Announce: SqueezeIR - A Generic Infra-Red Remote Control Applet for the Duet's SBC

[JimmyHoffa81]

Hi

This is an applet I have been wating for a long time, but I can`t get it to work with my NAD L73. I cannot find any codes for the L73 on Lirc (none of the other NAD codes on Lirc works for me), and on NADs homepage, they have only a list of HEX codes for the Pronto. Is there a way to convert Pronto HEX to RAW_HEX?

How do I use RAW_HEX in your applet? like this?
ROOT;ACTION;ON/OFF;ON;OFF;NATIVE:0x0000006d 0x80000002 0x00000156 0x800000ab...

Keep up the good work:-)

[indifference_engine]

RAW_HEX protocol won't be renamed to NATIVE until the RC2 release so for the moment it's:

ROOT;ACTION;ON/OFF;ON;OFF;RAW_HEX:0x0000006d 0x80000002 0x00000156 0x800000ab...  ;

The first parameter is the modulation frequency (in Hz, in hex), thereafter all the parameters are times (in us, in hex). 0x0... indicates the led os off for that period of time, 0x8... means it is on. Also note the terminating ';' Every line must have 6 of them to seperate the seven fields.

Finding your codes can be a real hassle but often manufacturers use the same codes on a number of pieces of kit. It's also common that lirc use the remote's model number rather than the amp's, have you checked that?

This may help you convert pronto hex to SqueezeIR's RAW_HEX:
www.hifi-remote.com/infrared/prontoirformats.pdf

I'm in the process of writing a converter that will help with the LIRC format but haven't looked at converting pronto. I think pronto is similar to 'RAW_HEX' except the times are expressed in modulation cycles rather than us. There are also a few flags that need to be stripped out.

[Pokersut]

That surprises me. I was always under the impression that higher frequencies were more directional (eg FM radio vs TV vs satellite signals). Maybe they just use super high-powered emitters in their remotes?

I can't tell - but I do believe they operate in another range than other remotes.

[about the two second pause]
That's a long time! My Marantz amp takes ages to produce sound after being turned on but accepts remote commands almost instantly. Maybe yours is the same? - I think my pause is around 600ms.

It is a heck of a long time, but unfortunately it is necessary. The NAD won't react to any other command until it has fired up properly ...

Incidently, I now have (limited) support for LIRC data, and I've got the back key working (I think!) but for some reason it won't do the popups :-( It's a minor niggle so the next version may be released with that issue still there.

Can't wait to test it :-D

One minor bug: My SBC will not switch to screensaver (analogue clock) if I leave it in the Squeeze IR menu - so if I navigate to turn up the volume on my NAD and don't return to the main menu or Now Playing screen afterwards, the screen will just remain in the menu - can this be fixed?

And a suggestion for a future improvement:

It would be cool if you could not only assign IR commands to buttons, but also to existing menu commands. Not sure if this is technically possible, but I always turn off my SBR when I am done listening by scrolling down to "Turn off [receiver name]" on the main menu - and it would be cool if I could issue an OFF-command to the NAD with the same key press.

Cheers.

[indifference_engine]

I can't tell - but I do believe they operate in another range than other remotes.

Yeah, another price range that is ;-)

One minor bug: My SBC will not switch to screensaver (analogue clock) if I leave it in the Squeeze IR menu - so if I navigate to turn up the volume on my NAD and don't return to the main menu or Now Playing screen afterwards, the screen will just remain in the menu - can this be fixed?

I did that deliberately as once the screensaver kicks in it takes control of the buttons and stops my applet working. I found that really annoying. I suppose I should make it configurable as a global setting in SqueezeIR.txt, another one for RC2!

It would be cool if you could not only assign IR commands to buttons, but also to existing menu commands. Not sure if this is technically possible, but I always turn off my SBR when I am done listening by scrolling down to "Turn off [receiver name]" on the main menu - and it would be cool if I could issue an OFF-command to the NAD with the same key press.

I don't think I can hook into the "standard" menu option at all but have you seen Jason Holtzapple's PowerSave plugin for squeezecenter? It allows for an auto power off feature after a period of inactivity (either paused or stopped). Works with any squeezebox, not just the SBR. It's one of those install-and-forget plugins. I use it and it's never failed me, all my players turn off automatically after 15 mins of silence.

Oh, and I haven't got the back key working. It's driving me mad! :-(

[erland]

Please don't ask me to write functions to support your devices as I can't test them, nor can I magically discover what protocol or codes your devices use!

If I remember correctly the IR-receiver in the Squeezebox devices posts all codes to SqueezeCenter and SqueezeCenter decides what to do with them. By default it just ignores everything beside the IR commands from the Squeezebox remote.

