Home brew pc serial infrared receiver

Installing Girder Navigate to wherever you saved the Girder Installer file and double-click on it to launch the installation. Follow the prompts to complete the installation, using the default options as presented.

This is where we tell Girder which plugins to load. All that remains is to program it for the task at hand, which in this case is to control either Winamp or WinDVD in conjunction with the infrared hardware. Point your browser to www. There are two sets of files for each application, one for use with universal remotes RC5 and one for Playstation remotes Sony. Setting up Girder Launch Girder from the Windows www. From the main menu bar at the top of the Girder window, click on File and choose Settings.

Double-click on the file appropriate for your setup. These options ensure that everything happens automatically at Windows startup. GML files. That done, we can now set up Girder to receive data from the infrared receiver hardware.

Change the settings as necessary to match those shown in Fig. In addition, two settings need to be altered to suit your system. For a universal remote, www. Look down on the Windows task bar. Information here determines the basic format of the on-screen displays and can be changed to suit your taste.

System checkout When Windows starts, Girder should start up automatically. An icon in the System Tray will be the only indication that it is running. To control both applications on the same system, you need to switch between the two Girder group files.

To do this, double-click on the Girder icon in the System Tray to open it. This is just one of many available for download from www. Still not working? Double-click on the Girder icon in the System Tray to open it. Along the top of the Girder window, you should see the name of the currently loaded group file. The contents of the file are displayed on the left side of the Girder window. This is the programming information that instructs Girder on what action to take when it receives a remote key press.

Assuming it was loaded successfully, point your remote at the receiver and press any key. The 4-byte code for the key should appear on the status bottom bar of the Girder window. The first byte is always FE the sync byte , the next is the equipment address, the third is the key code and the last byte is the checksum. It is vital that the second byte of the string is 05, as this is the equipment address for VCRs. Note: the above information applies only to universal remotes set up for Philips or compatible appliances.

For Playstation remotes, the code will be five bytes long and cannot be incorrect. No go? Then you can determine if the serial connection is working by monitoring the COM port input with any serial terminal application.

Check out RealTerm, available free from realterm. Note: Girder must be closed before attempting to access the serial port from any other application. This type of remote can be programmed to work with hundreds of different devices. The receiver module masquerades as a Philips brand appliance. Although many different manufacturers use the Philips infrared protocol RC5 , always try the Philips codes first. Unfortunately, no two universal remotes are alike when it comes to the function keys.

Some have more keys than others and to confuse matters, key labelling differs even though the keys might transmit identical codes. These are available at reasonable prices especially the clones and provide all the keys necessary to control a DVD player with ease.

By contrast, shift is active for one key press only in Winamp. Table 2: Winamp functions and the associated remote control keys.

The tree expands to show a number of folders groups underneath. C1 is optional but I recommend using it anyway. R1 is a pull-up that makes sure the DCD line is on a valid voltage level if the receiver does not receive anything. If you have problems with this circuit or want to use it on a serial port that does not provide enough voltage for the regulator, you should use the more advanced circuit PCB layout suggested by Thomas Breuer in this mailing list post.

This circuit addresses both problems but will need some additional parts. Here is a small overview of the most important pins of standard 9-pin and pin SUB-D serial port connectors:.

They show the receiver build into a SUB-D hood. The original circuit used resistors to get the 5V voltage but as this caused problems for many people it shouldn't be used anymore. Andreas Nestler came up with a nice idea for a receiver casing. He assembled the infrared receiver inside an old mouse. Note that he had to replace the old mouse plug because not all the necessary signals were passed through.

Serial Port Receivers. If possible use another receiver IC. It picks up ambient light and is nearly unusable with fluorescent lamps. If ever possible get a different receiver.

Z available in Australia at Dick Smith Electronics Check the pinout, it's different from most other modules. It has been reported to also work well with 38kHz remotes. You can recompile the serial Infrared receiver files to examine the operation of the code using the built in simulator or change the source code.

The hex file is contained within the download. The only use for main is to initialize the ports and interrupts - it then enters an infinite loop waiting for an interrupt. Input pin RB0 is used as an interrupt source and then polled. An interrupt for RB0 is setup to trigger when a rising edge occurs probably should be falling edge as the decoded output is inverted - but it works as is!

It also returns control to the interrupt routine at an appropriate point; waiting for the next remote control key press. Read more. One common problem: Programming a sketch into the chip without a reset control - solved here. How Arduino strtok works, and how to use it and how to avoid problems. How to use Arduino if else statements to make decisions in your programs.

There are two functions to measure microseconds in an Arduino: pulsein and pulseInLong. Interrupts must be on for one and off for the other Best Microcontroller Projects. Universal Serial Infrared Receiver. Serial infrared remote receiver schematics.

Comments Have your say about what you just read! Leave me a comment in the box below. Recent Articles. Readers Comments. I find here many useful projects and tips. Learn Microcontrollers. Very useful, uncovered, honest and clear. Thanks so much for your time and works.