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DCT2000 and lirc

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lonny at bangtherockstogether

Jul 23, 2003, 10:02 PM

Post #1 of 10 (7808 views)
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DCT2000 and lirc

all,

I was reading through some archives and found this:
"According to motorola's site, the 9pin serial is used to connect a Hi
Definition receiver, and that's it."

Can anyone confirm this at all? I know when I was talking to my friend
in the CableCo he noticed that was the only option on their end as
well ... to enable the "Hi-Def 9 pin connector".

So far there has been no joy trying to get lirc serial stuff working
(having tried everything I can find in docs and mailing lists) can
anyone confirm the above? should I get them to enable the "Hi-Def 9
pin connector" which sounded more like an _out_ port.

I'd just like to know before I end up spending another 100 hours
trying to get this working :) I'm stupborn ... if someone else has
done this then at least I know its completely possible.

I'm not looking for lirc help ... just wether this damn port can work heh

--
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ian at duckland

Jul 23, 2003, 10:16 PM

Post #2 of 10 (7690 views)
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Re: DCT2000 and lirc [In reply to]

It works. I'm using it. I have 2 DCT-2000 series cable boxes.

One is connected to my Tivo via serial cable and channel changes are
done over serial cable. (Not using the internal IR blaster, mind you -
I used Embeem's patch and got the menu option.)

The other is connected to my mythtv via serial connection. I do not own
an IR blaster. I do not even have LIRC installed on my mythtv. I'm
just using the external scripts that I posted.

It just plain works. Try the scripts! BTW - there are others on the
list that are using them successfully too...

-I

On Wed, 2003-07-23 at 22:02, Lonny Selinger wrote:
> all,
>
> I was reading through some archives and found this:
> "According to motorola's site, the 9pin serial is used to connect a Hi
> Definition receiver, and that's it."
>
> Can anyone confirm this at all? I know when I was talking to my friend
> in the CableCo he noticed that was the only option on their end as
> well ... to enable the "Hi-Def 9 pin connector".
>
> So far there has been no joy trying to get lirc serial stuff working
> (having tried everything I can find in docs and mailing lists) can
> anyone confirm the above? should I get them to enable the "Hi-Def 9
> pin connector" which sounded more like an _out_ port.
>
> I'd just like to know before I end up spending another 100 hours
> trying to get this working :) I'm stupborn ... if someone else has
> done this then at least I know its completely possible.
>
> I'm not looking for lirc help ... just wether this damn port can work heh
>
> --
> Lonny
> _______________________________________________
> mythtv-users mailing list
> mythtv-users [at] snowman
> http://lists.snowman.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
--
__________________________________
Ian Forde, RHCE, CCSE, SCNA, SCDME
CYTBeN, Inc.
ian [at] duckland / ian [at] cytben

lonny at bangtherockstogether

Jul 24, 2003, 8:28 AM

Post #3 of 10 (7695 views)
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Re: DCT2000 and lirc [In reply to]

> It just plain works. Try the scripts! BTW - there are others on the
> list that are using them successfully too...

Well ... after a night of fighting with tons of serial testing and
lirc (in vain as it were) ;) I managed to get the scripts to not exit
in error ... my output was the same as was posted a while ago by
someone else:

# ./changechannel.sh 3
changing channel to 003
chancode is
Recvd:

Recvd:

Recvd:

No matter what channel, so I'm assuming its just that the serial port
on the DCT2000 isn't enabled. (BTW is this Nullmodem or straight
through?) I'm getting them to enable it even though they still dont
think it will do what I want but at this point I'll try any damn thing
:) Thanks for your patience Ian.

--
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ian at duckland

Jul 24, 2003, 9:28 AM

Post #4 of 10 (7697 views)
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Re: DCT2000 and lirc [In reply to]

On Thu, 2003-07-24 at 08:28, Lonny Selinger wrote:
> Well ... after a night of fighting with tons of serial testing and
> lirc (in vain as it were) ;) I managed to get the scripts to not exit
> in error ... my output was the same as was posted a while ago by
> someone else:
>
> # ./changechannel.sh 3
> changing channel to 003
> chancode is
> Recvd:
>
> Recvd:
>
> Recvd:
>
> No matter what channel, so I'm assuming its just that the serial port
> on the DCT2000 isn't enabled. (BTW is this Nullmodem or straight
> through?) I'm getting them to enable it even though they still dont
> think it will do what I want but at this point I'll try any damn thing
> :) Thanks for your patience Ian.

Straight through serial cable is what you want. If you're not getting
any output, try power cycling the cable box and trying again.
Otherwise, it's pretty safe to assume that the serial port isn't
enabled. Of course, you *have* ensured that the serial box on your PC
is working, right? ;)

-I

--
__________________________________
Ian Forde, RHCE, CCSE, SCNA, SCDME
CYTBeN, Inc.
ian [at] duckland / ian [at] cytben

lonny at bangtherockstogether

Jul 24, 2003, 9:39 AM

Post #5 of 10 (7714 views)
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Re: DCT2000 and lirc [In reply to]

> Straight through serial cable is what you want. If you're not getting
> any output, try power cycling the cable box and trying again.
> Otherwise, it's pretty safe to assume that the serial port isn't
> enabled. Of course, you *have* ensured that the serial box on your PC
> is working, right? ;)

LOL absolutely. I use(d) this serial port for among other things,
connecting to my iPaq (when I flash it etc), and logging into my
servers via terminal serial connection.

