TIP_Start_your_Roomba_remotely

This article is part of the Tips & Tricks series.

Terminals / Shells • Network • X Window System • Portage • System • Filesystems • Kernel • Other

Before you begin, you must have lirc setup up with an irblaster. See LIRC

1 Introduction
2 lircd.conf
3 Restart Lircd
4 Testing the IR Control of the Roomba
5 Starting on time
- 5.1 Setup
- 5.2 Schedule

Introduction

So let's say you don't have a Roomba with the scheduler function. Furthermore, let's say your apartment/condo has requirements about noise, where you cannot start your Roomba and leave for work (or you want to start your Roomba remotely). This is how I got mine working.

lircd.conf

Let's start by defining the remote codes.

Add this to the end of your /etc/lircd.conf

File: /etc/lircd.conf

# this config file was automatically generated
# using lirc-0.8.2(default) on Sun Oct  7 19:28:15 2007
#
# contributed by GBob
#
# brand: iRobot
# model no. of remote control: Standard Roomba Remote
# devices being controlled by this remote: Roomba Discovery/400 Series
#

begin remote

  name	    roomba
  flags	    RAW_CODES|CONST_LENGTH
  eps       30
  aeps      100

  ptrail    0
  repeat    0     0
  gap	    91790

      begin raw_codes

          name clean
             2831     886     972    2709     944    2711
              943    2710    2743     893     958    2723
              931    2722     927   19304    2811     897
              954    2726     927    2726     927    2726
             2747     889     966    2714     942    2710
              941

          name spot
             2855     858     961    2720     935    2718
              934    2718     937    2716    2744     893
              960    2721     931   19526    2829     882
              968    2711     943    2711     942    2710
              942    2710    2744     893     960    2720
              934

          name max
             2818     898     957    2725     931    2723
              933    2720     936    2718    2749     890
              966    2714    2748   17722    2831     882
              961    2720     925    2729     927    2726
              926    2728    2753     886     968    2713
             2749

          name power
             2837     883     970    2711     943    2712
              942    2711    2747     893     963    2718
             2755     886     965   19522    2816     895
              955    2727     928    2726     930    2724
             2758     883     970    2712    2748     891
              962

          name pause
             2823     897     956    2729     933    2723
              936    2721    2751     889     965    2722
              937    2721    2748   17726    2828     886
              970    2713     942    2713     939    2716
             2753     888     970    2714     942    2713
             2754

      end raw_codes

end remote

Restart Lircd

Now that the configuration has changed, lircd needs to be restarted. A simple /etc/init.d/lircd restart should do it.

Testing the IR Control of the Roomba

Your ir transmitter may need to be quite close (within 1 inch for me) to the Roomba's receiver. Run:

irsend SEND_ONCE roomba clean

You should hear the tones and your Roomba should start up.

Starting on time

While you can create a contab, this example will be based on the at command. If you do not have at installed, a simple emerge -av at should do ya. Make sure you rc-update add atd default and /etc/init.d/atd start if you're adding at. You may also want to install and configure ntp.

Setup

Make a script to run the Roomba.

File: ~/roomba_start.sh

#!/bin/bash
irsend SEND_ONCE roomba clean

Make the file executable:

chmod +x ~/roomba_start.sh

Schedule

Schedule the next run (at 8:02 am in this case):

at -f ~/roomba_start.sh 8:02 AM

Please note, the use of AM/PM is a good thing. If you do not use the AM/PM suffix, at assumes you're entering in military time. This can be quite unpleasant when your Roomba starts at 3 am.

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