lirc hardware

[Captain Dondo]

I want to make a remote control for my mplayer DVD player using lirc (
http://www.lirc.org ). I have two IR receivers that I've scavenged; one
is a standard Vishay on a little circuit board and the other is a mystery
receiver all self-contained in a little package.

For appearance, I'd really like to use the self-contained one, but....

It's a little molded plastic blob, maybe 3/8" x 3/8" x 5/8", with a
self-adhesive backing on one side and what looks like a clear small (1/8"
- 2.5mm?) LED protruding from the other side. It has a wire that ends in
a 1/8" mini plug with 3 connectors (like a stereo 1/8" plug).

I know this is a receiver because it came with a piece of equipment (since
lost) that was meant to be controlled via a remote control. That's all I
know about it.

Any way to tell which band on the plug is connected to which lead on the
receiver? Or what the capabilities of the receiver are? (i.e. is it
compatible with the basic circuits on lirc.org?)

I don't know enough about these IR receivers to try dumb luck. Can I fry one
by hooking it up all wrong?

Thanks,

-Dondo

 

[Wade Hassler]

"Captain Dondo" <yan@NsOeSiPnAeMr.com> wrote in message news:<pan.2003.08.09.10.07.22.537329@NsOeSiPnAeMr.com>...

I want to make a remote control for my mplayer DVD player using lirc (
http://www.lirc.org ). I have two IR receivers that I've scavenged; one
is a standard Vishay on a little circuit board and the other is a mystery
receiver all self-contained in a little package.

For appearance, I'd really like to use the self-contained one, but....

It's a little molded plastic blob, maybe 3/8" x 3/8" x 5/8", with a
self-adhesive backing on one side and what looks like a clear small (1/8"
- 2.5mm?) LED protruding from the other side. It has a wire that ends in
a 1/8" mini plug with 3 connectors (like a stereo 1/8" plug).

I know this is a receiver because it came with a piece of equipment (since
lost) that was meant to be controlled via a remote control. That's all I
know about it.

Any way to tell which band on the plug is connected to which lead on the
receiver? Or what the capabilities of the receiver are? (i.e. is it
compatible with the basic circuits on lirc.org?)

I don't know enough about these IR receivers to try dumb luck. Can I fry one
by hooking it up all wrong?

Thanks,

-Dondo

MANY of them are like this:
Pin 1 (at left, looking at the photdoide) - Vout. Pull up with 4-10
K
Pin 2 Vcc. Probably 5 V
Pin 3 Gnd

Google the information for 'GP1U52X' as an example.
You will need to know the frequency of operation for these things,
too. They vary from 30-50 kilohertz

Digikey catalog (the poor/lazy man's tech reference) has a page near
the back that might help

Wade H

 

[Captain Dondo]

On Sat, 09 Aug 2003 09:00:42 -0700, Wade Hassler wrote:

Any way to tell which band on the plug is connected to which lead on the
receiver? Or what the capabilities of the receiver are? (i.e. is it
compatible with the basic circuits on lirc.org?)

I don't know enough about these IR receivers to try dumb luck. Can I fry one
by hooking it up all wrong?

Thanks,

-Dondo

MANY of them are like this:
Pin 1 (at left, looking at the photdoide) - Vout. Pull up with 4-10
K
Pin 2 Vcc. Probably 5 V
Pin 3 Gnd

The problem is that I can't see how the thing is wired, or even what it
looks like, except for the LED-looking thing that has an end sticking out.

For all practical purposes, it's a black box with a receiver on one end,
and three unknown connections on the other.

So, the only way to identify which lead is which is by some sort of
electrical test....

-Dondo

 

[jmw]

Captain Dondo wrote:

On Sat, 09 Aug 2003 09:00:42 -0700, Wade Hassler wrote:


Any way to tell which band on the plug is connected to which lead on the
receiver? Or what the capabilities of the receiver are? (i.e. is it
compatible with the basic circuits on lirc.org?)

I don't know enough about these IR receivers to try dumb luck. Can I fry one
by hooking it up all wrong?

Thanks,

-Dondo

MANY of them are like this:
Pin 1 (at left, looking at the photdoide) - Vout. Pull up with 4-10
K
Pin 2 Vcc. Probably 5 V
Pin 3 Gnd


The problem is that I can't see how the thing is wired, or even what it
looks like, except for the LED-looking thing that has an end sticking out.

For all practical purposes, it's a black box with a receiver on one end,
and three unknown connections on the other.

So, the only way to identify which lead is which is by some sort of
electrical test....

-Dondo

if it's of interest -- optic detectors are frequently back-biased diodes,
and what you want is some package-specific indicator of the Anode (p diffusion)
and Cathode (n diffusion) pins. if you have access to both leads, try a
low-voltage, low-current source (say, <1V and <1mA). 'conduction' or
'no conduction' will tell you which lead is the Anode. "low current" should
help you avoid damage.

 

[Captain Dondo]

On Sun, 10 Aug 2003 20:50:22 +0100, cpemma wrote:

I should point out the receivers suggested for the LIRC circuit are ic
types, with detector, preamp and demodulator in the package. They aren't
expensive, far simpler to just buy one.

Probably true. But this thing looks perfect! Oh well, I have one of the
recommended Vishay detectors I scavenged on a little board; maybe I'll
build the whole thing on that board along with some LEDs for fun. It's
just a good bit bigger than the premade one.

-Dondo

 

[cpemma]

"Captain Dondo" <yan@NsOeSiPnAeMr.com> wrote in message
newsan.2003.08.10.20.13.32.832011@NsOeSiPnAeMr.com...

On Sun, 10 Aug 2003 20:50:22 +0100, cpemma wrote:

I should point out the receivers suggested for the LIRC circuit are ic
types, with detector, preamp and demodulator in the package. They aren't
expensive, far simpler to just buy one.

Probably true. But this thing looks perfect! Oh well, I have one of the
recommended Vishay detectors I scavenged on a little board; maybe I'll
build the whole thing on that board along with some LEDs for fun. It's
just a good bit bigger than the premade one.

HeatSeekers:

http://www.heatseekerz.net/index.php?page=articles&articleid=4&page_number=1
has a how-to building the receiver into a 9-pin serial plug body shell. ;-)

 

[jmw]

cpemma wrote:

jmw wrote:

[...]
is the Anode. "low current" should help you avoid damage.


I should point out the receivers suggested for the LIRC circuit are ic
types, with detector, preamp and demodulator in the package. They aren't
expensive, far simpler to just buy one.

yup. i wasn't certain what he was doing.