How is IRDA control implemented?

Oh I've considered it - boy have I! I haven't yet taken a screwdriver to it but am tempted. I'm no stranger to a soldering iron and it's just over there on the shelf... That still leaves the VFD to deal with, I have some crappy code running it now but no client sending data to it. Any chance the XBMC guys are considering using the LCDpro client coding to support displays?

The sick thing is how easily this crap works on Windows GRR! LIRC supposedly supports this thing but the documentation is pretty poor. MCEUSB hardware "just works" though, in XBMC and in Myth. For those looking for a remote for this use the MCE stuff. Hope the controllers work as easily for say MAME using XPAD. I appreciate the input!

Now, where's that screwdriver....

Tiny tiny Torx screws, just under the front feet. Two tabs towards the back, be careful or the keepers will snap. The PCB is WIDE, as wide as the casing. Hiding this will be difficult, extending the leads for the wires is certainly possible - there are only three components of note that need to be led out. One of them is a response LED, it's red and I think blue might be a better color There's what looks like an IRDA receiver in a metal can and something that looks like a thin LED, possibly a transmitter? The USB cable is socketed, no cutting required to modify it, the cable colors appear to be standard for USB but Ohming them out for continuity would be a good idea.

Hope that helps someone out. I'm still trying to decide if I want to throw in the towel or not. I've got a solid 20+ hours in this but getting the "standard" up to date LIRC using it just hasn't happened, only the forked IRTrans code responds.

hehe, that's a bummer. That it's that big. My plan was to fit the thing in a MiniITX
But it's really sad that you can't get it to work with the IRTrans std.

I think there is a patch already (Not implemented) to get some support for LCD display.

The MCE device is a little wide say 2.5inches by 3inches deep, I think it might be a half inch tall. It's not going to sit behind a screen and look out in your case BUT if you extend the leads the PCB could be laid down under say a HDD cage and the LEDs put somewhere tighter.

The Samsung VFD module can be driven with the IRTrans code, I had it working except it woldn't talk to XBMC - a config issue I'm sure. But the driver worked and better it also received my MCE keyboard! I've yet to get the current LIRC driver to do that but the LIRC driver is pretty much PnP with the MCE dongle. Others have gotten the kbrd working, I'll try too. The display itself appears to be supported by LCDproc but I'm not sure. Part of the issue here is what to send to it? Myth is supported but I'm not on Myth right now so.... Hopefully at some point XBMC will work with displays using the LCDproc client protocol. Considering where things stand right now with development I'd expect that to be pretty far down the list so no sweat. If I can find a simple client to run in the background I'll do it. 16X2 is a pretty small display after all so I'm not expecting miracles. A clock might be nice though!

Yah BLKMGK I think that the imon driver we were trying to use is not the right driver for our samsung vfd