LIRC and winLIRC

What is LIRC

LIRC is a package that allows you to decode and send infra-red signals of many (but not all) commonly used remote controls. With your Serial interface based infrared transmitter and receiver you can configure LIRC.

The most important part of the LIRC is decoding IR signals received by the device drivers and provide the information on a serial port. It will also accept commands for IR signals to be sent using an IR transmitter. It will also translate the decoded IR signals to mouse movements. In linux environment You can configure X to use your remote control as an input device.

The user space applications will allow you to control your computer with your remote controller. You can start programs and much more on just one button press with any remote controller.

The possible applications are obvious: Infra-red mouse, remote control for your TV tuner card or CD-ROM, shutdown by remote, program your VCR and/or satellite tuner with your computer, etc.

Make IR receiver for serial interface

Make IR transmitter for serial interface

Configure winLIRC

Download winLIRC from winlirc.sourceforge.net and unzip it.Find winlirc.exe and run exe. When you run that (in none configured) and you get an error saying that WinLIRC failed to initialize. Ignore it and click OK and go forward and it will open this window.

In winLIRC configuration window select your COM port and where your IR receiver is connected. Make configuration file to save your IR codes from your remote controllers. Click and browse where you want to make configuration file and type your file name with .cfg extension and click open.

To learn IR signals from your remote controller and make IR code configuration files to your universal IR remote controller or control your PC with remote controller click the learn button. Then you will get this message box.

"This will record the signals from your remote controller and create a config file for WinLIRC."




Input your remote controller's name and press enter. ("Desired margin of error for this remote? (1-99, enter=25)") enter for default value. Again just hit ENTER ("Gap and length?") . Now you will enter button programming section with "Press a Button" message .




Now you will get a message saying "press a button". Press one button and wait a second and press it again. Then you'll get a message "Baseline initialized". Now you have to press different 10 buttons and when you get the message "Enter button name" enter your button's name and learn all of your buttons of your remote.

After completing learn remote controller IR codes hit enter with blank to exit and click OK. click analyze from winLIRC configuration window and click OK. Now you finished IR learning mode. You can save that configuration file to use later with winLIRC. You can make collection of codes to make a Universal Infrared Remote Controller. Click OK from winLIRC configuration window and click "hide window". This will minimize the WinLIRC application to the system tray(the gray icon in your system tray), where WinLIRC listens to your remote IR commands. This indicates that WinLIRC is waiting for IR commands.

Now you can use winLIRC plug in for Winamp to controller Winamp or you can use Girder, pcremote, or rcontrol like software to control your PC. Try to use IR mouse emulator software.

After making the universal remote you can send codes from this software or use GUI programmable remote controller software.

IrCode from www.lirc.org

Simple Universal Infrared Transmmeter for serial interface

Simple Universal Infrared Receiver for Serial interface

How to control a PC with your IR Receiver

Make a Programmable Universal IR Remote Controller with your IR Receiver