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davecs
Joined: 28 Mar 2005
Posts: 328
Location: UK
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 Posted: Fri Apr 21, 2023 12:15 pm Post subject: Using a FLIRC remote control receiver |
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This is a Partial-JP1 query really!
These are USB dongles that convert IR signals into key presses on a computer, usually used in a media centre.
I've just bought an old mini-computer, and connected it via HDMI to my TV. I've installed linux on it. I'm thinking of adding a FLIRC as the final touch, so that I will be able to use my One-for-all remote as far as possible.
One of the things putting me off, is that I've seen reviews on line that suggest that FLIRC works better with some remotes than others. Which suggests that it responds better to some protocols than others.
Obviously I can use one of a huge number of protocols, to create something on every key on the remote, so if anyone has any experience or knowledge they can give me, it would be great.
I read somewhere that the Harmony remotes have a setup especially designed to work best with FLIRC. Any idea what its protocol is?
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URC7560/URC7562, URC8910, URC7980, URC6440/OARUSB04G and URC3661 |
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mdavej
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Joined: 08 Oct 2003
Posts: 4501
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| Posted: Fri Apr 21, 2023 1:24 pm Post subject: |
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| I've used FLIRC many times over the years. Never had any trouble with any protocols. But NEC is probably the safest bet. Avoid XMP and DirecTV as those tend to be big and/or complex compared to most. I've never heard about the Harmony thing. |
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Ed
Joined: 21 Sep 2003
Posts: 262
Location: Ft. Worth, TX
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| Posted: Sat Apr 22, 2023 9:24 pm Post subject: |
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| I've been using a FLIRC to control OSMC (Kodi) running on a Raspberry Pi for several years. It works very well for me. I'm currently using the Samsung 5500 series Smart TV upgrade from right here on this site. That upgrade uses the NECx2 protocol. |
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davecs
Joined: 28 Mar 2005
Posts: 328
Location: UK
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| Posted: Sun Apr 23, 2023 4:01 am Post subject: |
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Thanks for the advice.
One more question :
Can you allocate key combinations, e.g. alt-F4?
Correct me if I'm wrong, but you can't allocate mouse presses, but there's a way around that from the computer settings (i.e. Mouse keys).
I have been having a lot of fun using KDE-connect on an old smartphone as a remote, but I'd love to get all bases covered on my URC-3661 remote.
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URC7560/URC7562, URC8910, URC7980, URC6440/OARUSB04G and URC3661 |
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Ed
Joined: 21 Sep 2003
Posts: 262
Location: Ft. Worth, TX
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| Posted: Sun Apr 23, 2023 5:17 pm Post subject: |
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| davecs wrote: | Thanks for the advice.
One more question :
Can you allocate key combinations, e.g. alt-F4?
Correct me if I'm wrong, but you can't allocate mouse presses, but there's a way around that from the computer settings (i.e. Mouse keys).
I have been having a lot of fun using KDE-connect on an old smartphone as a remote, but I'd love to get all bases covered on my URC-3661 remote. |
I'm pretty sure you can allocate key combinations, but I don't use them myself and can't say for sure. mdavej will know more than I do. |
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mdavej
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Joined: 08 Oct 2003
Posts: 4501
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| Posted: Sun Apr 23, 2023 7:38 pm Post subject: |
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| Sorry, I've not done key combos with it either, but pretty sure you can. |
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WagonMaster
Joined: 16 Apr 2009
Posts: 361
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| Posted: Mon Apr 24, 2023 11:02 am Post subject: |
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| davecs wrote: | | Can you allocate key combinations, e.g. alt-F4? |
The newer version of the FLIRC USB device (which I own) does support "modifier" keys (Ctl, Alt, Shift, Cmd/Windows) when making assignments to a remote control's buttons.
I've successfully used FLIRC's GUI utility (under Linux) to make assignments, including ones that use a 'Control' modifier key and another one using a 'Shift' modifier key. So I suspect that 'Alt-F4' would be no problem. There's also a command-line utility which runs fine under Linux.
As for protocols, I haven't given it much testing. I use it for now with a remote control that sends NEC protocol.
