node-lirc

node-lirc is an npm module that provides a wrapper around some LIRC executables so that you can make LIRC calls from node.

It is intended to be used in a scenario where you want to control infrared devices from a Node.js application.

LIRC

LIRC is an open source software package that allows you to send and receive infrared commands from Linux.

It provides certain command line executables like irrecord, that allow you to record your remotes signal codes, and irsend, that uses those codes to send them back to your devices.

Configuration

To configure the module add this structure to a config.json file at the root of your app.

/// Default configuration
{
    "node-lirc": {
	    "commands": {
    		"lircd": "lircd",
    		"irrecord": "irrecord",
    		"irsend": "irsend",
    		"unbuffer": "unbuffer"
        },
	    "lirc_driver": "default",
    	"lirc_conf": "/etc/lirc/lircd.conf",
        "lirc_pid": "/var/run/lirc/lircd.pid",
	    "device": "/dev/lirc0",
    	"tmp_dir": "tmp/",
    	"remote": "MY_REMOTE"
	}
}

Installation

$ npm install node-lirc

How to use it

Require the module and initialize it

var nodeLIRC = require('node-lirc');

nodeLIRC.init();

Recording remote signal codes

// Setup the event listeners
nodeLIRC.on('stdout', function(event) {
	console.log(event.instructions);
	
	...
	
	if (event.eventName == 'EVENT_BUTTON_NAME')
		nodeLIRC.writeLine('VOLUME_UP');
		
	...
});

nodeLIRC.on('stderr', function(data) {
	console.log('irrecord output stderr: ' + data.toString());
});

nodeLIRC.on('exit', function(code) {
	console.log('irrecord exited with code ' + (code?code.toString():'(unknown)'));
});

nodeLIRC.on('remote-config-ready', function(remoteConfig) {
        console.log(remoteConfig.name + " remote is READY.");
        console.log("Configuration file data:\n" + remoteConfig.configuration);
        // Insert or Update the new remote configuration into lirc config file
        nodeLIRC.upsertRemote(remoteConfig.name, remoteConfig.configuration, (error) => {
        	if (!error)
            	nodeLIRC.reloadData();
        });
    });

// Start the remote control recording process
nodeLIRC.record('<MY_NEW_REMOTE_NAME>');

Sending remote signal codes

// Get all the remotes and commands known by LIRC
console.log(nodeLIRC.remotes);

// Tell our Samsung TV to turn the volume up
nodeLIRC.send("Samsung_AA59-00581A", "VOLUME_UP");

Irrecord events reference

Every event json object provided to the listener function when an event is fired consist of:

event = {
	eventName: "EVENT_NAME",		///(String) Event name
	error: 0,						///(Int) 0:OK, 1:warning, 2:critical
	trigger: ['...', '...'],		///(String Array) Strings used to parse the
										irrecord output to determine which event
										should be emitted
	triggeredMessage: '...',		///(String) Irrecord output that matched
										the trigger
	instructions: '...'				///(String) Instructions to follow in order to
										continue the irrecord flow
}

Available events are:

• EVENT_WELCOME
• EVENT_ANALYSIS
• EVENT_DOT
• EVENT_CONST_LENGTH
• EVENT_TIMEOUT_RAW_MODE
• EVENT_ANALYSIS_FINISHED
• EVENT_BUTTON_NAME
• EVENT_HOLD_BUTTON
• EVENT_TOGGLE_BIT_MASK
• EVENT_FINISHED
• EVENT_TIMEOUT
• EVENT_TIMEOUT_NO_SIGNAL

Development

Feel free to contribute and improve this module.

Clone the repository:

git clone git://github.com/chemaalfaya/node-lirc.git

Then:

cd node-lirc
npm install

And... happy coding!

License

(The ISC License)

Copyright (c) 2016 Chema Alfaya Montero <chemaalfaya@gmail.com>

Permission to use, copy, modify, and/or distribute this software for any purpose with or without fee is hereby granted, provided that the above copyright notice and this permission notice appear in all copies.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND THE AUTHOR DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES WITH REGARD TO THIS SOFTWARE INCLUDING ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHOR BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER RESULTING FROM LOSS OF USE, DATA OR PROFITS, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE OR OTHER TORTIOUS ACTION, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.