Argon One V3 M.2 + LibreElec + Argon IR Remote = problems with remote

ONE V3
1

So I got myself an Argon One V3 M.2 and the remote control so that I could build myself a nice Kobi media centre, I was able to install LibreElec onto an NVME drive, booted LibreElec up and followed the instructions to get the remote to work. I downloaded the zip file, and installed the Argon configuration add-on.

…however, the only button that works is the power button, and nothing else, I’ve been switch back and forth between controllers and keyboards trying to work out a way to get the other buttons to work, but with no luck. One user I read reinstalled LibreElec a few times along with the Argon Configurator before it worked, but now I’ve reinstalled LibreElec 3 times and I run into the same issue of onlt the power button working. I’ve seen the other few posts about the remote having issues with the V3 case along and posts about some other people discovering that without LibreElec the remote is limited to only the power and volume control. I can’t even get the volume control to work. I’m trying to fix of what I’ve missed out in the instructions, but I did as it says and I’m not getting any cigar other than the power button working. I even tried to install argon1.sh with curl through SSH, but seeing as you can only login with root, and root doesn’t use sudo, curl returned with an error about not using sudo, I assume this is the reason why for LibreElec, you use a zip file you install manually through a USB drive, because you can’t use curl and sudo in LibreElec.

I’ll read through the other forum posts about issues with the remote and solutions, but I’m hoping that someone out there might have the solution, it’s just annoying me because it looked so simple and yet I’ve spent almost all day trying to work out a way to make it work when I’ve done everything that I should’ve done.

2

Which versions of LibreELEC and the add-on do you have currently installed? Make sure you are not using the outdated add-on version 0.0.1 of Argon40. If you was researching in the LibreELEC forum and here as well, you should stumbled over that:

If this add-on version (currently 1.1.5) unexpectally not work, you should provide the content of the config.txt.
Reason: The power button of the remote control works without any additional software/configuration as well. But all other buttons depends on a correct configuration in config.txt, rc_maps and a working physical connection between IR receiver and RPi5. In the worst case, the latter one is maybe the issue.

Regarding the volume control, you could als get some kind of unexpected behaviour, depending on your setup and use case. HDMI CEC is enabled via default at HDMI0/HDMI-A-1 (HDMI port nearest to the USB-C connector) and could collidate with your assumption to control the volume of the KODI device (RPi5). Usually in that case the volume control is mapped to CEC and sends the information to the TV and/or AVR via HDMI.

3

I was going to ask how to find the version number, until I started to peep at the files inside the argonremote.zip file, and found the dreaded version 0.0.1 marked in the addon.xml file. So I downloaded the file you linked in github, had a look in that zip file to see that addon.xml had version 1.1.5 in it, and all the other files looked as the one in argonremote.zip. So I went over to my ElecLibre Pi and uninstalled the old argon add-on, put version 1.1.5 on a flash drive, installed it on the Pi and rebooted the machine.

…and Bob’s your Uncle! I finally got the clicking noises and cursor movement!

The volume buttons appear to work fine, though I did notice that my back and home buttons seem to be swapped, but at least I got the remote working now! Many thanks for that Harry! Makes me wish that the instructions had an amendment written to say go get the files from github over the link that’s written, though this could just be new-old stock and the file has been updated and changed location since. I’m just glad I got this working now! :smiley:

4

The linked version 1.1.5 is a fork of the outdated version 0.0.1, maintained by me since about May 2021. The GitHub repository was created in October 2023 to better track changes and make them more visible to others. Currently I’m preparing version 1.1.6. But starting with this version it will be renamed to “Argon ONE Control” to distinguish from the official provided version 0.0.1.
The renaming was needed, because a prerequiste to make it ready for integration in the official LibreELEC addons is to change the addon id. After that, you should find “Argon ONE Control” within the add-ons without the manual process via ZIP file.

Regarding the “Home” and “Back” buttons. You are the first one who tells this feedback. I’m not having the original Argon IR Remote so I can’t verify. If your assumption is true, the argon40.toml file contains the key mapping and could be changed.

Can you please confirm your experience with a new LibreELEC installation to rule out any legacy issues are left from your previous odyssey?

5

Just to add, I’ve continued to try and isolate this.

Following the LibreELEC Wiki on ir-remotes, and after stopping services for kodi and eventlircd

LibreELEC:/ # ir-keytable
Found /sys/class/rc/rc0/ with:
Name: gpio_ir_recv
Driver: gpio_ir_recv
Default keymap: rc-rc6-mce
Input device: /dev/input/event9
LIRC device: /dev/lirc0
Attached BPF protocols:
Supported kernel protocols: lirc rc-5 rc-5-sz jvc sony nec sanyo mce_kbd rc-6 sharp xmp imon rc-mm
Enabled kernel protocols: lirc nec
bus: 25, vendor/product: 0001:0001, version: 0x0100
Repeat delay: 500 ms, repeat period: 125 ms

LibreELEC:/ # ir-keytable -c -w /storage/.config/rc_keymaps/argon40.toml
Read Argon REMOTE table
Old keytable cleared
Wrote 11 keycode(s) to driver
Protocols changed to nec

LibreELEC:/ # ir-keytable -p nec -t
Protocols changed to nec
Testing events. Please, press CTRL-C to abort.

But pressing buttons on the remote does not show any events being received.
So something is intrinsically missing.

6

I am having issues with my new Argon ONE V3 M.2 using latest LibreELEC (12.2.1) and the Argon IR Remote, and as this forum post already existed about the same sort of issue, I’m adding here in the hope someone can help me.

