[WINDOWS] Build your own XBMC case LCD with Infrared receiver

Because of the external interfaces that XBMC exposes (like the JSON-RPC API), it's easy to get at information like "What's playing now?" or "What menu am I navigating?".

Displaying this information on a character LCD is somewhat harder, requiring the use of a PIC or similar controller. While I'm using a PIC, I might as well add a infrared receiver to the circuit, to be able to use my Xbox remote to control XBMC.

This will be a high-level overview of how to do it/how I did it.

Firstly, I want it to connect via USB (serial is dead). Which brought me to Simon Inn's site here.

I also want to program it using C#, so I'll be using destriktiv's JSON-RPC library.

That gave me the basic circuit layout, as well as the USB connection part with HID drivers :



(this is on a 16x2 character display. Waiting for delivery of 20x4, blue backlight)

Next step... add the infrared hardware. The Xbox uses a 56Khz carrier frequency. Off to the shops!

Got a new 20x4 blue backlit LCD display... Incorporated it.

The hardest so far was decoding the IR protocol used by the remote control that I want to use, the XBOX 360 Universal Media Remote.

According to LIRC, it uses RC6, but it does not. It actually uses RC6B. And the end result :

http://www.flickr.com/photos/51233782@N05/5331026565/

Onto the XBMC interface...

Interesting. I'd thought about the possible applications of an LCD or VFD on the front of the box, so I'll be looking forward to seeing how you get on.

very interesting indeed...yes please keep us updated

Display layouts so far...

Connected:



Idle/Main menu:



After having navigated to the Movies library (the name marquees between the < and >) :



Now playing (name also marquees) :



Volume change: