Re: Microsoft Remote Keyboard Attempts

[Warren W. <wip...@ho...>]

For your sake, I hope this is old news and therefore no longer true, but I 
read this on the Supported Hardware page:

Please note that for technical reasons it's not possible to use USB IrDA 
dongles with LIRC.

Warren


>From: Paul Novotny <no...@fa...>
>To: lir...@li...
>Subject: Re: Microsoft Remote Keyboard Attempts
>Date: Mon, 27 Feb 2006 00:20:49 -0500
>
>I wasn't able to get the remote working with winlirc.  From what I could 
>tell,
>winlirc only works with receivers hooked up to the com/serial ports.  I
>couldn't see how it would work with a USB receiver for the keyboard
>(mceusb2).
>
>Anyone made any progress with the keyboard?  Or have anyother suggestions?  
>I
>am seeing data coming from the receiver with lirc as I said in my original
>post.  I just don't have the know-how to get it working.
>
>
>
>On Saturday 25 February 2006 7:59 am, Warren Wilder wrote:
> > Not sure if this is worth it, but you might try to check the keyboard 
>first
> > on Windows XP or MCE with winlirc. This will rule out hardware failures, 
>if
> > you haven't checked already. You will probably also get a valid conf 
>file.
> >
> > Warren
> >
> > >From: Paul Novotny <pau...@gm...>
> > >To: Undisclosed.Recipients: ;
> > >CC: lir...@li...
> > >Subject: Microsoft Remote Keyboard Attempts
> > >Date: Wed, 22 Feb 2006 18:47:21 -0500
> > >
> > >I recently bought the new Microsoft Remote Keyboard (IR) and i am 
>trying
> > > to get it to work with LIRC(0.8.0).  I have done just about everything 
>I
> > > could find to get this working and I think it is time to ask for some
> > > help.
> > >
> > >First off, if you don't know what I am talking about, it looks like 
>this:
> > 
> >http://images.tomshardware.com/2005/08/15/microsoft_mce_keyboard/ms_keyboa
> > >rd_mce_1.jpg
> > >
> > >The keyboard is designed to work with the MCE IR receiver, in windows 
>of
> > >course.  Out of the box, some of the buttons work on this keyboard when
> > >using
> > >mceusb2 driver and lircd.conf.mceusb.  The buttons on the left and 
>right
> > >hand
> > >side work exactly like the keys on the MCE remote.  Not too surprising
> > >since
> > >they are the same buttons as on the remote.
> > >
> > >However, everything else doesn't, i.e. letters, numbers, ctrl, shift,
> > >F1..etc.
> > >We won't even go into the built in mouse.  That is for another day.
> > >
> > >Here is a list of things I have tried, with attached logs etc.  Sorry 
>for
> > >the
> > >length, but I wanted to be thorough.
> > >
> > >------------------------------
> > >
> > >First off, I compiled and ran lircd in debug mode to get some extra 
>output
> > >   lircd -D5
> > >
> > >-------------------------------
> > >
> > >Then tried filling in the empty ranges in the lircd.conf.mceusb (see
> > >attached
> > >lircd.conf.empties) and ran irw to see if anything came up for the 
>missing
> > >keys.  Maybe it is just this easy?.....Nope.
> > >
> > >-------------------------------
> > >
> > >Then I tried looking at the lircd log when in debug mode (lircd -D5),
> > > using the original lircd.conf.mceusb.  I ran irw and hit the 'A' key
> > > twice on the keyboard.  The log is attached (lircd_A.log).  I also ran
> > > mode2 for hitting the A key twice, the output is in mode2_A.log.  
>These
> > > logs don't mean anything to me, so i moved on...
> > >
> > >-------------------------------
> > >
> > >Tried running irrecord to append the original lirc.conf.mceusb file
> > >(irrecord
> > >lircd.conf.mceusb).  irrecord gets stuck looking for the toggle bit 
>when I
> > >do
> > >this.
> > >
> > >     Please press an arbitrary button repeatedly as fast as
> > >     possible (don't hold it down!).
> > >
> > >     No toggle bit found.
> > >     But I know for sure that RC6 has a toggle bit.
> > >
> > >So I tried again, this time with (irrecord -F lircd.conf), it gets past
> > > the toggle bit, but outputs:
> > >
> > >     Invalid toggle bit.
> > >     min_repeat=1
> > >
> > >It continues and starts asking to hit keys to record.  When I hit the A
> > > key on
> > >the keyboard, I get a lot of output since debug mode is enabled, most 
>of
> > >the
> > >output is attached (irrecord_A.log).  But the result is:
> > >
> > >     Something went wrong.
> > >     Please try again. (9 retries left)
> > >
> > >--------------------------------
> > >
> > >My final attempt was to make an entirely new .conf file. (irrecord
> > >keyboard.conf).  This time everything seemed to go smoothly, and i got 
>a
> > >new
> > >conf file (attached as keyboard.conf).  But when I used it with lircd 
>and
> > >irw, I get nothing.  I again hit the 'A' key twice and saved the lircd 
>log
> > >(keyboardConf.log).
> > >
> > >-------------------------------
> > >
> > >So does anyone have any ideas to try next?  I am complete newbie to 
>lirc,
> > >but
> > >do have programming experience, so any pointers would be greatly
> > >appreciated.
> > >
> > >
> > ><< lircd.conf.empties >>
> > >
> > >
> > ><< mode2_A.log >>
> > >
> > >
> > ><< irrecord_A.log >>
> > >
> > >
> > ><< keyboard.conf >>
> > >
> > >
> > ><< lircd_A.log >>
> > >
> > >
> > ><< keyboardConf.log >>
> >
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