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FLIRC unuseable - keys are recorded automatically


Polarfox

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Hi,

I've bought a FLIRC a few days ago for my HTPC. I installed the software V3.25.3 and updated the firmware to the newest V4.9.3.

When i start the software i select under "controllers" the "full keyboard". My remote control is a harmony 650, but for the problem this doesn't matter.

Now i click a key, for example the cursor up key. The software says "Press the button to be paired with 'up' ". After "a few seconds" the software send the message "recorded successfully" automatically.

This happens without pressing a key on my remote control!! And this is the problem. I can't record the FLIRC correctly.

When the time "a few seconds" is longer, then it's possible to record a key. The key works, but later in KODI the FLIRC does not work reliable. This means that some keys are working sometimes. I become crazy.

Then i explored the software an i've seen the device log and enabled the ir debugging.

Even though no key is pressed on the remote control some codes, for example ":e:68…" appears. They also appear when i press a key on the remote control, which i think is correct.

But in my case this happens too when no key is pressed on the remote control.

It's like FLIRC is receiving a ir-signal or it's not working correctly. Any idea?

Regards

Joe

 

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Hi,

"by a window": day or night it's the same behaviour --> i think that's not the problem

"by a TV": of course i have a TV near by HTPC :), a Philips TV with ambilight (LED-light). Do you think that this can be the problem?

"lights that may be flourescent": What do you mean with flourescent light?

 

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14 hours ago, Polarfox said:

Hi,

"by a window": day or night it's the same behaviour --> i think that's not the problem

"by a TV": of course i have a TV near by HTPC :), a Philips TV with ambilight (LED-light). Do you think that this can be the problem?

"lights that may be flourescent": What do you mean with flourescent light?

 

try in another room. Probably the lights. Let me know how that goes.

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TV in anohter romm .. puhh. I tried the following:

At night i switched off all the light in my room.

I installed the FLIRC software on a notebook and activated the logging mode to see, when FLIRC see something.

 

Then i searched for IR-signals. I received a lot of signals.

When i switched off my TV i don't detect IR-signals!

When i switch the TV on, the FLIRC software recognized again some IR-signals.

TV off, lights on: no IR-signals. It seems that the TV sends some light that the FLIRC is seeing.

Is this possible? I think many users who are using the FLIRC have a TV. I'am suprised about this behaviour.

Greetings from Germany

Joe

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I learned the signals from my Harmony to the FLIRC with my notebook in another room. FLIRC is working correctly on my notebook. I checked this with the FLIRC software. Every click on my harmony is display on the on screen keyboard.

After that i  plug in the FLIRC in my HTPC. FLIRC is not working reliable. This means that some clicks on my Harmony works, but some not. When i look with the FLIRC software in device logging mode,  i see that FLIRC is receiving some signals.

Then i checked something else:

I connected the FLIRC again to my notebook. FLIRC software again in device logging mode. I put the notebook behind the TV. FLIRC now can see the backlight, but no signals are detected. When i move the notebook in front of the TV, signals are detected by the software. It seems to be the panel of the TV. Is this possible?

 

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  • 4 weeks later...

Hi there

I have the same behaviour with a panasonic vieja TV.

Five month ago, i tried to setup FLIRC for my HTPC with Logitech Harmony Hub.

I gave up after some crazy sessions trying to configure the device.

 

Today i try to setup Flirc for Libreelec on PI4, same behaviour. The setup was impossible because of ghost events. FLIRC debug IR mode receive tons of signals.

I was becoming mad when i search for the device responsible of it, i finally try setup on laptop and not on HTPC and when i turned off my TV there was no more ghost IR signal received.

 

The odd thing is when there's no direct path between TV and FLIRC, it reflects on glass (windows, small table with glass on it, mirrors).

@Polarfox when Jason talk about backlight i think it's not light behind TV but a technique where a light straighten image behind front screen (so a light send towards you).

I will make setup with tv off and try to use FLIRC with TV on.

