Configuring my TV IR remote for Kodi

Anard · April 14, 2019 at 5:55 PM

Hi.

I just received some IR receivers (VS838) and would like to use it to control LibreElec 9.0.1 on RPi 3B+ with my TV remote.

I'm reading the wiki but not sure I understand well...

First I add in my config.txt the line

Code

dtoverlay=gpio-ir

(I didn't found the dtoverlay=lirc-rpi)

To control that it works, i did with ssh

Code

rc-ctl -r

and I could see lots of "pulse" and "space" lines. So I hinks my remote and receiver could work.

But it don't ontrol my Kodi... As the wiki says

Quote

The option to enable / disable Lirc in LibreELEC settings has been removed
as well, lircd will now be started automatically if the
/storage/.config/lircd.conf file is present.

I tried to add a lircd.conf file in /storage/.config/ (which is empty) with no results.

I tried to "the easy way", but the list of configurations in /usr/lib/udev/rc_maps is very long and I gave up after a dozen unsuccessful tries.

After what I tried in the "hard way" every available protocols. No one works...

Code

LibreELEC:~ # systemctl stop kodi
LibreELEC:~ # systemctl stop eventlircd
LibreELEC:~ # ir-keytable
Found /sys/class/rc/rc0/ (/dev/input/event4) with:
    Name: gpio_ir_recv
    Driver: gpio_ir_recv, table: rc-rc6-mce
    lirc device: /dev/lirc0
    Supported protocols: other lirc rc-5 rc-5-sz jvc sony nec sanyo mce_kbd rc-6 sharp xmp 
    Enabled protocols: lirc xmp 
    bus: 25, vendor/product: 0001:0001, version: 0x0100
    Repeat delay = 500 ms, repeat period = 125 ms
LibreELEC:~ # ir-keytable -p other -t
Protocols changed to other 
Testing events. Please, press CTRL-C to abort.
^C
LibreELEC:~ # ir-keytable -p rc-5 -t
Protocols changed to rc-5 
Testing events. Please, press CTRL-C to abort.
^C
LibreELEC:~ # ir-keytable -p rc-5-sz -t
Protocols changed to rc-5-sz 
Testing events. Please, press CTRL-C to abort.
^C
LibreELEC:~ # ir-keytable -p jvc -t
Protocols changed to jvc 
Testing events. Please, press CTRL-C to abort.
^C
LibreELEC:~ # ir-keytable -p sony -t
Protocols changed to sony 
Testing events. Please, press CTRL-C to abort.
^C
LibreELEC:~ # ir-keytable -p ne -t
ir-keytable: Unknown protocol: ne
Try `ir-keytable --help' or `ir-keytable --usage' for more information.
LibreELEC:~ # ir-keytable -p nec -t
Protocols changed to nec 
Testing events. Please, press CTRL-C to abort.
^C
LibreELEC:~ # ir-keytable -p sanyo -t
Protocols changed to sanyo 
Testing events. Please, press CTRL-C to abort.
^C
LibreELEC:~ # ir-keytable -p mce_kbd -t
Protocols changed to mce_kbd 
Testing events. Please, press CTRL-C to abort.
^C
LibreELEC:~ # ir-keytable -p rc-6 -t
Protocols changed to rc-6 
Testing events. Please, press CTRL-C to abort.
^C
LibreELEC:~ # ir-keytable -p sharp -t
Protocols changed to sharp 
Testing events. Please, press CTRL-C to abort.
^C
LibreELEC:~ # ir-keytable -p xmp -t
Protocols changed to xmp 
Testing events. Please, press CTRL-C to abort.
^C
LibreELEC:~ #

Display More

When I searcch on the web, I see that everybody connect their ir receiver between "3.3v/GND and GPIO18", for example

These receivers are commonly poower with 5V Vcc, am I wrong ?

Thanks for your help, I don't understand how to use my tv remote and if I can do it...

PS : please excuse my "fr"english...

**HiassofT** · April 14, 2019 at 6:32 PM

As the RPi is a 3.3V-only device you have to connect the IR receiver's VCC pin to 3.3V (the receivers typically work between somewhere below 3V and somewhat above 5V).

What TV remote are you using? Some TVs use rather odd IR protocols that may not be supported by in-kernel decoding.

If your TV has been built in the last ~10 years chances are very good that it support's CEC. If that's the case it's a lot easier to just use that (you don't need an IR receiver as well).

If you don't have CEC support in your TV then you may need to create a lircd.conf file with irrecord - which can be tricky.

It may be easier to just use a different remote then, eg an MCE remote, which is supported by in-kernel decoding.

so long,

Hias

Anard · April 16, 2019 at 1:30 PM

Hi and thanks for your answer.

My TV is a Panasonic plasma screen (TH-42PX71EA) which HDMI inputs are down. So my RPi is connected by composite output. If I understood well, CEC works with the HDMI port. So I can't use it... On boot, Kodi said me that it couln't connect to CEC adapter, after what I finally disabled it.

I think there is anything I don't understand well in the configuration of ir-keytable / lircd.

I tried irrecord reading this but generated file was strange...

Code

name  PanasonicTV
bits            0
eps             0
aeps            0


one             0     0
zero            0     0
gap          50000
toggle_bit_mask 0x0
frequency    38000


begin codes
KEY_UP                   0x0
KEY_RIGHT                0x0
KEY_LEFT                 0x0
KEY_DOWN                 0x0
KEY_OK                   0x0
KEY_BACK                 0x0
KEY_EXIT                 0x0
KEY_RED                  0x0
KEY_GREEN                0x0
KEY_YELLOW               0x0
KEY_BLUE                 0x0
KEY_1                    0x0
KEY_2                    0x0
KEY_3                    0x0
KEY_4                    0x0
KEY_5                    0x0
KEY_6                    0x0
KEY_7                    0x0
KEY_8                    0x0
KEY_9                    0x0
KEY_0                    0x0
KEY_PLAY                 0x0
KEY_STOP                 0x0
KEY_PAUSE                0x0
KEY_MENU                 0x0
end codes


end remote

Display More

So I searched for a preconfigured file. My remote is named EUR_7737Z50. I found this link which list various Panasonic remotes, but couln't find mine. I have downloaded the closest named file (EUR7724KF0.lircd.conf) and think that at least one of them could work with my remote (I need only left/right/top/bottom, OK, return, Home, Play and Stop keys), but I don't understand how to test these files on Kodi : I can't load them with [code]

Code

ir-keytable -c -w /storage/.config/rc_keymaps/my_custom_remote[/code]

Indeed, irrecord file have not the same syntax as ir-keytable.

As you say, the simpler way could be to buy a well known remote, but if I could avoid buying...

Thanks so much for your help...

donbrew · April 16, 2019 at 4:08 PM

Forget everything you have read about Lirc and uninstall it. It is no longer valid.

I have found that virtually everything outdated.

Read this: Infrared Remotes [LibreELEC.wiki]

I don't think Panasonic protocol is supported by the kernel, I can't find it.

The old lircd.conf format has changed.

In theory, a RC-6 (MCE) remote will work without doing anything. NOT a Vista MCE.

donbrew · April 4, 2020 at 11:04 PM

Well, you do have to install lirc then uninstall it for the file structure.