If you have trouble setting up CommandIR or LIRC, this page will help you figure out what is working and if there is a well-known solution in below in Common Problems.

This guide updated Oct 20/2008 for LIRC 0.8.4 (or 0.8.3pre1 on MythBuntu 8.04 with PPA upgrade) and assumes you are using the new CommandIR II Userspace driver (not the old lirc_cmdir kernel module). 

Testing What Works

Does your computer detect CommandIR plugged in to a USB port?

Bus 003 Device 002: ID 10c4:0003 Cygnal Integrated Products, Inc.

Do you have a compatible LIRC version?

lircd 0.8.4 

or on MythBuntu (after upgrading LIRC from Mario's PPA ):

lircd 0.8.3pre1

or LIRC CVS newer than June 2008. 

Test Receiving: Can you get CommandIR II's "A" light to turn Green?

Running these commands should turn CommandIR II's "A" light from red to green:

killall lircd (if needed, no harm running)

rmmod commandir (if needed, no harm running)

rmmod lirc_cmdir (if needed, no harm running) 

lircd --driver=commandir -n 

(open a second terminal to run the next command:)

irw 

Press Ctrl+C to exit with windows.  If "A" turns Green then LIRC is working but may need to be configured for your remotes.  To save these settings perminantly (ie on reboot), see the section called "LIRC load CommandIR on Boot" in Software Setup. 

mymediabox:/home/mythtv# irw

00000000000017e5 00 ok hauppauge

00000000000017c9 00 9 hauppauge

00000000000017c2 00 2 hauppauge

00000000000017e5 00 ok hauppauge

mymediabox:/home/mythtv# irw

connect: Connection refused 

Test Transmit: Can you get CommandIR's emitters to blink?

With any remote or device in your lircd.conf and LIRC running with an "A" light Green on a CommandIR II, try sending a test command to be transmitted through CommandIR emitters:

irsend send_once hauppauge ok

Where this person's lircd.conf includes the Hauppauge lircd.conf file. 

To set which emitters the next irsend command should be transmitted on, see Setting up IR Emitters.

Common Problems

Unable to read version request - Is CommandIR busy?  Error -110

This error seen in the syslog or from running "lircd --driver=commandir -n" is usually resolved by plugging the CommandIR II into a powered USB hub.  Some newer USB chipsets, including some NVIDIA, cause this hardware level incomatibility. 

CommandIR II Light turns Green, but nothing else works

or 

Error message reading USB device = -10

You probably have the old CommandIR Kernel driver installed (kernel modules 'lirc_cmdir' and 'commandir'). Check for loaded kernel modules:

lsmod|grep lirc

If loaded, unload them with rmmod and prevent them from loading on reboot and switch to the CommandIR userspace driver for both CommandIR Mini and CommandIR II.

"Hardware does not support sending" Error Meessage

Run a test irsend command and receive this message:

mymediabox:/home/mythtv# irsend send_once nec_projector power

irsend: command failed: SEND_ONCE nec_projector power
irsend: hardware does not support sending 

CommandIR Transmits on All Emitters instead of just 1

The CommandIR Userspace driver has 2 methods of choosing which emitter(s) to transmit on.  Check that you have downloaded and included the CommandIR's own lircd.conf, which enables LIRC to accept many commands specific to CommandIR including 'set-transmitters' which is outlined on the IR Emitter Setup page.

No Remotes Work with CommandIR

• Check that you have a compatible LIRC version and CommandIR is correctly setup
• Check that you are using the userspace CommandIR driver and do not have lirc_cmdir or commandir kernel modules loaded (see above).
  
• If the CommandIR II's "A" light turns green, but CommandIR II's "remote" light only blinks red then LIRC doesn't recognize the remote.  Try finding another lircd.conf configuration or record your own - see Setup Remote Codes.
• Try another remote or program a Universal remote to transmit a remote that you can easily find an lircd.conf for to verify LIRC is setup correctly
• CommandIR's built-in receiver is fixed to demodulate 38kHz remote controls (most remotes).  Many set-top box remotes are 56kHz and require an external 56kHz receiver to work with CommandIR.

Only Some Remotes Work

• Try finding another lircd.conf configuration or record your own - see Setup Remote Codes.
• Try another remote or program a Universal remote to transmit a remote that you can easily find an lircd.conf for to verify LIRC is setup correctly
• CommandIR's built-in receiver is fixed to demodulate 38kHz remote controls (most remotes).  Many set-top box remotes are 56kHz and require an external 56kHz receiver to work with CommandIR.

Can't Record Remote Codes

• Try to find remote codes for your remote online.  Many devices of the same brand share the same remote codes, so it is not essential to lookup the exact model of your remote.
• CommandIR's built-in receiver is fixed to demodulate 38kHz remote controls (most remotes).  Many set-top box remotes are 56kHz and require an external 56kHz receiver to work with CommandIR.

CommandIR Can't Control Any Devices

• Make sure you can get CommandIR's emitter lights to blink using any remote or device (see above)
• Try getting CommandIR to transmit a known remote code to itself.  Run "lircd --driver=commandir" in Terminal 1, run "irw" in a second Terminal 2, and "irsend send_once hauppauge ok" (or whatever remote code you wish and have setup in your lircd.conf) in a third Terminal 3.
• Make sure you're transmitting on the correct emitter that runs to the device you wish to control
• Search for other lircd.conf remote codes for your devices.
  
• Reload LIRC (or restart lircd --driver=commandir) any time you add/remove remotes from your lircd.conf file

 Controlling a Device isn't 100% Reliable

• Check that the emitter is directly over the remote-receiving "eye" on your device
• Check that CommandIR is transmitting on the correct emitter and the device is not "overhearing" another emitter
• Cover the emitter with your hand or paper to prevent extra light, other remote codes, sunlight, and florescent light from interfering when testing - purchase or make a light blocker if this is the problem.
  
• If the device is a set-top box, check if you are using an lircd.conf file containing a "frequency 56000" line.  If not, search to see if others have the same file you are using working correctly, or if there is a better lircd.conf for your device
• Check that your lircd.conf file does not contain RAW CODES
  

You can email or call 905-910-0556 for support.