DIY: build your own c200 'IR eye' for cheap

[linuxworks]

here it is, the long-awaited DIY article on how to build your own 'IR eye' module using commonly available parts.

essentially, 2 things are needed; the jack+cable and the IR receiver module.

the IR module I used was from radio shack:

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index....Id=2049727

$3.99 locally. I would not pay more than this since the parts (better ones, in fact) are available via the mailorder places. here are some links to known good IR modules:

http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSear...51-1227-ND
part # TSOP38238 digikey # 751-1227-ND ($0.98 each)

http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSear...-1385-5-ND
part # TSOP34338 digikey # 751-1385-5-ND ($1.31 each)

what you need to search for is 38khz and that it accepts 5v (in range) for power. they all should, though.

you can also check mouser. do a search on 'vishay tsop 38khz' and parts should show up:

http://www.mouser.com part# 782-TSOP34838 ($1.14 each)
http://www.mouser.com part# 782-TSOP4838 ($0.95 each)

you can also check newark.com and farnell.com

that covers the IR receiver module.

the 1/8" stereo TRS (tip ring sleeve) jack comes from any old abandoned walkman stereo earbuds. or just buy a 1/8" male jack and wire it up yourself.

some photos:







the last one shows how to connect the various pins on the IR module to the various 'bands' on the TRS male plug. you cannot assume that manufacturers followed any standard ;( usually, tip is left, ring is right and sleeve is ground. use a continuity or ohm-meter to 'ring out' which wire in your cable goes to which band on the plug.

double check that. IR modules are known to break (quickly) if you connect power and ground incorrect.

reminder: center pin is ground! center pin is ground. center pin is ground.

(repetition is the key to learning)


safety note: since TRS plugs temporarily short connections when you insert or remove, I STRONGLY SUGGEST you power down the PCH before you insert or remove the plug. this goes for any kind of device that uses shorting metal TRS or TS (mono) jacks for carrying power. (when, oh when, will manufactuers STOP sending power over shorting-style pins! argh!!!)

that's about all I can think of, for this mod. it might be a good idea to get some heat-shrink tubing to cover the bare soldered leads. install this unit with not too long of a cable. if you run a cable more than, say, 4 feet, you may want a 'filter cap' across the +5v and ground lines. something like a 1uF or 10uF cap (watch polarity! electrolytics have a band marking MINUS or ground. note it.) would work ok. I would only use the cap if the cable was really long, though. see if you can get by without it.

hope this is useful to those who don't want to wait or spend money on the IR eye.

total cost can be as low as $1+shipping from the mailorder places, assuming you have some junk earbuds you can sacrifice for this job. total build time should be less than half an hour.

cheers!

[tux99]

Thanks, great post!

Would this one work?

http://www2.produktinfo.conrad.com/daten...m_2638.pdf

I could get this one locally for under 3 dollars.

[linuxworks]

(10-03-2009 08:13 PM)tux99 Wrote:  Thanks, great post!

Would this one work?

http://www2.produktinfo.conrad.com/daten...m_2638.pdf

that should work. key phrase 'demod output sig can be *directly* decoded by processor'. logic level, demod and filtered. and it says 38k. that's what we want

pinout looks the same, too.

[hamasaki]

Cool, I have a bunch of TSOP34838 leftover from another project.
But... I have no problems with RF remote... At all... Infact remote is the best thing that actually works on the C200, everything else pretty much doesn't.

[linuxworks]

my rf remote works ok, too.

what I like about IR is that its scriptable (for me). I can have my programmable IR blaster (arduino based) 'do things' and not need a physical remote. with the rf-only way, you can't quite do that.

I also have a multibrand handheld remote that I like and I've assigned some buttons to my amp/dac/volume-control and some to navigation on the PCH. again, I would not be able to do that if being limited to rf.

[benji99]

So looking at IRK kit, it uses a small cap (can't remember rating). As long as I power down the unit it should be ok without a cap? I am unhappy with the IR eye from PCH, so I've ordered 5 different IR modules. I plan on wiring them into the original IRK Housing first and also into a seperate 1/8" stereo plug ... to see which would work best!

[linuxworks]

(10-09-2009 04:18 PM)benji99 Wrote:  So looking at IRK kit, it uses a small cap (can't remember rating). As long as I power down the unit it should be ok without a cap?

the cap is only there when the cable is 'long'. I would start off without the cap and see how reliable your reception is. if you get a lose of 'falses' then add the cap across power and ground.

value is not critical, almost anything that you have will work (1uF, 10uF, but not more than 10 I would guess. probably not less than .1 either). voltage is 5v so make it 10v on the cap just for safety factor.

[mjasinsk]

Hi,

I used old Irda to COM receiver and also works perfectly. From the first use my harmony one (programmed for A110) started to work. Cool

[DrLove]

THANK YOU x1000!!

I have ordered some IR-modules now (~$3).
Looking forward to be able to use my Harmony 525 again.

//L

[bobytt]

Let me ask you something. My main concern is can i use this with Harmony1000? From what i read so far to use it with C-200 RF is pain in the ass...

[linuxworks]

(10-22-2009 09:28 PM)bobytt Wrote:  Let me ask you something. My main concern is can i use this with Harmony1000? From what i read so far to use it with C-200 RF is pain in the ass...

I don't know too much about the harmonys but as long as they can learn NEC style IR protocol (yes, the pch uses NEC codes) then you should be ok.

I've scanned hex codes that come out of the pch ir handheld remote (using an arduino and lcd to show the long-int hex code) and its basic, simple, NEC language. the only trick is that NEC uses 0xffffffff as a repeat code, and so when you press and hold an arrow key (say) the first one is the actual longword and all the rest in the series are ffff's until you release the key.

not sure if that helps or not, though

[DrLove]

(10-23-2009 03:40 AM)linuxworks Wrote:  I don't know too much about the harmonys but as long as they can learn NEC style IR protocol (yes, the pch uses NEC codes) then you should be ok.

I've scanned hex codes that come out of the pch ir handheld remote (using an arduino and lcd to show the long-int hex code) and its basic, simple, NEC language. the only trick is that NEC uses 0xffffffff as a repeat code, and so when you press and hold an arrow key (say) the first one is the actual longword and all the rest in the series are ffff's until you release the key.

not sure if that helps or not, though

The Harmony 525 has native support for the PCH A-110 and AFAIK the #1000 should have the same support.

[jermaine]

I made the IR eye, but how to use another remote IR?

How to configure harmony 885 on it? the original remote from c200 is RF

[linuxworks]

(10-27-2009 09:00 PM)jermaine Wrote:  I made the IR eye, but how to use another remote IR?

How to configure harmony 885 on it? the original remote from c200 is RF

you need to know the hex/binary codes for each of the keys OR have access to an original pch remote to learn or 'sniff' the key codes from.

I'm not sure if it will help or not, but I could sniff all the a100 codes (onto an arduino controller platform that I use a lot) and then publish those codes. but it will be useful only to arduino guys; or ones that don't mind a little DIY building.

I can't help getting the codes into commercial remotes. but I can help with DIY remotes, for those that want to go that way.

[jermaine]

so, even with the IR eye, i will cannot do nothing, because the original remote from C200 do not work with the IR eye, right?