MLUSBIR6 Plugin
From Tallus LLC Wiki
Contents |
About
Tallus's new USBIR6 is the easiest means to have MainLobby 3 control virtually any Infrared device. You can now inexpensively control a VCR, an IR DVD changer, DirecTivo units, Receivers, a LCD screen, etc.
More info HERE
System Requirements
Motherboard with available internal USB header (double check motherboard wiring pinout before installing hardware!)
If no motherboard header jack is available, use the available USB "B" adapter that can be purchased from Tallus.
MLUSBIR6 should now work on some 64 bit Windows OS (effective with release downloaded after 3/30/2008 - from download link below - not from Cinemar's MLInstaller which installs an older driver)
MLUSBIR6 is compatible with :
Windows XP x64
Windows Server 2003 x64
Windows Vista
Windows XP
Windows Server 2003
Windows 2000
Windows ME
Windows 98
MLUSBIR6 may work with:
Win7 64 bit (latest driver has been reported to work)
Installation and Setup
1. Download the latest MLUSBIR6 installer [HERE] to the MLServer3 PC that has the USBIR6 hardware installed (but not yet plugged into the motherboard or any USB port).
This installation file also includes the drivers for the USBIR6 hardware. Run the installer on the MLServer PC that will house the USBIR6 device.
Shutdown and unplug the PC. Install the USBIR6 hardware into an unused PC expansion bay. It does not plug into a PC motherboard slot, so don't worry what type (if any) is underneath the USBIR6. Make sure there is mechanical clearance above all motherboard electronics. Secure the USBIR6 with a retaining screw.
Plug the USBIR6 cable into an unused motherboard USB header jack. Make sure that the red USBIR6 cable plugs into the positive (+) pin on the motherboard. Check your motherboard manual to be sure. Don't trust the colors. Not every motherboard follows convention. If you don't have a USB header jack, there is an available USB B connector adapter to plug into a standard USB external connector.
Plug the IR Receive cable jack into the internal jack (towards the bottom of the card). The Receive cable has a black "eye" (not clear - that one is the Learn cable). This cable has to be plugged in. If you don't use the internal IR sensor, neatly bundle the cable so it doesn't roam anywhere that might get into a cooling fan, etc.
For connecting to a Xantech IR network, most of the Xantech IR devices can be connected directly to a USB-UIRT with a cable wiring tip of an emitter output to the SIG and the sleeve to GND. Using an optoisolator is always the 'safest' approach:
If you are connecting a Xantech IR remote receiver to the input of the USBIR6, use this adapter cable from GlobalCache:
GC-CXG IR Converter Cable, Xantech to GC-IRE
"The GC-CXG is used to connect a Xantech IR output (any IR emitter port) to the GC-IRE. Xantech IR outputs are converted to meet the IR input requirements for GC-IRE. IR signals received by Xantech IR products can now be digitized by the GC-IRE for networked installations. The GC-CXG is optically isolated to ensure circuit isolation and protection."
Start the PC. When Windows loads, the Hardware Manager should detect the new hardware. When it asks for the driver, browse to the MLServer\USBIR6 directory. Windows should now find the driver and correctly install it. You might get a Windows message that the driver is not Windows certified...just accept this message. The rest of the install should go without any error messages. Note any error messages that might occur for troubleshooting assistance.
Once the PC is fully booted, launch MLServer and configure the plugin.
If you get an error message during the MLServer3 launch that it cannot find the uuirt.dll, that means you have not already added the USBIR6 hardware and installed it's hardware driver.
Plugin Configuration
This section will guide you through the basic installation and setup of MLUSBIR6 Server Plug-in. Please READ the installation instructions!!!
To install and configure MLUSBIR6:
1. Launch MLServer 3. You should see the Plugin installed and checked in the Plugins window. You should be on a 30 day trial. Permanent licensing is covered in the MLServer 3 User’s Guide documentation. The plugin needs to be licensed and activated for permanent usage.
2. Right click on the MLUSBIR6 plugin and choose Settings.
3. The MLUSBIR6 configuration window should be open to the Events Tab (which should be blank). Click on the IR Database Tab.
4. On the Left Pane, you should see “USB-UIRT”. Click the (+) to expand the “tree”. You should see “DVD” at the top of the list, which contains IR commands to control a Sony CX777ES DVD changer - as example. Click on DVD and you will see the right pane populate with A/V Device information. Note that the IR zone has been setup as “1”. Here you can change which USBIR6 minijack the IR will output from. You can select from 1 – 6, or you can also select ALL. ALL will send that same IR to all six IR outputs. It does this one after another, but quickly.
5. To Add a new device, left click on USB_UIRT at the top of the tree in the left pane. Right click on it and select New Device. This will allow you to edit the new Device’s A/V Device fields were you would now enter the device’s name (“Xbox1”), select it’s IR Zone, and type a Description.
6. Connect the Learn cable to the bottom jack on the USBIR6. The Learn cable is the one with the tiny clear sensor at the end.
7. Click the Learn button for the “Xbox1” Device. Now, hold your handheld remote control a few inches from the clear Learn sensor, and push the remote control’s button that you want to learn. You will see the Signal quality and Learn progress bars move to show you how things are going. Adjust both the distance from the end of the remote to the clear sensor and the angle so that when you push the remote’s button, the Learn progress is immediate. When the code is learned, you will be back to the Command Detail page and you will see the captured data that is now in the MUSBIR6 database. Name this new code the same as the button name on the remote control.
8. You can now test your newly Learned code. Simply right click on the new code, and click Test. If you are properly wired and if the learning was done well, your IR device just did what your PC asked it to do!
9. You can Export a device for sharing with others, or for duplicating a device for transmission to another zone (same hardware in two or more zones). Right click on the Device Name and click Export. Name the file and save it where you will remember where.
10. You can Import that file now by right clicking on USB-UIRT at the top of the tree, and selecting Import. Navigate to the file you just exported and now you should have a “clone” of that device. You can now change its IR Zone, its Name, and its description without having to relearn all of its IR codes again. You can also share device files with other users on Cinemar’s forum in the USBIR6 thread.
11. Don’t forget to Save your work, from time to time, but always before you leave the Tab.
12. Macros: MLUSBIR6 has the ability to map an incoming IR command to a string of commands that get executed. New Macros are created same as new Devices. Right click on the Macros name and select New. Name your Macro. Then, when your remote control is pointed at the IR input sensor, click the button that you want to execute the macro. This then becomes the Event. In the Steps field, type your MLServeCmds that you want MLUSBIR6 to execute. Now, you can also choose to define these commands using Command Maps in MLServer. Your choice on which is more convenient.
13. Click Save when your Macro is done.
The IR Learn, and IR Receive are stereo minijacks. You can use a standard headphone minijack extension cord to move the Learn (and also the Receive) outside of the PC cabinet.
Example Command
Put this into a MainLobby button for testing (and modify for your specifics). It can also be used with the XMLobby plugin to control a DirecTV IR receiver (as one example): MLServeCmd.Macro|MLUSBIR6|SendIR~Sat~0!MLPause|1!SendIR~Sat~8!MLPause|1!MLUSBIR6|SendIR~Sat~4!MLPause1!MLUSBIR6|SendIR~Sat~0!MLPause|.15!MLUSBIR6|SendIR~Sat~Enter
In this example, a configured IR device called “Sat” will send “0 8 4 0” and then an “Enter” command. Each are separated with some time delay in between, as some IR hardware devices can’t accept really fast repetitive commands. This time Pause can be played with to make it as fast as the device is capable of handling. Increase the Pause a bit for reliability, once the fastest is determined. Note there are both “pipes” (|) and exclamation points (!) between some of the commands (hard to read).
MLServer Commands
MLServeCmd.MLUSBIR6|SendIR~Sat~0
Sends IR to defined IR device “Sat” and executes the “0” command.
User contributed hints:
Is your remote sending multiple codes while you hold the button down? To learn the code for an event, you don't need to hold the button down as long as you do to learn the long IR code. Just a quick button press like you would normally do on the remote to control your TiVo will do it.
Here's an example of a Channel Up button for a HR10-250 DirecTiVo:
IR Code:
Code:
F42R037A815680AB153F1515153F1515151515151515153F1515151515151515153F153F151515151515153F153F153F153F15151515151515151515151515151515153F153F153F15
MLUSBUIRT macro named HR10-250~ChannelUp. The 12 character IR event code that was learned is:
Code:
4348001154F5
and the associated macro is:
Code:
SENDIR~HR10-250~ChannelUp
So whenever the ChannelUp button is pressed on the remote, the USB-UIRT receives 4348001154F5 which triggers the HR10-250~ChannelUp macro which in turn sends the long IR code that tells the STB to move up one channel. The same thing happens on the touchscreen where you can have a Channel Up button with this in the command line: SENDIR~HR10-250~ChannelUp.
You can have a hard time with learning a remote that is not consistenly sending the correct command (maybe it sends it initially then sends a "repeat" command or something that is different) or there is something else transmitting extraneous IR signals to your USB-UIRT.
Also, when you learn the long IR code, the remote must be within a few inches of the USB-UIRT. To learn the Event codes, it doesn't need to be this close and in fact, better results may be obtained when the remote is farther away.