Does this mean that it would be possible to make a SqueezeCenter plugin that picked up an IR signal and translated it to a format that's supported by the SqueezeIR applet, just to make it easier to configure SqueezeIR ?

Similar to the learn function available in most universal remote controls.

Or doesn't the IR receiver in the Squeezebox devices pick up all kinds of IR signals ?

[Pokersut]

Yeah, another price range that is ;-)

LOL - that too!!

I did that deliberately as once the screensaver kicks in it takes control of the buttons and stops my applet working. I found that really annoying. I suppose I should make it configurable as a global setting in SqueezeIR.txt, another one for RC2!

I see.

I don't think I can hook into the "standard" menu option at all but have you seen Jason Holtzapple's PowerSave plugin for squeezecenter? It allows for an auto power off feature after a period of inactivity (either paused or stopped). Works with any squeezebox, not just the SBR. It's one of those install-and-forget plugins. I use it and it's never failed me, all my players turn off automatically after 15 mins of silence.

Cool plugin - thanks! Only wish you could set the time to less that 15 minutes, though.

Cheers

[Pokersut]

Me again - I'm having trouble assigning IR commands to buttons.

Here is what I have:

#LOC ; TYPE ; TITLE ; POPUP_PRESS	; POPUP_HOLD ; DATA_PRESS ; DATA_HOLD
ROOT ; KEY ; KEY_PLAY ; ON ; ; DENON:135:124:37,,,,,,,,,,,,DENON:135:124:155 ; 
ROOT ; KEY ; KEY_STOP ; ; OFF ;  ; -DENON:135:124:200

I want it to turn on my NAD and switch to AUX when I press the Play button and turn off the NAD when I press KEY_REW and KEY_FWD together - but nothing happens.

Am I missing something obvious?

[lrossouw]

Does this mean that it would be possible to make a SqueezeCenter plugin that picked up an IR signal and translated it to a format that's supported by the SqueezeIR applet, just to make it easier to configure SqueezeIR ?

IR Blaster plugin does this and has a learning function. Not sure if the code produced is in the same format as this plugin but should be usable. You'd need a SB Classic to use this. You won't need an actual IR blaster.

I would love an app similar to this (for IR Blaster) to output arbitrary IR commands so I can use my SqueezeCentre/menu on SB3 to other devices near my hi-fi. Such as TV etc.

Also to respond to other inputs i.e. if I fire my TV power button switch of the SB and change the hifi input over to TV sound.

[indifference_engine]

If I remember correctly the IR-receiver in the Squeezebox devices posts all codes to SqueezeCenter and SqueezeCenter decides what to do with them. By default it just ignores everything beside the IR commands from the Squeezebox remote.

Does this mean that it would be possible to make a SqueezeCenter plugin that picked up an IR signal and translated it to a format that's supported by the SqueezeIR applet, just to make it easier to configure SqueezeIR ?

Similar to the learn function available in most universal remote controls.

Or doesn't the IR receiver in the Squeezebox devices pick up all kinds of IR signals ?

Firstly, I'm honoured to have some of the forum's heavyweights gracing my little thread!

I don't know what the Transporter, Boom & SB classic do with their received ir codes and as I don't have either of them I can't find out. However, looking at the irBlaster description here:
http://www.gwendesign.com/slimserver....htm#irblaster
indicates to me that the raw codes from the player are indeed forwarded to squeezecenter. The codes and square-waves on the second screenshot look just like SqueezeIR's NATIVE protocol so if the codes can be captured with squeezecenter (and it looks like they can) then conversion should be trivial. I'm thinking of moving SqueezeIR's config file from csv to xml which might make life easier, I just have to learn how read xml first!

[indifference_engine]

IR Blaster plugin does this and has a learning function. Not sure if the code produced is in the same format as this plugin but should be usable. You'd need a SB Classic to use this. You won't need an actual IR blaster.

I would love an app similar to this (for IR Blaster) to output arbitrary IR commands so I can use my SqueezeCentre/menu on SB3 to other devices near my hi-fi. Such as TV etc.

Also to respond to other inputs i.e. if I fire my TV power button switch of the SB and change the hifi input over to TV sound.

Yes, it does look like an SB Classic and irBlaster plugin can record ir control codes. Those codes should then be easily portable to SqueezeIR to allow the SBC to control your kit.
then there's this:
http://badros.blogspot.com/2009/05/i...ote-using.html
Which allows you to send ir commands from a web-browser using the SBC as an emitter. But noe of the above allow the SBC to send codes generated internally from the SBC, hence SqueezeIR.