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Author Topic: Yes I'm geeky...  (Read 1315 times)

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Offline graffias79Topic starter

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Yes I'm geeky...
« on: February 26, 2005, 06:06:48 AM »
Ok does anyone know of any software (for the PC) that can take advantage of an infrared port (built into) laptops, to use it to control TVs, VCRs, etc..?  I figure I would ask here because you guys seem to be the smartest.  Mine can operate up to 4Mb/sec.  I can't image it would be to difficult to hijack the port and use it to capture and repeat signals?

Just curious :-)

-Jamie
 

Offline the_leander

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Re: Yes I'm geeky...
« Reply #1 on: February 26, 2005, 07:52:00 AM »
As I understand it the IR trancevers in laptops and similar devices have a range only of about 8 inches or so... So whilst there probably is a bit of software to do it, in order to try it out you'd be so close to the telly as to make it easier to simply press the button on the box ;-)

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Offline graffias79Topic starter

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Re: Yes I'm geeky...
« Reply #2 on: February 26, 2005, 03:13:31 PM »
Oh I didn't relize how close range these things actually were (never actually having used any IR communications).  I guess there goes that.  I would have thought they could be used at least to the point of your average remote control.  Well thanks for the info.

*depressed*

I was going to try to use my laptop to wreak havoc on people's appliances  :shocked:  :evilgrin:
 

Offline Karlos

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Re: Yes I'm geeky...
« Reply #3 on: February 26, 2005, 03:49:24 PM »
Quote

graffias79 wrote:
Oh I didn't relize how close range these things actually were (never actually having used any IR communications).  I guess there goes that.  I would have thought they could be used at least to the point of your average remote control.  Well thanks for the info.

*depressed*

I was going to try to use my laptop to wreak havoc on people's appliances  :shocked:  :evilgrin:


Don't despair. Simply get a photostransisto, some developed colour film (to use as a filter for the phototransistor to cut out unwanted visible light), a switching transistor (ie desiged for rapid switching more than amplification), some batteries a superbright IR LED and make yourself a 'relay' box.

All the box does is to use the phototransistor to pick up the short range output from the laptop, and boost it for the superbright IR led. Such a device would hardly need to be any bigger than the batteries it uses ;-)
int p; // A
 

Offline blobrana

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Re: Yes I'm geeky...
« Reply #4 on: February 26, 2005, 06:41:27 PM »
Hum,
yea sounds like it would be quite easy....

Though a long broom handle would be just as good.... or a myrmidon boyfriend/girl friend would be even better....



[myrmidon = Someone who follows orders unquestioningly ]

Offline FluffyMcDeath

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Re: Yes I'm geeky...
« Reply #5 on: February 26, 2005, 06:47:28 PM »
That would help for range, but I think there's a fundamental signal incompatibility. The IrDA output is probably put out by dedicated hardware (UART with IrDA encoder) so the baud rate would be fixed at 115kbps or whatever the rate is for the newer fast IrDA. The pulse shaping and encoding are quite specific and likely incompatible with remotes.

If the Ir was generated by just a gpio pin from the cpu then the pulses would be completely programmable but would anyone want to load their CPU like that for the sake of 70 cents in parts?
 

Offline Karlos

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Re: Yes I'm geeky...
« Reply #6 on: February 26, 2005, 08:47:24 PM »
So, a microcontroller, phototransistor, eprom and...

Yeah, I see this getting more complex by the second ;-)
int p; // A
 

Offline graffias79Topic starter

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Re: Yes I'm geeky...
« Reply #7 on: February 26, 2005, 09:42:50 PM »
Leave it to the pc to be more complex than necessary :-(

hmm infra red led *flicker flicker flicker* shouldn't be too much trouble..  Oh well I guess it's just like their hardware floppy controller.
 

Offline graffias79Topic starter

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Re: Yes I'm geeky...
« Reply #8 on: February 26, 2005, 09:45:38 PM »
Quote

blobrana wrote:
Hum....

Though a long broom handle would be just as good.... or a myrmidon boyfriend/girl friend would be even better....


I wouldn't waste him on menial tasks like that!  :evilgrin:  :evilgrin:
 

Offline Karlos

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Re: Yes I'm geeky...
« Reply #9 on: February 26, 2005, 09:48:54 PM »
Quote

graffias79 wrote:
Quote

blobrana wrote:
Hum....

Though a long broom handle would be just as good.... or a myrmidon boyfriend/girl friend would be even better....


I wouldn't waste him on menial tasks like that!  :evilgrin:  :evilgrin:


Fatal error in subtask KarlOS/Kernel/ProcessDoubleEntendreAsynchronous - chortle stack overflow
int p; // A
 

Offline Floid

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Re: Yes I'm geeky...
« Reply #10 on: February 26, 2005, 11:30:19 PM »
Are we men or are we Google?

"IRDA remote control" produces loads of hits.
 

Offline Speelgoedmannetje

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Re: Yes I'm geeky...
« Reply #11 on: February 27, 2005, 07:25:58 PM »
I still don't really know the difference between synchronous and asynchronous :-(
(in this context, that is)
And the canary said: \'chirp\'
 

Offline Karlos

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Re: Yes I'm geeky...
« Reply #12 on: February 27, 2005, 07:32:18 PM »
Nobody said this particular kernel had any kind of rational structure or sensible naming scheme ;-)
int p; // A
 

Offline T_Bone

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Re: Yes I'm geeky...
« Reply #13 on: February 28, 2005, 05:50:55 AM »
There's all kinds of software for the Palm that will do this. I only use mine nowdays as a programmable remote nowdays. Batteries, wireless internet prices and speed make it useless for anything else.

Normal remotes suck for component systems where there's alot of action needed thats unanticipated by the manufacturers, such as turning the Stereo Reciever to "VCR" and the TV to "AUX" when the VCR Play button is pressed on a remote. The palm can be set up to run a macro list that sends out a batch  doing this automatically.  

I even program recording through the Palm, and I can even dump a history of recorded shows by holding the palm near the laserjet and hitting print.

The computer's IR port though I never got more than a foot or so of range from, either to the Palm or the printer.
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