[SOLVED] MCEUSB2 remote control

[lfuzzy]

I have a Firefly mini remote control, but it does'nt work with Mythbuntu though it's perfect for BeyondTV and and Vista Media Center.

I am looking for a remote control to work with Mythbuntu. From reading the posts, it seems MCEUSB2 is a good choice. How do I know which ones are MCEUSB2?

I found this one on amzon.com:

http://www.kinamax.com/product/Item/RC-MCE.htm

Is it MCEUSB2?

Thanks,

[tgm4883]

http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/index.php/MCE_Remote

[road2elysium]

http://www.kinamax.com/product/Item/RC-MCE.htm



I just set this one up using the mceusb2 drivers. Works just fine.


Edit: Correction. The remote works with basic functionality regardless of designated remote drivers in the Mythbuntu Control Center. There's a way around it as well -- akin to the Firefly mini remote control instructions. I'll post further below.

[lucidblue]

I just got this remote and am setting up mythtv more as a front-end for media that I already have.

I actually saw this post before I bought it and I assumed it would work. My system picks up the receiver instantly, but uses the usbkbd driver, so it really is just seeing the remote as a keyboard...

I could probably make this work, but I know you said it works with lirc_usbmce2 driver, I can load that and then lircd with no errors, but when I run irw, I see no output, when hitting buttons on the remote, it just enters numbers or whatever into the console.

I'm just concerned that I won't be able to have full functionality if I can't map the keys.

Could you post your lircd.conf and lircrc file? It's the exact remote, so if I see yours, I'll know better where to start.

Thanks for any info!

[road2elysium]

I actually saw this post before I bought it and I assumed it would work. My system picks up the receiver instantly, but uses the usbkbd driver, so it really is just seeing the remote as a keyboard...


You can view the IR details by doing the following.
lsusb
Bus 003 Device 003: ID 1241:e000 Belkin

sudo lsusb -D /proc/bus/usb/003/003
Device: ID 1241:e000 Belkin
Device Descriptor:
bLength 18
bDescriptorType 1
bcdUSB 1.10
bDeviceClass 0 (Defined at Interface level)
bDeviceSubClass 0
bDeviceProtocol 0
bMaxPacketSize0 8
idVendor 0x1241 Belkin
idProduct 0xe000
bcdDevice 2.00
iManufacturer 1 HOLTEK
iProduct 2 USB Keyboard
iSerial 0
bNumConfigurations 1
Configuration Descriptor:
bLength 9
bDescriptorType 2
wTotalLength 59
bNumInterfaces 2
bConfigurationValue 1
iConfiguration 0
bmAttributes 0xa0
(Bus Powered)
Remote Wakeup
MaxPower 100mA
Interface Descriptor:
bLength 9
bDescriptorType 4
bInterfaceNumber 0
bAlternateSetting 0
bNumEndpoints 1
bInterfaceClass 3 Human Interface Devices
bInterfaceSubClass 1 Boot Interface Subclass
bInterfaceProtocol 1 Keyboard
iInterface 0
HID Device Descriptor:
bLength 9
bDescriptorType 33
bcdHID 1.10
bCountryCode 0 Not supported
bNumDescriptors 1
bDescriptorType 34 Report
wDescriptorLength 63
Report Descriptors:
** UNAVAILABLE **
Endpoint Descriptor:
bLength 7
bDescriptorType 5
bEndpointAddress 0x81 EP 1 IN
bmAttributes 3
Transfer Type Interrupt
Synch Type None
Usage Type Data
wMaxPacketSize 0x0008 1x 8 bytes
bInterval 10
Interface Descriptor:
bLength 9
bDescriptorType 4
bInterfaceNumber 1
bAlternateSetting 0
bNumEndpoints 1
bInterfaceClass 3 Human Interface Devices
bInterfaceSubClass 1 Boot Interface Subclass
bInterfaceProtocol 2 Mouse
iInterface 0
HID Device Descriptor:
bLength 9
bDescriptorType 33
bcdHID 1.10
bCountryCode 0 Not supported
bNumDescriptors 1
bDescriptorType 34 Report
wDescriptorLength 157
Report Descriptors:
** UNAVAILABLE **
Endpoint Descriptor:
bLength 7
bDescriptorType 5
bEndpointAddress 0x82 EP 2 IN
bmAttributes 3
Transfer Type Interrupt
Synch Type None
Usage Type Data
wMaxPacketSize 0x0008 1x 8 bytes
bInterval 10
Device Status: 0x0000
(Bus Powered)

[road2elysium]

I could probably make this work, but I know you said it works with lirc_usbmce2 driver, I can load that and then lircd with no errors, but when I run irw, I see no output, when hitting buttons on the remote, it just enters numbers or whatever into the console.


I was able to set up an irrecord to grab the codes for the remote as follows:

sudo irrecord --driver=dev/input --device=/dev/input/by-id/usb-HOLTEK_USB_Keyboard-event-kbd ~/lircd-kinamax.conf

[road2elysium]

I have a Firefly mini remote control, but it does'nt work with Mythbuntu though it's perfect for BeyondTV and and Vista Media Center.


I found that the Kinamax remote is quite similar to the Firefly mini remote in that it is recognized as a Human Interface Device (HID) and should work with basic functionality without drivers. Check out the following wiki page to complete the functionality.

http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/index.php/Snapstream_firefly_mini

[lucidblue]

Totally just had to edit this, quoted the wrong part.
I was looking at that, do you think the kernel patch is really necessary? With the irrecord, what type of info does that log? I looked in the list of pre-made lirc.conf files, but couldn't find the kinamax listed.

[road2elysium]

I believe the kernel patch is only to gain functionality of a few remaining buttons.

Irrecord logs IR remote codes. It can generate an index of codes to button names which normally resides in the /etc/lirc/lircd.conf file.

[lucidblue]

I believe the kernel patch is only to gain functionality of a few remaining buttons.

Irrecord logs IR remote codes. It can generate an index of codes to button names which normally resides in the /etc/lircd.conf file.

Oh, cool, I'll give that a shot, thanks! I'll be sure to post back findings! :)

[lucidblue]

I was able to set up an irrecord to grab the codes for the remote as follows:

sudo irrecord --driver=dev/input --device=/dev/input/by-id/usb-HOLTEK_USB_Keyboard-event-kbd ~/lircd-kinamax.conf

I tried the above, and it seemed to work for the most part, I think the only buttons that wouldn't work were the volume and mute, but I'm not 100% that the 'channel up & down' where picked up -- no big deal really.

So now I've got an lircd.conf (or whatever), and now the next step I think is to make an .lircdrc file? My understanding is that I need to assign functions to the named buttons now.

The problem tho, is the command I have to run to get irw to show anything is 'irw --driver=/dev/input --device=/dev/input/by-id/usb-HOLTEK_USB_Keyboard-event-kdb' <-- almost exaclty that, the --driver switch might be a little different, but it means the same thing. When I do this, I seem to get correct output (it shows the keys pressed) for the first couple, then (and I can't tell yet if this just has to do with the certain keys pressed), it will start showing:

asterisk 00000xxxxx <-- whatever the number is
eight 00000xxxxx <-- whatever

^^^^^ and repeat like that no matter what key is press, it seems to show those two, or a combination of 'asterisk' (for that key's name) and another key, two for every one key press.

It almost seems to be after a couple key presses, then it'll start doing that. I assume that's what lircd sees as presses, so wouldn't that start getting screwy?

*** Also, when did you load the lircd_mceusb2 driver? is it even needed? maybe that's my issue?

Thanks for the help
-- lucidblue