Squeezebox question: remotes

[J V]

Hello,

I'm trying to use my Squeezebox as a receiver for IR signals. This should be possible, but it requires a .ir file (the server comes supplied with one such file for a JVC DVD player). The format of that file is basically the name of a button an a hexadecimal code. These files are in
C:\Program Files\Squeezebox\server\IR\
From what I gather, a remote has to be added there before the squeezebox will send out xpl or xap events for a button. The code only has 11 hex digits, which is far less than what I get when using the IR Learning plugin.
Does anyone know how to obtain that code?
Or how to generate it? I can learn remotes using the IRBlaster/IRLearning method, but remotes defined there do not trigger xpl/xap messages.

Thanks,


Jorg

[J V]

Answering my own question... It may help some people. I found this via google:
http://forums.slimdevices.com/showth...ther-player%29

Enable infrared (? slimproto?) debugging in the loging facility for Squeezecenter. If you see log messages when you press buttons on your remote, then the Squeezebox is sending "raw IR" info/slimproto commands to SqueezeCenter and you can make/install custom .ir files to use the remote.

I would love to be able to use my Squeezeboxes to serve as ir receivers; to control other devices and the Miniserver.

I will try it and report back.

[J V]

Enabling debug logging for IR (not slimproto) will indeed put the hexadecimal codes into the log file. I have not yet tried to make an IR file from them, nor checked if they get sent on xap.

Now my issue is that the remote I planned to use (a MCE remote that came with a compro tuner card) is not processed by the Squeezebox: for that remote it does not give me anything in the log. For another remote, it does it though.
Strange thing is that I think the Squeezebox ir blaster learning plugin does see the key presses, so it should be able to receive it.
Will keep posting progress...

[Christian Fenzl]

As far as I know, the MCE remote sends some double-bytes that might cause the troubles.
I have some issues with lirc and MCE codes (with the Harmony) too - sometimes it recognises no press, sometimes two.

[J V]

Just verified... the ir blaster plugin sees the signals... so as you say, it may be because of the specific code of the mce remote (rc6).

That of course messes up my entire plan: I have a couple of MCE remotes (4 actually...), which I planned to use in combination with the squeezeboxes to control both the Squeezebox and e.g. a htpc or settings related to the miniserver. Now it turns out I cannot get either a xPL or xAP message from the SB for these remotes. The keypress does not even show up in the log file, so even monitoring that one would not help me. The remote for my amplifier (Marantz SR6001) also does not yield signals from the SB, so the only remote I have that does work is a simply Scanyna credit card size remote.

Now the hunt starts for compatible remotes... I at least have one programmable one, which has presets for many devices. Perhaps I can find e.g. a dvd player profile that would get picked up by the SB...

[J V]

The signals received by the plugin ir blaster also does not show up in the logfile when received. So that is not going to help me.

Lacking a suitable IR remote leads me to plan B: use phones/tablets as remotes... The cheapest tablet suffices, so I'll eventually go that way. First complete my Loxone parts, get it to communicate with my htpc and then e.g. create either a user or category with full remotes. Or put OpenRemote on top of it...

[J V]

Just to update...
I discovered that a phone or tablet is not always that convenient as a remote (screen goes out, device locks, ..., resulting in first waking the device, unlocking it, opening the app and then finding the page), unless you really change e.g. the timeouts or have dedicated devices. I had forgotten that the remote that came with my receiver is programmable and contains preprogrammed remotes to control other devices. I found on some Squeezebox forums that they are very good in receiving JVC and NEC and indeed: using the XAP plugin, the Logitech Music Server sends UDP packets (in xap format, but data can be extracted directly using a UDP input in the miniserver).

So, if you have a Squeezebox and some programmable remote with internal presets, enable xap (or xpl, this would also work), set the settings to have them send IR events and you can use the IR commands as events in the miniserver.
(I'm not at that stage yet, I just managed to see the UDP packets being received by the miniserver)

Jörg