Setting up IR remote for AVerTV Digi Volar X in Debian

AVerMedia AVerTV DVB-T Volar X (A815) is an Avermedia usb device able to capture DVB-T signals.

It provides an IR remote device, which we are going to set up in this post.

To properly configure the whole device see previous post



INSTALLING AND SETTING UP LIRC

LIRC stands for 'Linux Infra-red Remote Control'.

It provides the daemons and some utilities to support infra-red remote controls under Linux.
http://lirc.org

$ sudo aptitude install lirc

We investigate about IR devices present in our system:
$ cat /proc/bus/input/devices | grep -n10 a815
187-I: Bus=0003 Vendor=0000 Product=0000 Version=0004
188-N: Name="ACPI Virtual Keyboard Device"
189-P: Phys=
190-S: Sysfs=/devices/virtual/input/input19
191-U: Uniq=
192-H: Handlers=sysrq kbd event19 rfkill
193-B: PROP=0
194-B: EV=3
195-B: KEY=ffffffffffffffff ffffffffffffffff ffffffffffffffff fffffffffffffffe
196-
197:I: Bus=0003 Vendor=07ca Product=a815 Version=0200
198-N: Name="IR-receiver inside an USB DVB receiver"
199-P: Phys=usb-0000:00:1d.0-1.2.1/ir0
200-S: Sysfs=/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1d.0/usb2/2-1/2-1.2/2-1.2.1/rc/rc2/input30
201-U: Uniq=
202-H: Handlers=kbd event20
203-B: PROP=0
204-B: EV=100013
205-B: KEY=148fc110 4a0201100000000 0 108000 2190c0004001 8e16c000000000 10000010000ffc
206-B: MSC=10
207-
208:I: Bus=0003 Vendor=07ca Product=a815 Version=0101
209-N: Name="AVerMedia A815"
210-P: Phys=usb-0000:00:1d.0-1.2.1/input1
211-S: Sysfs=/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1d.0/usb2/2-1/2-1.2/2-1.2.1/2-1.2.1:1.1/input/input31
212-U: Uniq=301649101883000
213-H: Handlers=sysrq kbd event21
214-B: PROP=0
215-B: EV=120013
216-B: KEY=1000000000007 ff9f207ac14057ff febeffdfffefffff fffffffffffffffe
217-B: MSC=10
218-B: LED=7


These lines are interesting for us:
198-N: Name="IR-receiver inside an USB DVB receiver"
202-H: Handlers=kbd event20


We edit /etc/lirc/hardware.conf file, to add DRIVER="devinput" and event20:
$ sudo nano /etc/lirc/hardware.conf

DRIVER="devinput"
...
DEVICE="/dev/input/event20"

$ sudo service lirc restart # We restart lirc daemon.



LOAD RIGHT IR REMOTE MODEL

There are five (FP, HR, HV, JH, KS) IR remote types, each with a different table.
http://linuxtv.org/wiki/index.php/AVerMedia_AVerTV_Digi_Volar_X_(A815)

My avermedia IR remote shows: RM-KS
This is associated with number 5, so we create a file in /etc/modprobe.d directory:

# echo "options dvb_usb_af9015 remote=5" > /etc/modprobe.d/dvb.conf

and remove and load again the module:

$ sudo rmmod dvb_usb_af9015
$ sudo modprobe dvb_usb_af9015



TEST DEVICE ASSOCIATED WITH IR REMOTE

First we query which device is associated with our IR remote:

$ ls -l /dev/input/by-path/*-event-ir
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 10 feb 19 21:22 /dev/input/by-path/pci-0000:00:1d.0-usb-0:1.2.1-event-ir -> ../event20
So /dev/input/event20 is the dev file we need.

To test the IR device:
$ sudo aptitude install evtest
$ sudo evtest /dev/input/event20
Then we press keys in the remote and see if they appear in console.

Using evtest:
Event: time 1328836103.439535, type 1 (EV_KEY), code 356 (KEY_POWER2), value 1
Event: time 1328836103.439536, -------------- SYN_REPORT ------------
Event: time 1328836103.690654, type 1 (EV_KEY), code 356 (KEY_POWER2), value 0
Event: time 1328836307.694652, type 1 (EV_KEY), code 398 (KEY_RED), value 0



CONFIGURING LIRCD.CONF FILE

Next step is configuring lircd.conf file:

I download a sample lirc.conf file from here:
http://lircconfig.commandir.com/lircd.conf/?viewremote=1232


If you do not find any preconfigured lircd.conf file you could use irrecord command:
$ irrecord -H dev/input -f -d /dev/input/event20 ~/lircd.conf
http://www.lirc.org/html/configure.html
http://lirc.sourceforge.net/remotes/devinput/lircd.conf.devinput


