AutoHotkey Community

[ericwoud]

Hi All,

I'm working on a hardware/software project for receiving and sending infra red signals. It is based on a very common PIC microcontroller, so the cost will be very low. I have a full description on my site here:

http://www.freewebs.com/hobbyist/irprojecten.html

The aim of the project is to offer a cheap infrared device, which is fully configurable. To make it able to do almost anything possible, it can connect with AutoHotKey. It uses an adapted version of the winlirc script; it can receive and send commands through a TCP connection.

I am posting in this forum, so that i can get some response as to which options users would like to have. I just start to get the word out, so if you can link your page to the page mentioned above, it would be appreciated. I am trying to get the page into google.

The driver and updates will be freely available, as will everything else in this project, except for the firmware of the PIC. To protect it, it will only be available from me, as a preprogrammed chip.

So tell me what you think of it and let's have some suggestions....

Eric.
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Visit http://www.freewebs.com/hobbyist/irprojecten.html for info on my infrared project

[Chris]

Great product. I especially like the fact that the card is a complete, stand-alone solution for remote control of your PC. WinLIRC is completely unnecessary; you don't even need a macro program like AutoHotkey for basic tasks because your product has built-in support for sending keystrokes.

One thing you might consider for the future is a variation of the product that offers both infrared and something "better" like bluetooth. Although most TV/DVD remote controls are still infrared, is there any industry trend or initiative to shift away from that?

[ericwoud]

The hardware can decode infrared signals totally independant. It can also change the status of three output pins according to sent remote codes independantly. The advantage of independant decoding is that the accuracy is not in anyway depending on cpu activity. I have used winlirc on my mediacenter, but found out that it does not recognise my remote, when it is busy playing a movie or so (only 25% cpu usage). With this hardware, there is no more problem.

However, for connectivity to the computer, it does still need a driver. This is always the case if one connects hardware through the serial port. Freely available (soon) is the driver, in the form of an executable that handles the rest of the functions. In one package it will offer serialport communications, sending and receiving keystrokes, a TCP socket server (for use with AutoHotkey), an user interface and a code editor.

The aim is to make the package very flexible, so that any user can tweak any remote to be used on his or her computer for every usefull function.

I think the trend is that remote controls are bi-directional. At the moment, there are only a few, but if this does become a standard, i will add support for it. Btw, the hardware is already suitable for this function.

Anyway, glad you like it
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Visit http://www.freewebs.com/hobbyist/irprojecten.html for info on my infrared project

[Quarange]

Hello Eric,

Cool Project,

Maybe you can help me given you seem to have a lot of experience with IR solutions.

I want to control my T.V., VCR, Stereo, etc with my PC and Laptop. Most things I see on the net allow you to control your PC or Multi-Media PC, but not the other way around. I want PC with IR ------ to control -------> the T.V. . Much like the sender you describe in your project. I've built the simple IR system like this:

http://www.engadget.com/2006/05/16/how-to-ir-remote-control-your-computer/

What software would you recommend I use or build (hopefully not build)

Thanks,
Rich

[ericwoud]

Winlirc will do the job, but if the cpu is also doing other things, it may not be doing it reliably. Use transmit.exe in your AutoHotkey script to send codes.

But if you need to be sure that every code sent is also received by your TV, you need to use different hardware. It is the main reason that i have started on this project. If you are using AutoHotkey there are not that many options, and I recommend my own hardware project as it is designed to interact with Autohotkey.

Recently i have added keyboard input support to the driver, so at any key pressed, an infrared code can be sent as well. Soon I will put this driver program on the my site so everyone can check out the functions.

The first transceiver has just been build on a test pcb and it is build up using less then 15 euro's in electronic parts. Next step is to design a pcb layout and find a place where I can get it manufactured cheaply.
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Visit http://www.freewebs.com/hobbyist/irprojecten.html for info on my infrared project

[BoBo]

What about to cooperate with the German PC Magazine (for IT professionals) c't.
Just a brainfart

[c't Projekte]

The one and only Tekl (check the memberlist) has already written some articels for them, and therefore should know some details how to arrange that. Maybe you/he can promote your project, especialy as it is slightly related to AHK, that way?!

Good luck. ... and hey, I want a free testing sample if you will make it as proposed.

[ericwoud]

A few months later than planned, here is the first release:

http://www.freewebs.com/hobbyist/irprojecten.html

The good thing about it: You do not need the Hardware.

Why? So you can send MCE-Remote, Ctrl Alt Delete, Power Off, etc, etc from any script that communicates through a TCP port. Sample script based on winlirc script is provided.

The driver really makes the computer think you have a MCE Remote and an extra enhanced USB keyboard. Other devices can be added from the software and is fully configurable. Any HID device is possible.

Use with caution as any bug in this kind of software can be fatal! But anyway, it works for me... Needs .Net 2.0.

Tell me what you think guys...
_________________
Visit http://www.freewebs.com/hobbyist/irprojecten.html for info on my infrared project

[Ron1]

Hugely interested in your project. Please not that there is a Consumer Infrared (CIR) interface on modern Intel motherboards, like the DP35DP, but that interface is supported only in Vista, not in Windows XP. It would be great if an AHK script would let us send IR commands out this port.

At a more advanced level, it would be great if an AHK script would let us receive commands from this port, and even "learn" them, like a learning remote control.

Note that there is already a fine product on the market, called the USB-UIRT, that, in conjunction with excellent software, like IRCommand2, does all of this with an external box with a microprocessor.

http://www.usbuirt.com
www.wdpsoftware.com

But what is needed is a way of doing this with the capability already built into the Intel (and perhaps other) motherboards in Windows XP.

Thank you for inquiring about the interest level.

[Barney9]

is this project still continued?
I am looking for a solution to use my ir remote control with autohotkey to control my PC. But there is no information about how to build a receiver for your software.