IR Transceiver

This section is mainly about capturing IR signals from a Bryant IR-based remote (for a ductless system) to be able to replicate and playback the messages via software (allowing for home/lan integrations). This method would work for other ductless systems from other manufacturers though some changes may be required. Other USB transceivers may also work but that would likely require various changes to get lirc working properly.

Context

The reason all of this is even necessary is that lirc by itself has a number of tools all around dealing with IR reception/transmission BUT irw, irrecord, and irsend only understand the "remotes" (or codes) that the underlying lirc configs understand. Most of these are for things like TV remotes (e.g. power on, volume up) and not for anything quite like a ductless AC remote. In order to talk to such a different device one has to first get the raw data from the remote in question and then "teach" lirc how to speak those codes (via configuration).

Hardware

Alpine Linux (3.13), lirc 0.10.1-r0
x86-64 server (also testing on a pi4 with Alpine 3.13)
Irdroid USB IR Transceiver
Bryant ductless system (Models: 619PAQXXXBBMA, 619PEQXXXBBMA)

Also works in Alpine 3.14

Setup

USB transceiver plugged in
lirc installed
lsusb reports the Irdroid device

Capturing

We need to capture the raw device inputs, to do that:

mode2 -d /dev/ttyACM0 -H irtoy > output

Press a single button on the remote and then CTRL+C

There is an extraneous spacing output that will probably be the final output line, this is not part of the code we need so remove it

sed -i '$ d' output

Now make sure we only capture the code outputs (and none of the other extra mode2 outputs)

cat output | grep '^(spac|pulse)' | cut -d " " -f 2 | tr '\n' ' ' > code

This will have captured a single button press. It's important to understand that these remotes maintain the state of the system and therefore a "power on" press at 72 degrees will show up differently than a "power on" at 74 degrees (basically many commands must be captured if a lot of settings are wanted)

Config

First define the remote type and that we're using raw codes to communicate

vim bryant.conf
---
# ACSTOP (74 degrees)
# ACSTART (74 degrees)
begin remote

    name BRYANT
    flags RAW_CODES
    eps 30
    aeps 100

    ptrail 0
    repeat 0 0
    gap 40991

    begin raw_codes

Next specify the name of the command to include

vim bryant.conf
---
        name ACSTOP

Finally the raw output

cat code >> bryant.conf

For any additional codes one must just create a name <NAME> and then the output (see the full example below)

Close-out the remote configuration

    end raw_codes
end remote

lirc

Now make sure to run lircd with the configuration

ircd -H irtoy -d /dev/ttyACM0 bryant.conf

and then send commands!

irsend SEND_ONCE BRYANT ACSTART

Example

# ACSTOP (74 degrees)
# ACSTART (74 degrees)
begin remote

    name BRYANT
    flags RAW_CODES
    eps 30
    aeps 100

    ptrail 0
    repeat 0 0
    gap 40991

    begin raw_codes
        name ACSTOP
            4415 4394 554 1578 554 511 554 1578 554 511 554 511 554 511 554 511 554 1578 554 511 554 511 554 1578 554 511 554 511 554 511 554 511 554 511 554 511 554 1578 554 1578 554 511 554 1578 554 1578 554 511 554 511 554 1578 554 1578 554 1578 554 1578 554 1578 554 1578 554 1578 554 1578 554 1578 554 1578 554 1578 554 1578 554 1578 554 1578 554 1578 554 1578 554 1578 554 1578 554 511 554 511 554 511 554 511 554 1578 554 511 554 5183 4415 4394 554 511 554 1578 554 511 554 1578 554 1578 554 1578 554 1578 554 511 554 1578 554 1578 554 511 554 1578 554 1578 554 1578 554 1578 554 1578 554 1578 554 511 554 511 554 1578 554 511 554 511 554 1578 554 1578 554 511 554 511 554 511 554 511 554 511 554 511 554 511 554 511 554 511 554 511 554 511 554 511 554 511 554 511 554 511 554 511 554 511 554 511 554 1578 554 1578 554 1578 554 1578 554 511 554 1578 554
        name ACSTART
            4415 4394 554 1578 554 511 554 1578 554 511 554 511 554 511 554 511 554 1578 554 1578 554 511 554 1578 554 511 554 511 554 511 554 511 554 511 554 511 554 1578 554 1578 554 511 554 1578 554 1578 554 511 554 511 554 1578 554 1578 554 1578 554 1578 554 1578 554 1578 554 1578 554 1578 554 1578 554 1578 554 1578 554 1578 554 1578 554 1578 554 1578 554 1578 554 511 554 1578 554 511 554 511 554 511 554 511 554 1578 554 511 554 5183 4415 4394 554 511 554 1578 554 511 554 1578 554 1578 554 1578 554 1578 554 511 554 511 554 1578 554 511 554 1578 554 1578 554 1578 554 1578 554 1578 554 1578 554 511 554 511 554 1578 554 511 554 511 554 1578 554 1578 554 511 554 511 554 511 554 511 554 511 554 511 554 511 554 511 554 511 554 511 554 511 554 511 554 511 554 511 554 511 554 511 554 1578 554 511 554 1578 554 1578 554 1578 554 1578 554 511 554 1578 554
    end raw_codes
end remote

_{^{Updated: 2021-09-07}}