Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!bloom-beacon!oberon!cit-vax!ucla-cs!zen!ucbcad!ames!ptsfa!ihnp4!ihlpe!psfales From: psfales@ihlpe.ATT.COM (Pete Fales) Newsgroups: rec.audio,sci.electronics Subject: Re: "Remote Controller" Sony ... make your own Message-ID: <2166@ihlpe.ATT.COM> Date: Fri, 9-Oct-87 22:38:43 EDT Article-I.D.: ihlpe.2166 Posted: Fri Oct 9 22:38:43 1987 Date-Received: Mon, 12-Oct-87 05:14:29 EDT References: <14770@linus.UUCP> <2152@ihlpe.ATT.COM> <3935@watdcsu.waterloo.edu> Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories - Naperville, Illinois Lines: 45 Xref: mnetor rec.audio:3685 sci.electronics:1545 Hello Mike, In article <3935@watdcsu.waterloo.edu>, magore@watdcsu.waterloo.edu (Mike Gore, Institute Computer Research - ICR) writes: > Hello Peter, > > In article <2152@ihlpe.ATT.COM> psfales@ihlpe.ATT.COM (Pete Fales) writes: > [munch...] > >Do you really need to know the signal format? I recently built a > >mult-device IR controller (similar to the one recently described in Byte > >magazine). > > I have a few comments about the Byte article. The Byte article > used a PC via serial interface to the 8031 for initial set-up of menus > and such. If you drop the serial interface and have the controler > do all the work you can use the internal shift register to sample > at up to 1.25MHZ [ with 15Mhz version ] - thus dropping the need > for an external shifter as in the article. > [munch] Well, now that at least one person has read my note, I feel justified in providing a few more details. In my case, I used the Hitachi 63B03X (CMOS) microcontroller which includes standard asynchronous serial port (for the PC interfac), as well as a fairly sophisticated timer interface. The timer includes an edge-capturing feature that allowed me to sample the signals with .5 microsecond resolution without any external hardware such as the serial shift register. For playback, I felt the large reduction in data volume as well as eliminating the need for contorted assembly coding justified the additional hardware for the 82C54. The other innovation I feel quite proud of is realizing the the modulated 40 KHz carrier is the same method used by the ultrasonic remote for my BSR X-10 home controller (which has been previously discussed on this net). So, after connecting an ultrasonic transducer in parallel with the infrared LEDs, my controller can handle all the IR devices: TV, VCR, CD player, etc. as well as control lights and appliances all over the house. It's a fun toy. I would be happy to provide more details for anyone who might be interested. -- Peter Fales UUCP: ...ihnp4!ihlpe!psfales work: (312) 979-7784 AT&T Information Systems, IW 1Z-243 1100 E. Warrenville Rd., IL 60566