# Infrared Controller of IBM Thinkpad

## The_P

I have an IBM Thinkpad T43 which has a built in infrared device. It's very hard to find something about it on the web. http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/NS_PC8394T.

Now I would like to use the device as lirc device. I found something on this http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/How_to_make_use_of_IrDA#LIRC_and_IrDA. Now my problem is that I can load the lirc_sir module without problems but the device is not working. I used mode2, mode2 --device=/dev/lirc/0, oder just cat /dev/lirc/0. With all this commands I get no error messages and also no output. It is just doing nothing. I also tried to change the irq und io option of the lirc_sir module but It also didn't work.Last edited by The_P on Thu Aug 24, 2006 8:01 pm; edited 1 time in total

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## randal1

Hi!

I have a thinkpad t42 and am trying to do the same thing.  I would love to know how you even got that far to be honest!  I'm at the point where I am trying to load the lirc_sir module, and my system just freezes everytime, so I have to reboot my laptop by holding the power button down. 

I can see the device in my dmesg, any ideas?

Many thanks  :Smile: 

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## wipp

Hi

I had the same freeze problem using a 2.6.17 kernel.

I tried the 2.6.15-r1 and   :Mr. Green:  I got signals using mode2!

What I did:

```
 echo 'LIRC_DEVICES="sir"' >> /etc/make.conf 
```

```
emerge lirc
```

```

alias char-major-61 lirc-sir

options lirc-sir io=0x02f8 irq=3

install lirc-sir /bin/setserial /dev/ttyS1 uart none port 0 irq 0; /sbin/modprobe --ignore-install lirc-sir

```

You can drop the last line if you don't have serial drivers built into the kernel or as module.

It is necessary only if "modprobe lirc-sir" fails with "Device or resource busy".

```
 modules-update 
```

```
 modprobe lirc-sir 
```

Now mode2 should give some output if you press some keys on the remote control

Hope that helps

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## randal1

thanks for your response  :Smile: 

I actually managed to get the module to load properly in the end without the system locking up.  I had to load the module with the following parameters 

 *Quote:*   

> modprobe lirc_sir io=0x02f8 irq=3

 

and that did it.

Sorry, I should have posted this back sooner   :Embarassed: 

Many thanks

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## wipp

randal: did you get irsend to work?

It seems that nothing happens if I use irsend to send the signals I recorded with irrecord (irsend gives no error).

I tried to send the signals with SEND_START (in an other topic they had to send the signal multiple times) but no success.

Then I used a remote config file from the lirc homepage.

```

irsend SEND_ONCE VCR POWER

```

I got the following error:

```

irsend: command failed: SEND_ONCE VCR POWER

irsend: transmission failed

```

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## The_P

 *wipp wrote:*   

> Hi
> 
> I had the same freeze problem using a 2.6.17 kernel.
> 
> I tried the 2.6.15-r1 and   I got signals using mode2!
> ...

 

This does not work for me. I am using kernel 2.6.17 I have no freeze. Is it working for you also with 2.6.17 versions of the kernel?

Which notebook do you have exactly.

I have still the same behavior that I described above.

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## wipp

I have a Thinkpad A31.

I don't have played with the kernel configuration but my system locks up with 2.6.17 using my current config.

But not with 2.6.15-r1.

 *The_P wrote:*   

> 
> 
> Now my problem is that I can load the lirc_sir module without problems but the device is not working. 
> 
> 

 

Are you sure that your module is called "lirc_sir" and not "lirc-sir" (just in case)?

What does your dmesg say after loading lirc-sir?

Do you have other serial drivers in your kernel config?

Have you enabled Infrared in the bios?

Have you specified the same base I/O adress and the same irq for the module as set in the bios (config -> Infrared)?

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## randal1

My Thinkpad T42 IR receiver would only work if I loaded the module with the following parameters 

 *Quote:*   

> 
> 
> modprobe lirc_sir io=0x02f8 irq=3

 

Also, make sure you enable the IR receiver in the BIOS.  Check that it appears by grepping dmesg when you boot.

Sorry its only a quick post, let me know how it goes  :Smile: 

EDIT: Just wanted to add... It is a terrible receiver, and I (and others in forums) have noticed that it only works with a range of about 1 metre...but I still wanted to get it working just to test it.  Unfortunately, the others were right so I played with it for about a day and then scrapped it.  Good luck though!

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## wipp

randal:

What about your transmitter?

Where you able to send signals with irsend?

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## randal1

no, only ever tested receiving signals which worked fine.

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