How to wake your PC with a remote + USB-UIRT

[DFA]

Here is how to set up USB_UIRT to wake your HTPC:

First, let it be understood that Girder is not required for the USB-UIRT to do its job to wake the HTPC once it is configured. However, Girder is needed to gain access to the USB-UIRT to set it up. A number of people have commented that John of USB-UIRT should write a small utility to do this and I agree.

Following are the steps to configure the USB-UIRT to wake the HTPC:

1. Open up your Girder file and insert a new command using the "Add Command" function and place it anywhere you want. This wll be deleted when done so does not matter. You can use an existing command but I prefer to just insert a new one. Don't bother to rename it (leave it at the default name of 'New').

2. With the new command highlighted, click on the "Plugins" tab at the lower right of Girder window. Click on and highlight "USB-UIRT driver". Now click on the "Settings" button.

3. The USB-UIRT driver applett should now be open. Click on the "Configuration" button in the upper right corner of the USB-UIRT applett. This will open another dialog box.

4. In the new dialog box, click on the tab at top that says "Remote Wake-Up".

5. This is where we want to be. Note that there is a parameter called "Program Slot". This is where you can have USB-UIRT learn and save in its own memeory up to 4 different IR commands to wake the PC. Assuming this is your first 'wakeup' IR command, leave it at "1". Make sure the check box labeled "Enable USB-UIRT Hardware Wake-Up Support" is checked.

6. Now press the "Learn" button and place your remote close the the USB-UIRT just as you would normally do to learn Girder an IR event. Press the button on your remote that you intend the USB-UIRT to use to wake the PC.

7. If your remote does not 'repeat' for the particular command you are giving, press the "Accept Burst" button. If your remote does repeat but the 'Learn Progress' bar does not go all the way across to completion, go back to the first USB-UIRT dialog box and increase the 'Repeat' value to say 7 to 10.

8. Once the the 'Learn Progress' bar has gone all the way across or the "Accept Burst" button is pushed, the 'Learning' dialog box will automatically close. The newly learned IR string should now be visible in the 'IR Code:' box.

9. Now Press the "Program Flash" button. This is important in order that your code be written to the USB-UIRT non-volatile memory. If you wish the USB-UIRT to learn more IR commands to wake the PC, increment the "Program Slot" value to the next unused slot and repeat the learning process for the new slot being sure to press the "Program Flash" button for each learned code slot.

10. When done, click on the "Close" button and then click on the "OK" button for the first USB-UIRT dialog box.

11. To complete things, delete the temporary 'new command' created in the Girder file to access the USB-UIRT applett.

12. Test your new HTPC remote control wake command by putting your PC in sleep.

Be aware that your PC must be set up to wake on a USB event in order for the USB-UIRT to be able to work. This may involve a BIOS setting and/or some jumpers on the MB which supply standby voltage (5 VDC) to the USB ports while the PC is in sleep or hibernation. You may also need to make a registery edit that is referenced in the first post of this thread.

Conversly Girder has command functions for being able to put your PC in suspend or hibernation. Girder also has its own scheduler (Time Server). I use the Girder 'Suspend' command with the same IR event that turns the TV Off. The IR event which turns the TV On is the same one I have learned to the USB-UIRT to wake the HTPC (the procedure given above). I also have a Girder 'Time Server' event to put the HTPC to sleep at 2:00 AM because I have probably gone to sleep myself on the sofa (if prefered, instead of Girder's "Time Server", you can use MS's scheduler in conjunction with Girder's "event.exe" to accomplish the same thing).

I have found Sage 2.1 to be working well at waking the HTPC and making its recordings and putting the PC back to sleep. I understand that Sage does not yet wake and record for scheduled IR (Intelligent Recording) programs yet. I do not use IR so not so important to me but may be deal breaker for others.

DFA

[jrhees]

As an FYI - the lrnHelper app can also do this without Girder: www.usbuirt.com/lrnhelper_0_0_3.zip

-Jon

[scat]

In the effort to conserve energy and reduce the heat in my bedroom I looked for a way to shut down my Sage server when it wasn't recording.

I made a picturial guide when I programed my USB-UIRT
to wake up my pc from sleep mode.
I had seen many links some with missing pictures.

What needs to be done:
1.) Sage - Nothing to set for power management, it knows when the computer has been put to sleep.
2.) Windows - I set mine to go to Sleep after 20 minutes.

I have tested this on my system and
Sage did wake up the pc 3 minutes before the recording was to start.

I just love it when thing just work,
Thanks Sage Team
Thanks to Jon Rhees for making the USB-UIRT flashable

Edit: 10-26-09 added zip file
Zip contains revised PDf guide, SageTV.gml, SageTV Client.gml for use with girder,
you don't have to buy girder you can use the trial verson.
download Girder 5 Trial here: http://www.promixis.com/
then follow my attached guide in zip file.

Edit: 11-29-2009 added pdf: How to program 1 of 4 slots for the USB-UIRT with Learn Helper Utility.pdf
I have made a picturial guide for using the USB-UIRT Learn Helper Utility
Download the Learn Helper Utility here: http://www.usbuirt.com/lrnhelper_0_0_5.zip



Hope this helps someone
Scat

[timg11]

I recently purchased the USB-UIRT from SageTV. I have
Model USBUIRT0038Z, Firmware Version 5.9, ProtVer=1.1, FirmwareDate=3/26/2004

I'm trying to configure the USB-UIRT to bring the PC out of hibernation.
I'm using LRNhelper 0.5.

