Programming is recorded, but not remembered correctly

[Xyzzy]

USB Flirc V2, OneForAll URC-7960 remote set up for Media Center configuration

In GUI I modify configuration for Kodi. Arrow keys and digits work out of the box. I program all the remaining keys I need (back, info, menu, epg and media control keys) without any issues.

Problem:

The programmed keys work very erratically:

In the GUI, Play and Stop are never detected as pressed; Pause, Rew, FF, Previous, Next like on 1 in 5 attempts, the others are detected like on 3 in 4 attempts.

In Kodi, all the keys seem to work the same - about 1 in 2 attempts is not detected; of the detected ones, 1 in 3 results in multiple keypresses.

I attach saved config and log from pressing all the Media Control keys - in the log there seem to be no problems - either with lack of detection or duplicating keypresses (the latter seem to happen sometimes, but less often than in the GUI/Kodi).

Please advise what can be the problem.

One remark - the remote worked without any issues with an Intel NUC computer with build-in IR receiver.

my_flirc_log.txt my_flirc_config.fcfg

Edited May 27, 2023 by Xyzzy

[Xyzzy]

Some additional information: by reconfiguring my remote for different strange devices (so that it does not interfere with my other devices) and Flirc for them, I achieved the state, that keypresses are mostly recognized, but double-presses happen now very often (and the option to affect double keypresses interval detection seemingly has been removed). Additionally, something around the Flirc acts as a power button signal, waking computer from sleep in random moments (as powercfg /lastwake shows - the source of wake event being sleep button). AND ability to disable wake is disabled in the Flirc app...

 

 

Edited June 9, 2023 by Xyzzy

[Xyzzy]

log.zip

And here is a log of flirc hallucinations: approx 30s worth of logs when not any remote was used in the vicinity.

[jason]

Thanks for all the info and so sorry for my delay. The records from the remote look great. "my_flirc_log.txt"

One issue is the interkey delay between packets. It's currently 107ms. It should be 70ms, this would certainly cause an issue. I believe it's because the buttons were not being held down while you are recording. It uses two packets and if it doesn't see the second packet, it defaults to 107. This is the time between packets.

I also see two play/pause buttons being recorded. 

https://flirc.io/config/

One is probably not supposed to be there and is probably recorded noise, which is causing issues.

I've also disabled all the built in profiles other than the one you are using (kodi), to avoid presses from noise.

The noise is environmentally driven. If it's by a window, a plasma screen, an android device with an IR camera, etc.

Regarding sleep, any button matched in the table will wake up the device. If you want it to just be a 'single' button, record the 'wake' button in the app, this will ensure only one button can wake up the machine.

Try the attached and let me know if it's better. Remember to do something about the play/pause duplication.

my_flirc_config.fcfg

[Xyzzy]

@jason

Hello,

Thanks for the answer. It raises as many questions as gives answers, and unfortunately the attached config is useless, as I've already reconfigured the remote to work as another device trying to make it useful (and there's been so many of them that I don't remember which was the one I was using when posting).

1. If the interkey delay is wrong, how do I manually fix it (and forget the reason, I don't care at this point). Hex editing the config file is OK for me. Whatever I try, it's in 100-110 ms range.

2. What does it mean "the buttons were not being held down while you are recording"? I clicked a key in Flirc GUI, then I did not press anything on the remote but instead some noise was recorded by Flirc as the pressed key? Or should I first press key on the remote, and while it is pressed click a key in Flirc GUI to learn it (it seems to do not work at all - the GUI seems frozen).

3. " any button matched in the table will wake up the device" - what's "the table"? How do I look it up?

4. "Remember to do something about the play/pause duplication." - like what? Record the Play key again? So then I am going to get again a wrong code with 100ms+ delay, right?

Edited July 9, 2023 by Xyzzy

[jason]

25 minutes ago, Xyzzy said:

1. If the interkey delay is wrong, how do I manually fix it (and forget the reason, I don't care at this point). Hex editing the config file is OK for me. Whatever I try, it's in 100-110 ms range.

You can't. Not until I get back to the software and re-write a lot of it and it uses JSON configs like the remoet.

26 minutes ago, Xyzzy said:

2. What does it mean "the buttons were not being held down while you are recording"? I clicked a key in Flirc GUI, then I did not press anything on the remote but instead some noise was recorded by Flirc as the pressed key? Or should I first press key on the remote, and while it is pressed click a key in Flirc GUI to learn it (it seems to do not work at all - the GUI seems frozen).

When you are recording, hold your button down on the remote for a 3 seconds. If you press and lift up your finger, you only capture one of the packets of the remote ,and it has to guess the time between packets.

27 minutes ago, Xyzzy said:

3. " any button matched in the table will wake up the device" - what's "the table"? How do I look it up?

Any recorded button will wake up the device unless you record a button called 'wake'. That will be the only button that wakes the machine.

 

28 minutes ago, Xyzzy said:

4. "Remember to do something about the play/pause duplication." - like what? Record the Play key again? So then I am going to get again a wrong code with 100ms+ delay, right?

In your config you sent me, there were two buttons called play/pause. I'm not sure if you actually had two buttons for the same function.  Or if when you hit record, one of the recordings actually caught noise, which would now play back a spurious play/pause if it see's that 'noise' again.

[Xyzzy]

3 hours ago, jason said:

When you are recording, hold your button down on the remote for a 3 seconds. If you press and lift up your finger, you only capture one of the packets of the remote ,and it has to guess the time between packets.

The "Key has been recorded" (or something similar) appears always after well below 1 second. Should I just keep the remote key pressed? Why the message then?

3 hours ago, jason said:

In your config you sent me, there were two buttons called play/pause. I'm not sure if you actually had two buttons for the same function.  Or if when you hit record, one of the recordings actually caught noise, which would now play back a spurious play/pause if it see's that 'noise' again.

May it be a bug in GUI? I tried to use original Sony MC RC6 remote with separate play/pause keys - and they were recorded both as Play keys. Whatever remote config I try, it always records play and pause as play key. Also when irtools listen shows different outputs for them.

Also, after the latest upgrade flirc stops reacting to keys (listen shows input, but later both GUI and flirc_util record just wait for keypress detecting nothing.) Reflashing firmware unstucks flirc.

Edited July 9, 2023 by Xyzzy

[Xyzzy]

Hi @jason

In a free moment, could you please fix for me my "final" config (based on MC RC6 remote):
- correct timings (Time elapsed)
- set key with hash 0x3401DF58 as Pause
- remote shutdown key (hash 0x58E192D8) is bound to: Keyboard ' and ". I suspect this may be wrong and this is what the GUI does.

TIA
 

my_flirc_config-final.fcfg