An example of lircd.conf file improved with a few more keys:
$ sudo nano /etc/lirc/lircd.conf

begin remote
name            AVERTV
bits            16
eps             30
aeps            100
one             0     0
zero            0     0
gap             455938
pre_data_bits   16
pre_data        0x8001

begin codes
KEY_0           0x000B
KEY_1           0x0002
KEY_2           0x0003
KEY_3           0x0004
KEY_4           0x0005
KEY_5           0x0006
KEY_6           0x0007
KEY_7           0x0008
KEY_8           0x0009
KEY_9           0x000A
KEY_VOLUMEDOWN  0x0072
KEY_VOLUMEUP    0x0073
KEY_CHANNELDOWN 0x0193
KEY_CHANNELUP   0x0192
KEY_FORWARD     0x009F
KEY_BACK        0x009E
KEY_UP          0x00A7
KEY_DOWN        0x0080
KEY_POWER       0x0074
KEY_AUDIO       0x0188
KEY_EPG         0x016D
KEY_MUTE        0x0071
KEY_ENTER       0x00CF
KEY_BLUE        0x0069
KEY_CHANNEL     0x006A
KEY_SWITCHVIDEOMODE 0x0174
KEY_EXIT        0x0094
KEY_POWER2      0x0164
KEY_RED         0x018E

end codes

end remote

$ sudo service lirc restart

To check if IR remote works OK:
$ irw # Show keys, when pressed in the remote.
0000000080010073 00 KEY_VOLUMEUP AVERTV
0000000080010073 00 KEY_VOLUMEUP AVERTV
0000000080010192 00 KEY_CHANNELUP AVERTV



CONFIGURING LIRC FOR MPLAYER

We are going to manage mplayer using our IR remote.

This command show us with a list of available mplayer commands.
$ mplayer -input cmdlist


Basicly we are going to associate each IR remote key with a mplayer command.

An example of $HOME/.lircrc file:

$ less $HOME/.lircr

begin
button = KEY_VOLUMEUP
prog = mplayer
config = volume 1
repeat = 1
end

begin
button = KEY_VOLUMEDOWN
prog = mplayer
config = volume -1
repeat = 1
end

begin
button = KEY_ENTER
prog = mplayer
config = pause
end

begin
button = KEY_FORWARD
prog = mplayer
config = seek +10
end

begin
button = KEY_UP
prog = mplayer
config = seek +60
end

begin
button = KEY_BACK
prog = mplayer
config = seek -10
end

begin
button = KEY_DOWN
prog = mplayer
config = seek -60
end

begin
button = KEY_CHANNELUP
prog = mplayer
config = seek +600
end

begin
button = KEY_CHANNELDOWN
prog = mplayer
config = seek -600
end

begin
button = KEY_SWITCHVIDEOMODE
prog = mplayer
config = vo_fullscreen
end

begin
button = KEY_BLUE
prog = mplayer
config = osd
end

begin
button = KEY_POWER2
prog = mplayer
config = quit
end

NEW UDEV RULE

It happens whenever the computer reboots, or when we unplug and plug again the usb device, IR remote device name changes.

We want each time to be associated with the same device name so we do not have to edit /etc/lirc/hardware.conf file again.


We investigate udev info database:
$ sudo udevadm info --export-db | less

P: /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1d.0/usb2/2-1/2-1.2/2-1.2.1/rc/rc0/input16/event16
N: input/event16
S: input/by-path/pci-0000:00:1d.0-usb-0:1.2.1-event-ir
E: UDEV_LOG=3
E: DEVPATH=/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1d.0/usb2/2-1/2-1.2/2-1.2.1/rc/rc0/input16/event16
E: MAJOR=13
E: MINOR=80
E: DEVNAME=/dev/input/event16
E: SUBSYSTEM=input
E: ID_INPUT=1
E: ID_INPUT_KEY=1
E: ID_SERIAL=noserial
E: ID_PATH=pci-0000:00:1d.0-usb-0:1.2.1
E: ID_PATH_TAG=pci-0000_00_1d_0-usb-0_1_2_1
E: XKBMODEL=pc105
E: XKBLAYOUT=es
E: DEVLINKS=/dev/input/by-path/pci-0000:00:1d.0-usb-0:1.2.1-event-ir
E: BACKSPACE=guess


This time /dev/input/event16 is the device we want. Let's query more info to create a new udev rule:

# udevadm info -a -p $(udevadm info -q path -n /dev/input/event16)

looking at device '/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1d.0/usb2/2-1/2-1.2/2-1.2.1/rc/rc0/input16/event16':
KERNEL=="event16"
SUBSYSTEM=="input"
DRIVER==""

looking at parent device '/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1d.0/usb2/2-1/2-1.2/2-1.2.1/rc/rc0/input16':
KERNELS=="input16"
SUBSYSTEMS=="input"
DRIVERS==""
ATTRS{name}=="IR-receiver inside an USB DVB receiver"
ATTRS{phys}=="usb-0000:00:1d.0-1.2.1/ir0"
ATTRS{uniq}==""
ATTRS{properties}=="0"

...


We create a new udev rule:
$ less /etc/udev/rules.d/60-avermedia-ir-remote.rules

SUBSYSTEM=="input", KERNEL=="event*", ATTRS{name}=="IR-receiver inside an USB DVB receiver", NAME="input/avermedia_ir_remote"

Edit /etc/lirc/hardware.conf

DEVICE="/dev/input/avermedia_ir_remote"

$ sudo udevadm control --reload-rules

$ sudo service lirc restart

Unplug and plug again the DVB device.



REFERENCE

http://linuxtv.org/wiki/index.php/AVerMedia_AVerTV_Digi_Volar_X_%28A815%29
http://linuxtv.org/wiki/index.php/How_to_Obtain,_Build_and_Install_V4L-DVB_Device_Drivers
http://en.gentoo-wiki.com/wiki/LIRC