Then if FLIRC don't work correctly trying to put it in an opaque pipe to see if i can get it better.

Best regards

PS : TV model used is TX-P50VT30E

EDIT:

I just tried what i suggest above :

  • FLIRC Setup : OK with the pipe and TV ON
  • FLIRC Use with nothing : Fail, flirc unusable, 1 of 10 try on the same command is caught by the FLIRC, 0 received for some other commands.
  • FLIRC Use with a long pipe and a cover : OK, works perfectly even if remote is not exactly aiming directly into the tube

So i will think of smaller pipe to see if i can get it work.

@jason do you think of a way to ignore ghost events ? Is it possible to decrease FLIRC sensibility ? if not possible actually can it be a firmware improvment ?

Best regards

 

1-setupOkWithPipe.JPG

2-usageKOwithNoPipe.jpg

3-usageOKwithPipeAndCover.jpg

4-insidePipe.jpg

Edited by chafry
correction
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  • 11 months later...

Hi there,

I finally found that thread after days or trying to understand why my setup became unusable after years of it working fine and switching to a new TV.

Both TVs are Philips, both with ambilight. Both will work with the same remote control.
The new one is larger (42", previous was 36") and has ambilight on 3 sides (top too).
My living room is painted white, so that doesn't help with reflections.

Away from the TV Flirc will work perfectly, I tested it as a keyboard on several machines (Linux and windows).
Next to the TV it works randomly. More often not at all.

I noticed I could sometimes get the Flirc to recognize my key presses if I wrap my hand around it, but even that is tricky.
So that confirms @chafry MacGyver's fix.

After lengthy tests I've been able to find a 10sec sequence in a movie that will prevent any key press to be registered when played. It's mainly a bright white logo.
Since both TV have ambilight and one works fine, I think @jason is right to suspect the new TV's backlight to be the culprit.

@jason 
Is there any plan to see an improvement to the firmware in a future update? The fact that my TV is able to read its remote seamlessly shows that interferences from ambilight or the TV backlight are not necessarily fatal to reading IR signals.
In the past it was possible to set a noise filter via the FLIRC GUI. This seems to have disappeared. Maybe that could have helped?

I really like my Flirc and it's been the perfect companion to my rasPlex for many years. I'd be very sad if I couldn't get it to run anymore.

If I can do anything to help with solving that issue I'd be glad to do so


First image: the sequence that paralyses Flirc
Second image: my setup :)
Third image: small TV worked, big TV doesn't

IMG-0007.jpg

IMG-0006.jpg

IMG-0004.jpg

Edited by raph
describe pictures
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  • 3 weeks later...

Hey @Nathan, thanks for following up on the issue.

I did try that in my last experiment so but it doesn't really help.

So far the most useful countermeasure I've found is placing the sensor in a black box with a small aperture. That seems to solve the issue 99% of the time.
My current assumption is that somehow the sensor learns to tune its sensitivity to different levels of IR luminosity. Like an adaptive filter if you will.
Somehow it would become overly sensitive or insensitive to IR signals to the point of not being able to recognize learnt ones.
Like I said, it's just an assumption.

That being said I doubt the TV or the ambilight are generating a crazy amount of IR themselves. I can't detect any of that with my cellphone camera (that can see IR signals from my remote). I'm not an IR light specialist but would there be any chance that some wavelength emitted by the TV or ambilight system is able to mess with the sensor?

So it's not that the sensor responds to unknown signals, it's more that it ignores known ones until placed in a "less luminous" environment (the box).

I'm curious if @Polarfox or @chafry have any update on their experience.

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Actually my update is my flirc adapter is in is box. 

I use a rii i25 remote with its radio usb dongle as i used before buying the flirc. 

Thinking about selling it and buy a new i25 to avoid moving dongle from one room to another (used more often for controlling music)

For me flirc remains unusable, when i bought it, i was expecting a plug n play solution but it s more a geek toy. 

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