Setting up the IR Receiver Device

Oct 13, 2025 by talynt.org 78 views

Introduction

In this article, we will explore the process of adding LIRC (Linux Infrared Remote Control) to ir-keytable protocols on a Raspberry Pi running Raspbian. This will enable you to issue bash commands on infrared remote control button presses. We will also cover the setup of the IR receiver device, an USB device included in the Anysee e30 Combo plus DVB-T tuner.

Prerequisites

Before we begin, make sure you have the following:

A Raspberry Pi running Raspbian
An IR receiver device (in this case, the Anysee e30 Combo plus DVB-T tuner)
A USB cable to connect the IR receiver device to the Raspberry Pi
A working internet connection to install necessary packages

Setting up the IR Receiver Device

First, let's connect the IR receiver device to the Raspberry Pi using a USB cable. Once connected, the device should be recognized by the system. You can verify this by running the following command in the terminal:

lsusb

This command will list all connected USB devices, including the IR receiver device. The output should look something like this:

Bus 001 Device 003: ID 1f4d:0001 Anysee e30 Combo plus DVB-T tuner

Installing LIRC and ir-keytable

Next, we need to install LIRC and ir-keytable on our Raspberry Pi. We can do this by running the following commands in the terminal:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install lirc
sudo apt-get install ir-keytable

These commands will install LIRC and ir-keytable on our system.

Configuring LIRC

Now that we have LIRC installed, we need to configure it to work with our IR receiver device. We can do this by creating a new file in the /etc/lirc directory called lircd.conf. We can create this file by running the following command:

sudo nano /etc/lirc/lircd.conf

This will open the lircd.conf file in the nano editor. We need to add the following lines to the file:

begin
  name  anysee
  bits           32
  eps            30
  aeps          100
  one           0
  zero          0
  pointer       up
  repeat       1  100
  purge
  toggle_bit_mask 0x80000000
  begin
    name  KEY_POWER
    bits           32
    eps            30
    aeps          100
    one           0
    zero          0
    pointer       up
    repeat       1  100
    purge
    toggle_bit_mask 0x80000000
  end
end

This configuration file tells LIRC how to interpret the IR signals from our receiver device.

Configuring ir-keytable

Next, we need to configure ir-keytable to work with LIRC. We can do this by running the following command:

sudo nano /etc/udev/rules.d/99-ir-keytable.rules

This will open the 99-ir-keytable.rules file in the nano editor. We need to add the following lines to the file:

ACTION=="add", RUN+="/usr/sbin/ir-keytable -a -p anysee -w /dev/input/event0"

This configuration file tells ir-keytable to use the anysee protocol and write the keytable to /dev/input/event0.

Loading the LIRC and ir-keytable Modules

Now that we have configured LIRC and ir-keytable, we need to load the modules. We can do this by running the following commands:

sudo modprobe lirc
sudo modprobe ir-keytable

Testing the IR Remote Control

Finally, we can test the IR remote control by running the following command:

ir-keytable -t

This command will test the IR remote control and print the keytable to the console.

Conclusion

In this article, we have covered the process of adding LIRC to ir-keytable protocols on a Raspberry Pi running Raspbian. We have also covered the setup of the IR receiver device, an USB device included in the Anysee e30 Combo plus DVB-T tuner. With these steps, you should now be able to issue bash commands on infrared remote control button presses.

Troubleshooting

If you encounter any issues during the setup process, here are some common troubleshooting steps:

Make sure the IR receiver device is properly connected to the Raspberry Pi.
Check the lircd.conf file for any errors.
Check the 99-ir-keytable.rules file for any errors.
Try running the ir-keytable -t command again.

Future Improvements

In the future, we can improve this setup by adding more features, such as:

Adding support for multiple IR receiver devices.
Adding support for different IR protocols.
Improving the keytable configuration file.

Q: What is LIRC and why do I need it?

A: LIRC (Linux Infrared Remote Control) is a software package that allows you to use infrared remote controls with your Linux system. You need it to control your Raspberry Pi with an infrared remote control.

Q: What is ir-keytable and why do I need it?

A: ir-keytable is a utility that allows you to configure and manage infrared remote controls on your Linux system. You need it to configure the keytable for your infrared remote control.

Q: How do I install LIRC and ir-keytable?

A: You can install LIRC and ir-keytable by running the following commands in the terminal:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install lirc
sudo apt-get install ir-keytable

Q: How do I configure LIRC?

A: To configure LIRC, you need to create a new file in the /etc/lirc directory called lircd.conf. You can create this file by running the following command:

sudo nano /etc/lirc/lircd.conf

Then, you need to add the following lines to the file:

begin
  name  anysee
  bits           32
  eps            30
  aeps          100
  one           0
  zero          0
  pointer       up
  repeat       1  100
  purge
  toggle_bit_mask 0x80000000
  begin
    name  KEY_POWER
    bits           32
    eps            30
    aeps          100
    one           0
    zero          0
    pointer       up
    repeat       1  100
    purge
    toggle_bit_mask 0x80000000
  end
end

Q: How do I configure ir-keytable?

A: To configure ir-keytable, you need to create a new file in the /etc/udev/rules.d directory called 99-ir-keytable.rules. You can create this file by running the following command:

sudo nano /etc/udev/rules.d/99-ir-keytable.rules

Then, you need to add the following lines to the file:

ACTION=="add", RUN+="/usr/sbin/ir-keytable -a -p anysee -w /dev/input/event0"

Q: How do I load the LIRC and ir-keytable modules?

A: To load the LIRC and ir-keytable modules, you need to run the following commands in the terminal:

sudo modprobe lirc
sudo modprobe ir-keytable

Q: How do I test the IR remote control?

A: To test the IR remote control, you need to run the following command in the terminal:

ir-keytable -t

This command will test the IR remote control and print the keytable to the console.

Q: What are some common troubleshooting steps?

A: If you encounter any issues during the setup process, here are some common troubleshooting steps:

Make sure the IR receiver device is properly connected to the Raspberry Pi.
Check the lircd.conf file for any errors.
Check the 99-ir-keytable.rules file for any errors.
Try running the ir-keytable -t command again.

Q: Can I use multiple IR receiver devices?

A: Yes, you can use multiple IR receiver devices. However, you need to configure each device separately and make sure they are not conflicting with each other.

Q: Can I use different IR protocols?

A: Yes, you can use different IR protocols. However, you need to configure each protocol separately and make sure they are not conflicting with each other.

Q: Can I improve the keytable configuration file?

A: Yes, you can improve the keytable configuration file by adding more features, such as:

Adding support for multiple IR receiver devices.
Adding support for different IR protocols.
Improving the keytable configuration file.

By following these FAQs, you should now have a better understanding of how to add LIRC to ir-keytable protocols on your Raspberry Pi running Raspbian.