I think what I have on there right now is a null modem cable (9pin to
9pin) so I'll go snag a different cable and try power cycling the bax
as well and see if that does it.

Thanks again~!
--
Lonny
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lonny at bangtherockstogether

Jul 25, 2003, 4:30 PM

Post #6 of 10 (7711 views)
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Re: DCT2000 and lirc (SOLVED) [In reply to]

> Straight through serial cable is what you want. If you're not getting
> any output, try power cycling the cable box and trying again.

Well trying to find a straight through serial cable around here was
rediculous so I just used some old DB9 to RJ45 blocks and re-pinned
them and threw a patch cable on.

That was it!! ... channel changing works great (now I just have to go
through the rest of the codes and see what other buttons I might wanna
map)

Thanks Again!!

--
Lonny
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help at pdscc

Jul 26, 2003, 10:59 PM

Post #7 of 10 (7689 views)
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Re: DCT2000 and lirc [In reply to]

Hmm....

Lonny got serial port control working with his DCT2000 model DCT2224/1661

I also have the DCT2000 model DCT2224/1261

Anyone have any links to info on the differences between models in the
DCT2000 line? The Motorola site has noting of real use that I could find.

Also anyone know who I talk to at Shaw Cable (BC, Canada) to get the firmware
upgraded to at least V7.54 as per this site?

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=62212&perpage=20&pagenumber=1

DOH!!! Just got off the phone with one of the Shaw techs. It looks like V7.44
is the latest version they are using currently and he also said the hdtv port
is permanently disabled :-(

I guess it's back to IR again <sigh>
--
Harondel J. Sibble
Sibble Computer Consulting
Creating solutions for the small business and home computer user.
help [at] pdscc (use pgp keyid 0x3AD5C11D) http://www.pdscc.com
(604) 739-3709 (voice/fax) (604) 686-2253 (pager)

lonny at bangtherockstogether

Jul 27, 2003, 10:30 AM

Post #8 of 10 (7701 views)
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Re: DCT2000 and lirc [In reply to]

> DOH!!! Just got off the phone with one of the Shaw techs. It looks
> like V7.44
> is the latest version they are using currently and he also said the
> hdtv port
> is permanently disabled :-(

Hmmm ... according to my Cable co, my port is dissabled too. Now I'm
wondering if its just a matter of firmware version/cable selection
etc. I'm going to double check all the settings they have on their end
on Monday just to see if there's something *else* .... but sa far as I
know, there's no way to restrict access to the port, only a way to
access information sent *from* the port. (I'm not a Cable tech though
so I dont know for sure) ;)

--
Lonny
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lonny at bangtherockstogether

Jul 27, 2003, 11:41 AM

Post #9 of 10 (7700 views)
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Re: DCT2000 and lirc [In reply to]

Ok to any who are following this ... I just confirmed there has been
no change to configuration on my box from the head end (CableCo),
everything is default config/options. The only option in their
interface to the box regarding that port was to enable it for HDTV
which they probably will never do.

But for channel changing wtc ... it works fine for me now :) ... my
initial issues were caused by _me_.

a) I was trying to get lirc over serial working and it was nothing but
a headache (the module wouldn't load unless it saw /dev/lirc as a
driectory, and if I created the directory, when I tried to run
irrecord, it would say couldn't open /dev/lirc *because* it was a
driectory)

b) I wasn't using the correct type of cable ;)

I created my own cable using DB9 to RJ45 connectors so if anyone wants
the pin-outs let me know.

--
Lonny

>> DOH!!! Just got off the phone with one of the Shaw techs. It looks
>> like V7.44
>> is the latest version they are using currently and he also said the
>> hdtv port
>> is permanently disabled :-(
>
> Hmmm ... according to my Cable co, my port is dissabled too. Now I'm
> wondering if its just a matter of firmware version/cable selection
> etc. I'm going to double check all the settings they have on their end
> on Monday just to see if there's something *else* .... but sa far as I
> know, there's no way to restrict access to the port, only a way to
> access information sent *from* the port. (I'm not a Cable tech though
> so I dont know for sure) ;)

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lonny at bangtherockstogether

Jul 27, 2003, 2:38 PM

Post #10 of 10 (7697 views)
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Re: DCT2000 and lirc [In reply to]

> Mind sending over the pinouts you used? Thanks a bunch.

You bet :)

Pinout I used:

(DB9F_DTE) (RJ45F_DTE) (DB9F_DCE) (RJ45F_DCE)
(DCD) 1 - (DCD) 1 -
(RCV) 2 ---- 3 (RCV) (XMT) 2 ---- 3 (XMT)
(XMT) 3 ---- 6 (XMT) (RCV) 3 ---- 6 (RCV)
(DTR) 4 ---- 7 (DTR) (DSR) 4 ---- 7 (DSR)
(GND) 5 ---- 4 (GND) (GND) 5 ---- 4 (GND)
(DSR) 6 ---- 2 (DSR) (DTR) 6 ---- 2 (DTR)
(RTS) 7 ---- 8 (RTS) (CTS) 7 ---- 8 (CTS)
(CTS) 8 ---- 1 (CTS) (RTS) 8 ---- 1 (RTS)
(RNG) 9 - (RNG) 9 -

specifying DTC or DCE didn't matter really because the pin out is the
same (# to #) on both sides ... this just breaks down which pin on a
DTE talks to which pin on a DCE (ie: transmit and recieve (XMT and
RCV) cross on either side) MOST important is GND!!. Anyway ... hope
this helps :)

--
Lonny
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