Ok, it's now another year down the line and about time I did another 25 internet searches, 5 forum posts etc. etc. Basically I have a Telewest cable box which uses IrDA remotes (not the usual RC5 IR protocol). This is so you can play multiplayer games with the interactive service Anyway - I want to be able to control the cable box from upstairs using hard wires (already installed the wire) so I need an IrDA repeater circuit. I have scoured the net for answers and although they now market the DigiEye do-dad it's £60 odd and it's radio based. I found a suggestion to use two USB dongles and mod them together so that Rx gets connected to Tx at the cable box end. However, the reply said that you would have to power 'them' independently but didn't say how. Any ideas? This is electronics and very tenuously a PC mod (PDA sync extension anyone ) so I thought I would ask here having been a long time lurker about these parts Hope you guys can help.... Cheers, Tonka.
Ok am back in the comfort of my own home now So let me see if I have this right: You have a box downstairs that you want to control, via a remote, from upstairs. Well I have been thinking about this and I make IrDA connectors for PC motherboards to talk to mobiles and other IR devices. I think that it would be possible to have 2 of the devices connected by a long cable. The problem is that they need a 5V power supply. One way that this could be provided is from a 5V AC addaptor that would power bot units via 2 of the 4 cores that you would need in your link wire. My one concern is that the IR signal might need not be powerful enough once it has reached downstairs. What exatly will you be doing with it? Using a remote to control the box? or to transmit data from your puter, etc...? I might have a play around tomorrow and see if my plan will work! Meblin
IrDA works on a different frequency to normal Infrared remotes. I have found a couple of repeater circuits that are quite cheap to buy the bits. http://www.circuit-innovations.co.uk/repeater.html http://www.mitedu.freeserve.co.uk/Circuits/Interface/irext.htm (different versions described here ) http://users.110.net/~jsevinsk/ha/ir.html Meblin
Thanks Meblin, I will be using it to control my cable box (change channels etc) - the PDA comment was so the moderators wouldn't can my thread for not being a PC related mod Anyway, I will have a look-see at those links and see how I get on... Cheers, Tonka. P.S. If this works, I will be one happy camper
Ok, I have had a look-see at those links but there is something that slightly worries me - no mention of IrDA. I am pretty much a n00b when it comes to electronics but willing to have a stab at it provided you say that it will handle IrDA signals not just the normal IR. Sorry to be a pain in the you-know-what but I am really keen to sort this one out and have spent literally hours on the net trying to find a solution. Tonka.
Do you have a link giving the spec of your cable box? IrDA works on a higher frequency than IR remotes. One of the links (the one with 4 versions) said that some satalite boxes run at higher frequencies. This is simillar to the IrDAfrequencies. I'll do a bit more googling Meblin
The cable box is a Pace DITV1000 (Google it and you will see lots about the inability to use standard remote extenders with it). Unfortunately the Pace website no longer lists the DITV1000 as they are now onto the DITV4000 model. It definitely uses IrDA but it's connectionless IrDA. It sends a load of junk with the signal so that the cable box can tell which remote is being used when playing multiplayer interactive games (like you want to ) From the PowermidXL site: Presumably all that's needed is a receiver and transmitter both capable of dealing with the higher frequency (I think). Tonka.
I've just built some new IrDA receivers with the newly etched PCBs I made!!!! They are cool I'm waiting for some wire, but as soon as it comes I'll see if my idea will work. Regards Meblin
Meblin, I bought one of your remote control IR kits a while back (still not got round to using it!) and wondered if that can receive/transmit IrDA? I have an IrDA dongle for my motherboard and wondered if I could take the 5v from a molex and pair your remote bit with the dongle? Will it damage either of them? If not, how can I go about connecting them (given you made the remote thingy I know you can give me the pin outs). I can look up the header connections for the motherboard dongle and then connect them together, no? Cheers.. Tonka.
I have never tried to use it on the IrDA header but at the liric site they say you can use it. I don't think they are using it to transmit/receive IrDA signals. I do make IrDA connectors for motherboards to allow the use of mobile phones, IR links between laptop and your puter, etc... Have a look at my site and go to the IrDA link and then IrDA explained and you'll see a new tutorial on how I create them. You can also buy them Meblin
Sorry, I wasn't very clear in that last post... What I meant was that I plan to attach two IrDA dongles back to back (swapping Tx & Rx) and nab the 5v supply from a pc to power it and see if that would work. If so, then I would obtain a suitable power source that wouldn't need the pc on all the time. Hence the two orders of your IrDA leads last night Cheers, Tonka.
Didn't work. Probably something to do with the fact that only 3.6v was appearing at the far end - but that's only guessing. Ah well. Back to the drawing board I will try and see if I can get something working over TCP/IP between my office pc and the media box pc. Fun fun fun Tonka.
I made an IR remote extender for my A-level course. Worked well with TV using only a photodiode, which was a bit pointless. Couldn't get it to work with my sky digibox tho. I read that they use a custom system. I think you may have to buy the products that ur cable provider sells, if they do.
Thanks for posting Mutton but currently the only option for extending IrDA (not IR only) remote controls is the Digieye thing which costs upwards of £60. I am sure that there is a much cheaper DIY option but no-one has come up with anything in the last year or so. So I am gonna wait & see while working on a few of my own ideas Cheers, Tonka.
