How to use any IR Remote with Kodi
Controlling Kodi with a IR remote controll was always a pain in the ass. Here is a way i solved it lately:
You need a IR receiver (TSOP nnnn)... see below.
NOTE: i use a special Kodi distro called OSMC It's Raspbian based and gives you the freedom of apt-get and has a great backup and update feature. (if you used ELEC based distros you know what i'm talking about...)
So, for now, after i got a TV without CEC for a dime and my cheap china copy of the xBoxOne remote stopped working i tried to use the one i use with the TV. It seems there are plenty of unused buttons in HDMI mode.
Put your SD card into a reader at your PC/MAC and add this line to the config.txt file to enable LIRC:
trying sudo nano /boot/config-user.txt
dtoverlay=gpio-ir,gpio_pin=18
Put the card back to the PI, boot and connect tom it by SSH.
Does LIRC gets data from your remote? Try it with:
mode2 -d /dev/lirc0
Get actual inputs with:
$ sudo mode2 --driver default --device /dev/lirc0
Get all available KEY_codes to match them later:
$ irrecord --list-namespace
Now stop lircd, delete the lircd.conf and create a new one by recording the keys from the TV remote:
$ sudo killall lircd
$ rm lircd.conf
$ irrecord -d /dev/lirc0 ~/lircd.confDone? Fine! Now copy the created file to the location Kodi expects it:
sudo cp lircd.conf /etc/lirc/lircd.conf
Later on, to refine your setup, just delete the local lircd.conf like described above, rerecord buttons you want to try/fix. Then edit the file at /etc/lirc/lircd.conf. 'Overrecording' seems not to work. You have always start with no .conf file. :/
Pinout to connect the TSOP receiver
My lircd.conf (work in progress)
as you can see: the readings of irrecord is kind'a strange. Sometimes 8 bit, sometimes 16 and i also got 2 times 16 bit commands for a single key. Unreliable as hell but trial'n'error and copy'n'paste will maybe solve it. At least... it works... kind of...
# Please make this file available to others
# by sending it to <lirc@bartelmus.de>
#
# this config file was automatically generated
# using lirc-0.9.0(default) on Mon Jul 22 22:24:51 2019
#
# contributed by
#
# brand: /home/osmc/lircd.conf
# model no. of remote control:
# devices being controlled by this remote:
#
begin remote
name /home/osmc/lircd.conf
bits 8
flags RC6|CONST_LENGTH
eps 30
aeps 100
header 2707 909
one 435 444
zero 435 444
pre_data_bits 13
pre_data 0xEFF
gap 107370
toggle_bit_mask 0x10000
rc6_mask 0x10000
begin remote
name /home/osmc/lircd.conf
bits 8
flags RC6|CONST_LENGTH
eps 30
aeps 100
header 2707 909
one 435 444
zero 435 444
pre_data_bits 13
pre_data 0xEFF
gap 107370
toggle_bit_mask 0x10000
rc6_mask 0x10000
begin codes
KEY_OK 0xA3
KEY_C 0x33
KEY_INFO 0xFE
KEY_BACK 0xB3
KEY_PLAY 0xD3
KEY_STOP 0xCE
KEY_PAUSE 0xCF
KEY_UP 0x1FA7
KEY_DOWN 0x1FA6
KEY_LEFT 0x1FA5
KEY_RIGHT 0x1FA4
KEY_ZOOM 0xFF
KEY_ESC 0x1FF5
end codes
end remoteNOTE:
Q: "why you don't tell the type of TV and remote so i can copy and paste the config."
A: Because it doesn't matter: every time you record the IR remote the config will be sooo different. Sometimes it does not work at all untill you reboot cry and try again ("there is no... but i know there must be one"... i like this error message).
So... rinse and repeat untill your setup works.
start/stop lircd:
$ sudo systemctl stop lircd_helper@lirc0
$ sudo systemctl start lircd_helper@lirc0I found this usefull: https://github.com/patricktokeeffe/lirc-philips-sru3004wm17
Most of the keys work great with my Philips remote.
begin remote
name philips-sru3004wm17
bits 13
flags RC6|CONST_LENGTH
eps 30
aeps 100
header 2673 866
one 466 425
zero 466 425
pre_data_bits 24
pre_data 0x1BFF83
gap 105771
min_repeat 1
# suppress_repeat 1
# uncomment to suppress unwanted repeats
toggle_bit_mask 0x8000
rc6_mask 0x100000000
begin codes
KEY_POWER 0x1BF3 # POWER
KEY_1 0x1BFE # 1
KEY_2 0x1BFD # 2
KEY_3 0x1BFC # 3
KEY_4 0x1BFB # 4
KEY_5 0x1BFA # 5
KEY_6 0x1BF9 # 6
KEY_7 0x1BF8 # 7
KEY_8 0x1BF7 # 8
KEY_9 0x1BF6 # 9
KEY_BACK 0x1BDA # (-)
KEY_0 0x1BFF # 0
KEY_ENTER 0x1BF4 # ENTER
KEY_HOME 0x1BD9 # GUIDE
KEY_MENU 0x1BDB # MENU
KEY_INFO 0x1BF0 # INFO
KEY_ESC 0x1BDC # QUIT
KEY_VOLUMEUP 0x1BEF # VOL +
KEY_VOLUMEDOWN 0x1BEE # VOL -
KEY_UP 0x1BE1 # | (donut button top)
KEY_DOWN 0x1BE0 # | (donut button btm)
KEY_LEFT 0x1BDF # -- (donut button left)
KEY_RIGHT 0x1BDE # -- (donut button right)
KEY_OK 0x1BDD # OK
KEY_CHANNELUP 0x1BED # CH +
KEY_CHANNELDOWN 0x1BEC # CH -
KEY_MUTE 0x1BF1 # MUTE
KEY_C 0x1BB4 # PIP
KEY_SEARCH 0x1BE3 # SWAP
KEY_AGAIN 0x1BDC # REPEAT [PREV. CHAN]
KEY_SUBTITLE 0x1BB2 # CC [SUBTITLE]
KEY_MODE 0x1BD8 # ARC ("Aspect Ratio Control")
KEY_INPUT 0x1BB7 # TV/VCR [INPUT]
KEY_SLEEP 0x1BF2 # SLEEP
KEY_REWIND 0x1BEA # << [SCAN -]
KEY_PLAY 0x1BE9 # |> [PLAY]
KEY_FASTFORWARD 0x1BEB # >> [SCAN +]
KEY_RECORD 0x1BE8 # O [REC]
KEY_STOP 0x1BE6 # [_] [STOP]
KEY_PAUSE 0x1BE7 # || [PAUSE]
end codes
end remoteHappy remote controlling!