784     223    1284     218    2287
255    1245     221    2286     222    1276
256    1245     253    2255     257    2251
215    1283     227    1275     222    2299
243    2249     275    2229     225    1279
221    2285     258    1242     225    2281
259    2250     250    1251     258    1242
252    2252     264    2247     253    1248
251    1249     254

name KEY_4
248    7779     261    1240     256    2254
259    1241     255    2249     262    1242
255    1245     254    2265     204    2287
256    1247     260    2248     251    1249
261    1240     291    2215     253    1249
259    2248     252    1248     277    2243
242    2252     257    1242     256    1245
271    2234     259    1243     255    2264
247    2245     256

name KEY_5
245    7783     248    1245     312    2214
235    1245     252    2267     244    1243
253    1248     250    2266     246    2264
247    1242     277    2238     251    1240
278    2242     252    2256     244    1241
277    2241     218    1277     271    2259
231    2246     224    1281     277    1235
264    2232     218    1303     235    2247
245    1273     245

name KEY_6
212    7809     259    1239     260    2250
217    1284     255    2250     251    1247
265    1239     259    2250     219    2288
220    1276     254    2270     210    2283
217    1284     254    2248     222    1279
263    2262     248    1240     255    2247
224    2287     255    1245     222    1297
242    2244     226    1274     256    1248
218    2289     224

name KEY_7
215    7812     260    1243     274    2245
245    1254     265    2231     256    1244
274    1227     272    2231     230    2289
236    1270     318    2178     240    2261
239    2289     221    2269     241    1269
252    2243     246    1267     242    2269
220    2269     243    1273     213    1287
211    2286     237    1282     236    1254
242    1262     248

name KEY_8
252    7779     252    1248     256    2249
221    1277     223    2296     246    1246
251    1249     259    2245     278    2227
262    2262     247    1242     268    1229
260    1241     257    2252     257    1243
253    2250     220    1285     255    2253
258    2247     252    1258     253    1234
264    1241     257    2251     258    2245
256    2265     247

name KEY_9
215    7811     263    1243     252    2251
260    1259     245    2248     257    1243
275    1225     253    2251     259    2263
247    2247     223    1274     254    1272
257    2227     252    2258     255    1240
258    2253     255    1246     254    2251
259    2247     255    1245     221    1283
256    1244     255    2250     220    2305
235    1250     259

name KEY_0
308    7720     259    1244     272    2231
275    1224     259    2253     257    1244
304    1191     257    2256     256    2252
258    1241     307    1189     259    1246
250    1247     222    2302     289    1198
261    2241     260    1244     316    2193
255    2248     315    1189     308    1194
253    2253     277    2226     256    2265
214    2280     270

end raw_codes

end remote

Display More

**HiassofT** · April 24, 2018 at 4:55 PM

Thanks a lot for sharing your lirc file!

One problem with manual recording (both raw and standard mode) is that the measured values will never be 100% correct. The remote, IR receiver, SOC and OS all play a role in which values you get.

If everything were perfect you'd see about 2-5 different lengths, because that's what the remote should be transmitting.

So there's always some risk that some values are a bit on the edge and thus a lircd.conf file won't work on some other hardware or with another remote.

That's why lirc now recommends using the profile mode where you manually select the remote's protocol (in-kernel decoding uses basically the same approach). But this won't help with non-standard protocols like the Xbox, the best one could do is to try to find some specs what the lengths should be and then manually clean up the file according to that (eg replace everything between 200 and 300 with 250 if that's what the nominal length would be).

But then, often it works good enough as is so it's not really necessary.

As for the KEY_ names: looking at the remote="devinput" section of Kodi's Lircmap.xml is a good approach. If in doubt look at what the Microsoft MCE remote is using (see /usr/lib/udev/rc_keymaps/rc6_mce), these KEY names are pretty much the standard when it comes to Kodi and IR remotes..

so long,

Hias

patrion · July 11, 2018 at 5:57 PM

I have updated kodi to leia (Linux generic) and now I can not use the command. Any way to configure it manually?

Thanks

**HiassofT** · July 11, 2018 at 8:18 PM

The original xbox IR receiver is no longer supported but with another IR receiver (eg the one integrated into NUCs or an MCE USB receiver) and the lircd.conf file posted in this thread it should work.

so long,

Hias

lirc_xbox · October 12, 2018 at 11:48 PM

Any specific recommendations for USB IR receivers that will work painlessly with the Xbox DVD Remote? Anything with equal or at least nearly as good range as the good old one that we will now have to retire?

**HiassofT** · October 13, 2018 at 8:27 AM

FYI: Benjamin Valentin submitted a driver for the Xbox DVD dongle to upstream linux and also PRed it for LibreELEC

linux: restore Xbox DVD Movie Playback Kit support by benpicco · Pull Request #3015 · LibreELEC/LibreELEC.tv · GitHub

A few minor issues have to be ironed out, but this means support for the original Xbox dongle should be back soon.

so long,

Hias

lirc_xbox · October 13, 2018 at 12:00 PM

And I see that the PR is now merged as of half an hour ago, many thanks to Benjamin Valentin and you for all the work on this!!