**** piCorePlayer 5.0 is not GA but we expect it's release soon. *****
The 4.19 linux kernel has removed the original LIRC uinput drivers that piCorePlayer has used since 3.x for navigating Jivelite with an IR remote control. The feature is still supported but you need to migrate your lircd.conf files to an IR keytables configuration. If you are using the FLIRC usb dongle, it works the same as in previous piCorePlayer releases.
IR keytables requires an IR receiver connected to a GPIO of your raspberry pi. I'm using these
38 kHz TSOP4838 DIP-3 IR Receiver Modules. Check out
this video for info on creating a solderless harness to connect an IR receiver directly to the rpi.
So let's get started.
Switch to Beta mode at the bottom of the Main page of the piCorePlayer 5 webgui.
Install Jivelite from the webgui Tweaks Tab->Jivelite Setup, reboot and configure jivelite.
Navigate to the IR Page from the webgui Tweaks Tab->IR Remote Control section.
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Click Install IR tools for use with jivelite and reboot.
Set the GPIO number in Set LIRC GPIO in number (IR receiver) if you are not using the default 25, save and reboot.
Connect to your piCorePlayer using ssh or putty and login as the tc user.
Clear the default kernel keytable and load all IR protocol drivers.
Code:
sudo ir-keytable -p all -c
Code:
Old keytable cleared
Protocols changed to lirc rc-5 rc-5-sz jvc sony nec sanyo mce_kbd rc-6 sharp xmp imon
Note the list of IR Protocols loaded.
Check that your remote is recognized
To test this, we are going to run ir-keytable and press some buttons on our remote control.
Code:
sudo ir-keytable -t
Code:
Testing events. Please, press CTRL-C to abort.
5740.570027: lirc protocol(sony12): scancode = 0xe001b
5740.570043: event type EV_MSC(0x04): scancode = 0xe001b
5740.570043: event type EV_SYN(0x00).
5740.620027: lirc protocol(sony12): scancode = 0xe001b
5740.620047: event type EV_MSC(0x04): scancode = 0xe001b
5740.620047: event type EV_SYN(0x00).
5740.680024: lirc protocol(sony12): scancode = 0xe001b
5740.680044: event type EV_MSC(0x04): scancode = 0xe001b
5740.680044: event type EV_SYN(0x00).
If you do not see any output as you press your remote buttons, your remote may not be supported or you have the wrong GPIO configured for the IR receiver.
From the Testing events we can determine that my remote uses the sony protocol
If you have an lircd.conf for your remote from piCorePlayer 3 or 4, make a copy of it and load it into your favorite text editor.
Delete everything except the key symbols and you should have a file similiar to this.
Code:
KEY_MINUS 0xD8E # Tape B Fast Rewind
KEY_EQUAL 0x38E # Tape B Fast Forward
KEY_UP 0xCC1 # Tape A Fast Rewind
KEY_DOWN 0x2C1 # Tape A Fast Forward
KEY_RIGHT 0xC41 # Tape A Forward
KEY_LEFT 0x6C1 # Tape A Record
KEY_ENTER 0x1C1 # Tape A Stop
KEY_ESC 0x9C1 # Tape A Pause
The format of the keytable file is rather simple:
It's a plain text file, the first line contains a header with a descriptive name (you can choose that rather arbitrarily, but better avoid special characters, spaces and such) and the remote protocol to use (the type: - which is very important). After that each line contains a mapping of remote scancode to Linux keycode.
If you made a comment with the remote key that corresponds to the scan code, creating the keytable file is quite simple.
Press each key on the remote and put the scancode BEFORE the key symbol in the file we just created.
The scancode in the earlier test was for the Tape B Fast Rewind key on my Sony RM-S70 remote.
Once complete remove all text following the key symbol name.
Next we need to add the header line to identify the remote the file is for and the protocol; used by the kernel keytable loader.
The completed keytable file.
Code:
table: rms70, type: sony
0xe001b KEY_MINUS
0xe001c KEY_EQUAL
0x100033 KEY_UP
0x100034 KEY_DOWN
0x100032 KEY_RIGHT
0x100036 KEY_LEFT
0x100038 KEY_ENTER
0x100039 KEY_ESC
If you are creating a keytable file for a new remote, you can refer to my
Jivelite action to key symbol spreadsheet to help identify the jive action to key symbol mapping needed.
Save your new keytable file, I use the remote model for the name, but you it can be called whatever you like.
Now we need to upload the file using the piCorePlayer webgui Upload custom jivelite keytables to pCP on the IR page.
Click Browse and choose your new keytable file, select it and click upload.
If successful you should be able to use the remote immediately, no jivelite restart or reboot is required.