I have followed the quick installation method (for LE12/LE13) from HungerHa/libreelec_addon_argononecontrol over on GitHub, which auto-installed the other required add-ons. I have performed a power off and remove of power cable after this, and rebooted cleanly a couple of times.

But the Argon IR Remote does not do anything in Kodi.

I have the following in my /flash/config.txt file

Argon ONE Control: fan control, power button events, IR support for ONE V1/2/3

dtparam=i2c=on
enable_uart=1
dtoverlay=gpio-ir,gpio_pin=23

And I can see the correct argon40.toml file is in place, and that the /storage/.config/rc_maps.cfg file contains a line at the bottom of
gpio_ir_recv * argon40.toml

But a long press on the remote does nothing (outside the led flashing red on the remote itself), there is no response in Kodi to the remote, and if I check the Inputs configuration in Kodi, the remote is not listed nor can I add it.

What am I doing wrong?
There are no errors in obvious log file locations.

I note that the r/o /etc directory has a rc_maps.cfg which doesn’t contain the line for the argon40.toml but I assume that isn’t what is actively being used.

This is a clean new install of LibreELEC 12 on the flash drive, and I’m booting from that despite having installed an nvme drive in the Argon ONE V3 M2 case, as that is something I may try later to move boot over to that.

But for now, and the reason I bought this specific case in the first place, I want to get the Argon IR Remote Control to actually work.

7

The first thing you should check is whether there is a hardware malfunction:

Can you turn on the case using the remote control? If not, there is a hardware problem, e.g. bad soldering points on one of the printed circuit boards involved inside the housing, more rarely but not impossible an assembly problem or a defective remote control.

8

I cannot turn on the case with the remote.

I did yet another clean install today of LibreELEC and just installed the single add-on, with associated reboots as directed between each stage, and it doesn’t work.

I’ve logged a call with Argon customer services, as I’m of the same opinion as you which is that this must be a hardware fault. If it is designed to “just work” by installing the add-on, that has never been the case for me. And that includes me trying this in Raspbian OS and using the correct scripts as detailed in the installation manual. LibreELEC and Raspbian both fail in the same way.

9

I am going round in circles.

I tell Argon CS that I’ve followed their instructions, and that my remote still doesn’t work. They tell me the 4 steps, and then share a video showing it working on their hardware. Great, because they obviously have a working machine and wouldn’t be selling something that doesn’t work together if they say it does.

I have now installed this multiple times, exactly following the instructions. In the latest email from CS, they made a tweak to the sequence, so I started from scratch again with a clean flash of LibreELEC 12.2.1 onto the flash drive and then followed their 4 steps. And of course, the remote still does not work.

The steps they state are:

As already recommended in our first communication, please ensure you add the ToolBox Script, followed by Raspberry Pi Tools, then System Tools, and lastly, the Argon ONE Control.

I am now so fed up with this, I’m almost to the point of just chucking it in the bin. No one seems able to understand that I may have faulty hardware (either case, remote, or both) and no one seems able to help me diagnose this.

Obviously other users out there with this case, remote, and Raspberry Pi 5 combo work, so it isn’t that I’m trying to do something unsupported.

Is there any way to know if this is a hardware issue? I think it is given that there are no remote commands received when testing with ir-keytable. But anything else I could try before I lose the will to live and throw this in the bin and buy something else (certainly never again from Argon that’s for sure).

10

How do you imagine hardware diagnostic from remote location? You could rule out the remote, if you repeat your ir-keytables excercise with another remote control of your choice. Variants of RC6 (IR protocol) are very common, so you can test against your TV remote control, set-top-box or something like that. The IR sensor (if it works) is not restricted to a specific IR protocol. Alternatively you could record with a mobile phone or digital camera the IR sensor of the remote control, while you press some keys. Usually the IR signal will be visible on the video.

If you do not get any kind of reaction with the case, you have a hardware fault with one of these:

  • Argon ONE V3 PCB
  • RPi5 (rarely, but I’ve read it here before)
  • IR sensor (very unlikely)

My personal recommendation before you fill the bin: If you (or a friend of you) have the skills, grab a magnification glass, a soldering iron and search for bad soldering points on the PCB of the Argon ONE case. Unfortunately, this happens more often than it should with their printed circuit boards.

The following depends on whether the remote sends an IR signal: Like I mentioned, at the latest after the case has been unplugged from the power socket and plugged in again, you should be able to power on the case with the Argon remote control. As you wrote, that this doesn’t work. So for now you can exclude the RPi5 and concentrate your chase to the Argon ONE printed circuit board. I would start in the near of the IR sensor pads.

11

I accept there is a challenge to remote diagnose a potential hardware fault.

Normally, logs and tests show or evidence an issue.

I have tested the 6 remote controls I have in my house with ir-keytable and under all protocols, and no responses were received from any of them under any protocol. I made sure to follow the LibreELEC Wiki on how to do this and what services to stop beforehand.

Heavily suggesting a hardware fault.

I have neither the skills or friends to try and fix any solder issues, so I have emailed Argon CS, and also ThePiHut CS as that is where I purchased the case and remote from, with a view to returning the case for a replacement given it is likely a faulty case.

12

That is the right decision, and should the way to get a working one or a refund.

1 Like
13

Warranty replacement case arrived, and I assembled with the same Pi 5, same flash and NVMe drives. Turned on the with remote first time, and working fine within LibreELEC/Kodi.

So defintely a hardware fault with the original case.

Shame it took me so long to diagnose that, but its all working now which is all that matters.