Windows 10 64 Bit + HP RC6 Receiver + Harmony + XBMC2

[fuxxi]

OS: Windows 10 64 Bit (Build 14328)
Eventghost: 0.4.1.r1722
eHome RC6 Receiver: HP 5187-4593
Remote: Logitech Harmony 885

Unfortunately I just cant get it to work with this config. I want to control Kodi on my PC with the Harmony 885 using the HP 5187-4593 RC6 receiver. The reason Iam using EG? Because I want to use my PC during Kodi is running (streaming to my TV via HDMI) and without EG Kodi needs nonstop focus to receive keystrokes - which totally sucks.

I followed the tutorial here: http://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=220677

In EG I tried adding the plugin "Microsoft MCE Remote", I have unchecked "Disable HID service". It has been working in the first time, but because of some bugs during I played around in EG and completely removed the config and readded it from scratch. EG then stopped receiving IR signals, means there have been no logged keys presses in EG.

I also tried to add the plugin "Microsoft MCE Remote - Vista/Win7". It received IR signals again, but one press on my harmony = 2 received IR signals in EG.

I completely uninstalled EG and started again and from that on I wasnt able at all to get EG to receive (show in EG log) IR signals again.

Honestly, it looks to me like EG is VERY buggy.

In the first time (when it was working pretty good but not perfect), there was a strange bug: When I switched to PC activity on my Harmony it would start up Kodi just fine on my PC (EG already running in the systray). However if I pressed down, up, left or right these IR signals have been sent twice to Kodi. Means: Pressing down on the harmony results on going down 2 entries in Kodi (for example in my movies list). After opening EG on my PC (double click on EG tray icon) it was fixed.

Because of this bug and the fact that I wasnt able to send "1" to Kodi through EG from Harmony I started to play around with it as mentioned above and since then it has been never working again.

Could anybody give a detailed tutorial how to setup EG to get it working?

Important question: Is my understanding right, that I can open a fresh (empty) config file in EG and ONLY add one of the two Microsoft MCE Remotes plugins (which one should work or do I need another MCE Remote plugin?) and the XMBC2 plugin and it should working with only these 2 plugins? Is the included XBMC2-Plugin (0.6.19) in EG 0.4.1.r1722 the newest one?

I appreciate any tipps regarding this whole case.

(English is not my native language, sorry!)

[jonib]

Honestly, it looks to me like EG is VERY buggy.

Probably not the best way to get help.

Is the included XBMC2-Plugin (0.6.19) in EG 0.4.1.r1722 the newest one?

Version 0.6.33 is tha latest version, but you only need that if you have problem with getting events or need to use some of the experimental functionality.

jonib

[kgschlosser]

ok i have had some problems with the MCE IR thing as well and i can't remember how i got around it.

it has something to do with having to disable the service then restarting the computer then re enabeling the service but also with when you plug the IR receiver in as well. i think you have to disable the service, delete the device for the IR Receiver form the device manager. then shutdown the computer (all while leaving the IR Receiver plugged in) once the computer is shutdown
unplug the receiver and boot the computer

enable the service and start the service then plug in the IR Receiver, then load EG


you only will have to do this once.

and it's something really goofy like that. and the remote you have is all IR?? logitech remotes also are RF if you have a receiver that came with the remote it's probably RF

I have a computer that refuses to have an IR receiver. the drivers show up all messed up but on another computer (same windows version, same updates) works fine.

i even deleted all the ehome drivers and copied them from the working ox and no go, i am sure i have a reg problem but never dug into it beyond that.

you should use the win 7 version of the plugin.

[fuxxi]

Thanks for the quick replies, guys!

Always running EG as administrator fixed the main problem, that EG didnt received/interpreted IR signals. I remember that this was mentioned anywhere in a tutorial (or maybe not in the tutorial but somewhere in the postings under the tutorial), too bad its not mentioned in EG, especially within the MCE remote plugin(s). Also its not clear which MCE remote plugin the user should use in Windows 8 and Windows 10, because there is no info about it. From my understanding I should use the Vista/Win7 MCE Remote plugin, because these are much closer to Win10, but the "normal" MCE remote plugin is working just fine and for the Vista/Win7 version there is a service install needed which will run in the background.

@kgschlosser: I also thought it has to do with the driver and the hid service option in the plugin. Actually I wasnt even sure what "disable hid service for this remote" means (in function) at all, because I thought this option might be some source of the problem. But after figuring out the always run EG as admin thing I also started to play again with this option again and it actually did what I was hoping it would do: It stops the IR-Remote from sending/interpreting signals to windows and only keep the signals within EG and in my case XBMC2 - perfect. So for example if You push "Down" or "Up" on Your remote the selection in the windows explorer will not change, pfew
Yes, the remote is IR only and not RF. The logitech harmony is a solo remote, not bundled to receivers or something. It is programmable and used to control many devices at the same time. Iam controlling 6 devices with it.
Regarding Your eHome driver problem: Im pretty sure Your windows installation is messed up, thats why it doesnt install drivers well. You should really re-install windows and dont play with the driver files anymore.
And very important: Get Yourself an ehome rc6 receiver (if You dont have already) for Your pc for better compatibility and less bugs/problems - dont use non ehome.

I also managed to fix 2 minor problems with custom keys in Kodi.