Hope that helps... |
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davecs
Joined: 28 Mar 2005
Posts: 328
Location: UK
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| Posted: Mon Apr 24, 2023 11:48 am Post subject: |
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| WagonMaster wrote: | | davecs wrote: | | Can you allocate key combinations, e.g. alt-F4? |
The newer version of the FLIRC USB device (which I own) does support "modifier" keys (Ctl, Alt, Shift, Cmd/Windows) when making assignments to a remote control's buttons.
I've successfully used FLIRC's GUI utility (under Linux) to make assignments, including ones that use a 'Control' modifier key and another one using a 'Shift' modifier key. So I suspect that 'Alt-F4' would be no problem. There's also a command-line utility which runs fine under Linux.
As for protocols, I haven't given it much testing. I use it for now with a remote control that sends NEC protocol.
Hope that helps... |
Thanks! I think I'll get one.
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URC7560/URC7562, URC8910, URC7980, URC6440/OARUSB04G and URC3661 |
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WagonMaster
Joined: 16 Apr 2009
Posts: 361
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| Posted: Mon Apr 24, 2023 1:20 pm Post subject: |
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| davecs wrote: | | Thanks! I think I'll get one. |
I don't think you'll be disappointed. There's a lot yet to be tested with my FLIRC device, but so far, it's been mostly a positive impression.
The company behind FLIRC seems a bit under-staffed and sometimes even a bit unprofessional on their forum, but (so far) the hardware seems to work well.
There are some prerequisites to run the FLIRC utilities (GUI and command-line) under Linux. On my Slackware 15.0 installation, I had to download and install the 'hidapi' library. But that was all that Slackware needed for FLIRC's software to work.
The new and old versions of the USB device can be seen side-by-side on this page, after scrolling down to the "How It Works" section:
Just don't accidentally buy the old version (larger, and with a transparent plastic housing, assuming anyone still sells it) because I don't think it supports modifier keys.
The newer device supposedly comes with an IR transmitter and can theoretically (I haven't tried it yet) be used as an IR "repeater" (receiving one IR signal then transmitting a different signal [maybe even in a different protocol?]). They don't really talk about that capability much, though.
I forgot to mention in my last post: As you might expect, you're supposed to be able to combine "modifier" keys, e.g. 'Ctl-Alt-F1'. I have not actually attempted that to date, though. |
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davecs
Joined: 28 Mar 2005
Posts: 328
Location: UK
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| Posted: Mon Apr 24, 2023 3:44 pm Post subject: |
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That's OK, I've ordered a Type 2 FLIRC. The only thing I'm concerned that it might not do, is send Keypad_1 in addition to 1, for example, to set up Mouse Keys in KDE, the easy way. If it doesn't, I'm sure that there are ways and means, in Linux at least, for the OS to map certain key presses to mouse movements. Where there's a will...
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URC7560/URC7562, URC8910, URC7980, URC6440/OARUSB04G and URC3661 |
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davecs
Joined: 28 Mar 2005
Posts: 328
Location: UK
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| Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2023 3:13 pm Post subject: |
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Just as an update. The Linux archive file is missing any udev rules, which means that the recording side of the Flirc is not detected. However, the Debian Linux installer does include it. So I was able to get it running.
There's another program which works on the command line, called flirc_util. This only runs if libreadline v6 is present. The distro I was using had libreadline v8 but I created a symlink to it to disguise it as v6. And it worked when I did that.
One of the flirc_util functions allows you to add any key even if it's not specified in the any of the graphical interfaces, which enabled me to set keys to Numeric Keypad-specific values, enabling the "keyboard mouse".
The mistakes in the software (for Linux in any case) are quite sloppy, but I've got it going.
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WagonMaster
Joined: 16 Apr 2009
Posts: 361
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| Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2023 11:23 pm Post subject: |
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| davecs wrote: | | [...] So I was able to get it running. |
Glad to hear this!
I'd have mentioned more in my earlier post about the various issues (udev, libreadline, etc), but I wasn't sure how much of it would apply unless you were also running Slackware.
In my case, for 'libreadline', the problematic (for FLIRC) library symbol "UP" is defined in my installation but 'flirc_util' just doesn't see it (and won't run without it, as you probably saw too), so I grabbed the source code and built it. Oddly, the "release" version of 'flirc_util' segfaults but the "debug" version runs. I didn't have time to figure out why and probably won't bother since I can get things done with the "debug" version.
Like you, I found that the CLI (Command-Line Interface) is more capable than the GUI in some important ways. Frankly, I frequently prefer CLI over GUI anyway, not the least of which is because I can then "script" things.
Oddly, I found that the CLI will not delete an assignment "by index" (i.e. using the "delete_index" option). I may have to experiment with that and/or debug it at some later date, but for now, the regular "delete" option (where you delete an assignment by pressing the associated remote control's button) works.
So I totally agree about the "sloppiness" of FLIRC's software and the way they handle it. It's part of what I meant when I suggested that they're understaffed. I still like the FLIRC hardware, but it would be nice to see the FLIRC people "polish up" the rough edges in all sorts of other places. Experience tells me that I shouldn't hold my breath, though!  |
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davecs
Joined: 28 Mar 2005
Posts: 328
Location: UK
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| Posted: Sat Apr 29, 2023 5:42 pm Post subject: |
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| WagonMaster wrote: |
Oddly, I found that the CLI will not delete an assignment "by index" (i.e. using the "delete_index" option). I may have to experiment with that and/or debug it at some later date, but for now, the regular "delete" option (where you delete an assignment by pressing the associated remote control's button) works.
So I totally agree about the "sloppiness" of FLIRC's software and the way they handle it. It's part of what I meant when I suggested that they're understaffed. I still like the FLIRC hardware, but it would be nice to see the FLIRC people "polish up" the rough edges in all sorts of other places. Experience tells me that I shouldn't hold my breath, though! |
Yes I had the same problem with delete_index but to be honest, I prefer the plain delete. The reason I say sloppiness is that the main programs haven't been updated for a couple of years, and they work. But the absence of the udev rules file in the regular (non-Debian) archive is really bad. Has it been like that ever since the last update? As you can see I'm not asking for an update, I'm asking for the current version to be presented properly!
Anyway I have a new URC3661 remote (Europe version of 3660/3680). Here in Britain, the TV company ITV has a streaming service ITVx. Thanks to the MultiMacros on the remote, and the way it can be programmed using the latest RMIR, I have been able to set up a Multimacro that sends out signals for which I have programmed the keypresses CTRL-SHIFT-F1, F2 .. to CTRL-SHIFT-F6. Each of these is bound to scripts (using xdotool) via the KDE Control Centre on my media centre, and successive long presses on a key result in the mouse being moved to different points on the screen. The reason being that ITV, unlike, say, YouTube, has made no provision for keyboard shortcuts to turn features on and off, and with the mouse set up on a remote control it's hard to get it to stop in the right place.
This is a combination of FLIRC, RMIR, Linux and the 3661 which, with any missing element, would be impossible. It's taken some work and mental struggles to do it, though!
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URC7560/URC7562, URC8910, URC7980, URC6440/OARUSB04G and URC3661
Last edited by davecs on Sun Apr 30, 2023 9:03 am; edited 1 time in total |
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WagonMaster
Joined: 16 Apr 2009
Posts: 361
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| Posted: Sat Apr 29, 2023 8:37 pm Post subject: |
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| davecs wrote: | | But the absence of the udev rules file in the regular (non-Debian) archive is really bad. |
I found FLIRC 'udev' rules under the "Trouble Shooting [sic]", "Linux" section on this site:Had I not found them (or had they not worked), I would have come up with my own 'udev' rule(s), as I typically do for everything that gets plugged into my Linux PCs. But yes, they should definitely be more readily available.
| davecs wrote: | | This is a combination of FLIRC, RMIR, Linux and the 3661 which, with any missing element, would be impossible. It's taken some work and mental struggles to do it, though! |
For now, my FLIRC use is far less involved and sophisticated than your setup (nice work, BTW!). I just use it occasionally while driving, to trigger my laptop to pause/resume recording of diagnostic data or to switch among various recording-parameter lists, saving me from having to stop the vehicle to do it. Someday I might actually use it in a home-video capacity.  |
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