Add an IR receiver to piCorePlayer

• Today nearly every device is fitted with an IR remote, so why not a piCorePlayer?
• If your display has no touch or you do not want to control your device by a smartphone, an IR remote is very helpful.

What we need

• Raspberry Pi
• piCorePlayer 8 with Jivelite installed
• A running display connected to RPi
• An TSOP4838 or similar IR receiver like OS-0038N
• 3 jumper wires, female to bare wire
• Soldering iron, solder, some heat shrink tube
• A JustBoom IR remote

Steps

Step 1 - Connect the IR receiver

• If you want to connect an IR receiver without soldering, use something like this:

• Alternatively connect the pins to some female jumper wires. Plug the pins into the jumper wire.

• Isolate the mid pin with a small heat shrink tube. Then put a larger heat shrink tube over the complete construction.

• Solder the blank wires to the IR receiver.
• You should use some heat shrink tube to avoid short circuits.

• Connect the female side of the jumper wire to pin 1 (3,3 V), 6 (GND) and 22 (D-out) of the RPi.

Step 2 - Install Kernel Keytables

• Since 4.19 Linux kernel the original LIRC uinput drivers are removed. We need to configure IR keytables.
• With your favourite browser bring up piCorePlayer web GUI and click [Tweaks].
• Scroll down to section IR remote control and click [IR page].

• Install Kernel keytables.

• By default, IR GPIO 25 (pin 22) is set.

• Change the default IR GPIO according to your connected data-output IR GPIO.
• Reboot your device.

Step 3 - Install Keytable for JustBoom remote

• piCorePlayer provides a keytable for this device. You can install it.
• Login to your RPi via ssh (software=putty – user: tc, password: piCore) and enter the following commands:

	$ sudo ir-keytable -p all -c

• This clears the old keytable.

	$ cd /usr/local/etc/keytables
	$ sudo cp /usr/local/share/pcp-irtools/files/justboomir jivelite
	$ sudo ir-keytable -c -w jivelite
	$ pcp bu

• After that, the remote should work without a reboot.

Options

• Another possibility to get the JustBoom IR remote running, is to create a kernel keytable.
• Execute step 1 and step 2.
• On your PC, open your favourite editor. Copy the following text and paste it into a new document.

# table: justboomir, type: rc-5
0x1010	KEY_LEFTBRACE	#special menu
0x1012	KEY_C			#Mute
0x1011	KEY_POWER		#Power
0x101a	KEY_UP
0x101b	KEY_DOWN
0x1013	KEY_LEFT
0x1014	KEY_RIGHT
0x1015	KEY_L			#OK
0x1016	KEY_A			#Menu
0x1017	KEY_ESC			#Back
0x1019	KEY_EQUAL		#Volume Up
0x1018	KEY_MINUS		#Volume Down

• Save as plain text file, filename jivelite, without an extension.
• The syntax of the file is quite easy.
• Line 1 (header) contains a descriptive name and the type (remote protocol) of your remote.
• In column one the scancodes are listed, you find the key-codes in column two.
• In column three are descriptions of the key-codes, not really necessary but sometimes helpful.
• Bring up piCorePlayer web GUI and click [Tweaks].
• Scroll down to IR remote control and click [IR page].

• Click [Browse], search and double click on the created text file jivelite.
• Click [Upload].

That’s it - the remote should now work without a reboot.

More information

• JustBoom IR remote
• Access piCorePlayer via ssh
• piCorePlayer aliases
• piCorePlayer CLI
• Basic vi commands
• Raspberry Pi config.cfg
• LIRC RPi gpio IR support for piCorePlayer
• tcz-lirc - github
• LIRC - Linux Infrared Remote Control
• Howto create a linux kernel IR remote keytable for jivelite
• squeezelite / ir.c - github