It also seems that the problem with the doubled received/interpreted IR signals is fixxed from nowhere. Actually Iam running EG with only 2 plugins at all: "XBMC2" and "Microsoft MCE Remote", which seems, as I thought and hoped enough to get this whole thing working.

@jonib: I installed 0.6.33 of XBMC2, however when I start EG now I always receive the error message: "XBMC2: Error opening: actions.dat". It still works fine tho, but do You know a fix for it?


Also there seems to be a problem with the "start with windows function" in EG. When You check this option in EG, a shortcut will be created in the autostart folder in Your start menu. This works fine, but not if You enable the run as administrator checkbox in the shortcuts compatibility options. The shortcut has some parameter.. -h -f -noinitatboot or something.. I dont remember.. however when I remove the parameters and leave the run as administrator option enabled it will just start fine with windows and going to the sys tray. Hm.

Since the whole story is very far away from being any kind of mainstream topic there is not much documentation and tutorials at all. Somebody should really write a new tutorial from scratch imho, especially the "run EG as admin" thing is SO important and can be very frustrated if You dont know.

[kgschlosser]

I do apologize for the lack of documentation that some person at some time that made a plugin and didn't bother to leave instructions.



but hey, you seem like you want to volunteer. ya have something to start off with about the Admin thing. (*thumbs up)

just lemme know when your finished and I'll go right ahead and add it to the plugin.

I'm just goofin ya. what happens is someone has a need makes a plugin and sometimes there is instructions (usually not in the plugin it's self but in a forum post about it)

and what happens is the original author abandons it and then someone else want it to do a little something extra. and so on an so forth. and after about 10-15 years of that.

i don't think anyone really knows 100% what some of these older plugins can or cannot do. and the only way to find out is to sift through the code or search the snot out of the forum.

now, that being said. it is quite hard sometimes to read anothers handwriting, yes?!. well code is worse LOL

and i have done this myself, instead of trying to figure out what in the hell the person was doing i just rewrite the thing.

it would be awesome to have a technical write that is willing to lend a helping hand and write up the instructions. because i'll tell you what. i think i can confuse the hell out of someone because the geek in me comes out and i don't know what my fingers are typing and i don't know 100% if people understand what i am even talking about in my instructions.

that's what technical writers are good at turning geek into normal persons lingo.

and i tend to pump out changes to plugins i have made on almost a daily basis so it's hard to keep up. if i had to stop and spend gobs of time writing instructions that were perfectly clear and understandable to the normal "user" i would have almost no time to update or create plugins. and the plugins are what make eventghost compatible with all the nifty gizmos and gadgets out there. i try to answer a persons question even if i didn't write the plugin i'll most times spend the time to do the research on it if i know the original dev isn't around anymore.

or i will modify the plugin to suit the persons want. I have only had a small bit of exposure to the mce remote plugin and i had the same problem as you. but see i had no clue about the admin thing. i could have logged in as administrator instead of my normal user and that is what fixed it.

so what i would do is post that information in the MCE Remote plugin thread so that others may find it.

and thank you for going through the effort to figure out how to get it working.

K

[kgschlosser]

Regarding Your eHome driver problem: Im pretty sure Your windows installation is messed up, that's why it doesn't install drivers well. You should really re-install windows and dont play with the driver files anymore.
And very important: Get Yourself an ehome rc6 receiver (if You don't have already) for Your pc for better compatibility and less bugs/problems - don't use non ehome.

that's funny.

nothing wrong with my copy of windows, in fact it's the best one out there. it's very similar to windows thin pc except it's 64 bit can actually run things on it and has almost the same memory usage and HDD footprint as thin pc. took me an eon to build this version. and i know that part of my issue stems from a program called virtual here which is a USB over IP for raspberry pi. and it hasn't been important enough for me to tinker with to get working. i don't even use the thing. everything i have is all custom made and works way better. and faster and doesn't have issues reading the IR signals. and my blaster has a 25 foot range or a 6" if i want to make it that way.

[jonib]

@jonib: I installed 0.6.33 of XBMC2, however when I start EG now I always receive the error message: "XBMC2: Error opening: actions.dat". It still works fine tho, but do You know a fix for it?

I will fix that in the next version (Whenever that is) it's just complaining that the "actions.dat" file is missing(Updated from the Actions button in the settings). Unfortunately Kodis site changed the layout so the plugin can't update the list and I need to fix it. So if you don't need those actions you can ignore the error.

jonib

[fuxxi]

Thanks guys for Your replies and Your support

However I stumbled into another problem:

How can I send keystrokes directly from the harmony remote to Kodi on my PC, while the Kodi window is NOT active?

My thinking about this whole topic is the following:

Since I use an ehome-receiver with its own HID, shouldnt it be possible to filter all commands incoming from my harmony to my hp usb e-home receiver and directly send them to Kodi? Shouldnt this work somehow? I think Eventghost has the potential to do it, I have just no clue how to get it working.

Example:

If I add MCE Keyboard to my harmony device list I can add a command to send the keystroke 'O' to windows. When I activate the Kodi windows the keystroke will work, but when I am in windows explorer for example it will not work in Kodi, however it will go to 'O' in the list of files/folders.

Im pretty sure there IS a way to catch these keystrokes from the IR receiver and "convert" them in EG to send them directly to Kodi. But how?

[fuxxi]

Progress in finding out whats the cause of the problem:

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=6044&p=40127&hilit=config#p40127

I really appreciate any tipps, because I really have no clue what to do.