In the File Menu, I select "Wake Up Configuration". At that point the cursor becomes an hourglass when over LRNhelper, and LRNhelper is non-responsive. I wait a few minutes, but nothing happens. When I get tired of waiting, I can click the X and use the "End Program Now" dialog.

Has anybody else been able to get the USB-UIRT to wake up the computer by using LRNhelper?

[timg11]

I tried a few more times to get LRNhelper to run. Re-starting LRNHelper eventually brought up the Wake-Up Configuration dialog without hanging.

I checked the "Enable USB-UIRT Wake-Up Feature box, and learned the two codes (my OCAP remote sends different codes for the same button on alternating pushes). Each wake-up code was learned and saved to different Wake-Up IR Slots. I clicked Program Flash after learning each slot.

I checked the BIOS settings, and there is nothing there related to enabling wake-up by USB. I checked the motherboard's manual, and there are no motherboard jumpers to enable waking by USB.

The USB-UIRT is functional (powered up) when the computer is hibernating. It blinks the LED, but it does not wake the computer.


This article says "Other types of USB devices can be enabled to wake the computer if you click to select the Allow this device to bring the computer out of standby check box. You can click to select this check box on the Power Management property page in Device Manager."

Unfortunately, the USB-UIRT device properties page in Device Manager does not have a Power Management property page tab. It has "General, Driver, and Details". None of those have power checkboxes.

How is the USB-UIRT enabled to wake the system? Am I looking in the wrong place in Device Manager? I found the USB-UIRT under the tree of "Universial Serial Bus controllers".

[Fuzzy]

Originally Posted by timg11

This article says "Other types of USB devices can be enabled to wake the computer if you click to select the Allow this device to bring the computer out of standby check box. You can click to select this check box on the Power Management property page in Device Manager."

Unfortunately, the USB-UIRT device properties page in Device Manager does not have a Power Management property page tab. It has "General, Driver, and Details". None of those have power checkboxes.

How is the USB-UIRT enabled to wake the system? Am I looking in the wrong place in Device Manager? I found the USB-UIRT under the tree of "Universial Serial Bus controllers".

Did you also make the registry change mentioned in that Microsoft article?

[scat]

timg11

I couldn't get LRNhelper to work either, so I used the trial verson of girder, I have revised my guide see post #3 above.

Scat

[bluenote]

I can't get my PC to keep the UIRT powered, and I don't see anything that really jumps out at me in the BIOS.

I also tried that registry setting, and it did not add a "power management" tab to the USB UIRT.

Anyone with the USB UIRT set up to wake the PC from hibernation care to comment?

thanks

Cory

[Fuzzy]

It is something that has to be supported by the motherboard. This can be either a BIOS setting, or a jumper on the motherboard, or a combination of both.

[timg11]

I have made the registry changes from the MS article. Like cnovak, there is no "power management" tab for the USB-UIRT device.
I do have power on the USB-UIRT when the computer is hibernating. The red LED blinks when I send it the "power on" code. But the system continues to hibernate.

I was able to get LRNhelper to work, and capture the Power code from the remote (the two varieties on alternating button pushes are store to two "slots").

How can I debug this? Is there a way to get the USB-UIRT to identify when it gets a "match" on the stored wake-up signal?
Exactly what kink of a signal does the USB-UIRT send to the systems USB host controller that is supposed to wake up the system?

[Fuzzy]

Originally Posted by timg11

I have made the registry changes from the MS article. Like cnovak, there is no "power management" tab for the USB-UIRT device.
I do have power on the USB-UIRT when the computer is hibernating. The red LED blinks when I send it the "power on" code. But the system continues to hibernate.

I was able to get LRNhelper to work, and capture the Power code from the remote (the two varieties on alternating button pushes are store to two "slots").

How can I debug this? Is there a way to get the USB-UIRT to identify when it gets a "match" on the stored wake-up signal?
Exactly what kink of a signal does the USB-UIRT send to the systems USB host controller that is supposed to wake up the system?

I think hibernate is your problem... I'm not sure the USB-UIRT will wake from S4 (hibernation). It will only work from S3 or lower (Full sleep).

[timg11]

Fuzzy is correct. I reconfigured the system to only enter standby (S3) state, and it is now able to wake up from the USB-UIRT.

I had originally selected Hibernate since it fully shuts down the computer. I measured the power before and after with a Kill-a-watt. In hibernate, the system draws 7W, and in S3 standby, it draws 9W, so it it is a minor difference.

Even though resuming from hibernate requires reading a 4 Gbyte memory image off the hard disk, it is faster than the wake up from S3 standby. It takes about 1 minute before the desktop becomes visible from S3 standby.

[Malfunction]

Originally Posted by jrhees

As an FYI - the lrnHelper app can also do this without Girder: www.usbuirt.com/lrnhelper_0_0_3.zip

-Jon

New version:

http://www.usbuirt.com/lrnhelper_0_0_5.zip

I tried this, it works. Also used it to disable the blinky red LED.

[Malfunction]

Has anyone noticed it can be hit-or-miss when the PC awakes, that is Sage runs fine from the mouse but doesn't respond to the remote on the USB-UIRT which just woke it? Restarting SageTV fixes this, but it would be nice if it weren't necessary.

Also occasionally the USB-UIRT isn't discovered when waking to record a show, resulting in missed channel changes until I restart SageTV. Once it sticks, it stays stuck and keeps missing shows. Because of this I've given up sleeping. Oddly enough, my wireless keyboard never disappears.

No problems with USB-UIRT otherwise.