serial_ir on Biostar J3060NH

mbonet · August 10, 2018 at 12:13 PM

I am wondering if anyone has successfully implemented a serial IR receiver on this particular mainboard?

I have/had several other x86_64 hardware in use with serial IR receivers, using MCE remote controls. In the past, I configured lirc manually, now I am pleased to use the integrated new approach in LE.

What I did: installed the same IR receiver, LE installation and remote control as in one of the working systems.

ir-keytable -t doesn't show any events recognized.

ir-ctl -r does show pulses and spaces, but also timeout events (which I haven't observed on the working system).

I wonder if there is something special about the COM port on this mainboard?

**HiassofT** · August 10, 2018 at 12:25 PM

Which LE version are you using?

The timeouts reported by ir-ctl are fine, they should be shown after each pulse/space train (or at least after button release).

I've tested serial_ir a couple of months ago on an ancient P4 motherboard with on-board COM port and it worked fine there.

I can't really comment on your mainboard, but post the ir-ctl -r output of a short button press - this could already give some hints on what the issue could be.

It could be an electrical problem, so it would be good if you described the hardware you are using. In my tests I used a 5V compatible TSOP IR receiver and picked up +5V from an USB port of my PC. Then just connected GND and the TSOP IR output to the COM port.

so long,

Hias

mbonet · August 10, 2018 at 12:43 PM

Hi, I am using this one: index.php (sorry, German)

I assume in the end it's pretty simple TSOP, ir-keytable recognizes it as serial home brew.

I assume +5V is fine as this unit also takes care to power on the system (as a remote function to the power button) and this depends on standby power.

I will post the raw data later when I am back home.

It's 8.2.5 and 9.0 alpha, tried both.

mbonet · August 10, 2018 at 7:25 PM

So, here is output of ir-ctl -r from a single button:

Code

pulse 2685
space 891
pulse 248
space 598
pulse 265
space 687
pulse 230
space 1150
pulse 157
space 1199
pulse 1273
space 828
pulse 335
space 660
pulse 175
space 606
pulse 343
space 712
pulse 118
space 642
pulse 284
space 471
pulse 601
space 208
pulse 803
space 83
pulse 663
space 240
pulse 765
space 107
pulse 556
space 386
pulse 1110
space 173
pulse 626
space 329
pulse 720
space 111
pulse 707
space 411
pulse 293
space 1078
pulse 252
space 556
pulse 374
space 662
pulse 123
space 691
pulse 826
space 988
pulse 161
space 448
pulse 581
space 282
pulse 1333
space 446
pulse 1265
space 67
pulse 701
space 192
pulse 472
space 733
pulse 127
space 619
pulse 299
timeout 60000

Display More

**HiassofT** · August 11, 2018 at 9:40 AM

Thanks a lot for the ir-ctl output!

It looks similar to a rc-6 signal, but not quite. The pulse/space lengths should be 222-666 or 666-1110 (except for the first one and another pulse/space mark at the beginning which are longer).

Your output shows some very small values of about 100 or less, so the signal can't be decoded properly.

Which rev of the atric IR-Einschalter are you using? The manual of rev5 mentions changes that resolved issues with some com ports. A mismatch in signal levels would explain these length deviations.

There were a couple of posts on the atric forum mentioning issues with unclean/noisy power supplies (and having to add resistors and/or filtering caps or a newer/fixed IR receiver+cable to cure them). This could also explain the issues, most IR receivers are rather sensitive to noise on the power supply.

On the system/software side the only thing the only thing that could cause these timing variations is IRQ latency. Check /proc/interrupts and make sure serial_ir is the only device using IRQ4, if some other device is using this IRQ as well go into the BIOS setup and move that device to it's own interrupt.

so long,

Hias

mbonet · August 11, 2018 at 10:02 AM

Hi, thanks for the very valuable input! Much appreciated.

(Very) Randomly a key stroke is interpreted correctly, so the assumptions make sense to me.

Given especially the fact that the case includes a picoPSU like PSU which I wouldn't trust too much.

I will give a try later (latest tomorrow) with a different power supply attached.

I've been using the IR-Einschalter for years, so it's still Rev 4. Most probably I'll go for a FLIRC for this setup, though.

**chewitt** · August 11, 2018 at 12:24 PM Official Post

Quote from mbonet

Most probably I'll go for a FLIRC for this setup, though.

For reliable simplicity.. nothing beats FLIRC

mbonet · August 12, 2018 at 7:50 AM

Interesting. Another PSU didn't do the trick.

So maybe something with the COM port is odd.

Still wainting for the FLIRC dongle, but otherwise I won't bother anymore.

Thanks for your support, guys!