USB Infrared Toy

From DP

Read the USB IR Toy how-to

• Get one for $19.95 at Seeed Studio
• Now available in Watterott electronic (DE), EpicTinker (USA) Anibit (USA) Evola (Europe)

Use a remote control with your computer, view infrared signals on a logic analyzer, capture and replay remote control buttons.

Features:

• NEW: 100mA constant current IR transmitter with improved range
• NEW: Infrared frequency measurement
• NEW: Pin breakout area
• Infrared remote control decoder (RC5)
• Infrared signal logic analyzer
• Capture and replay infrared signals
• USB connection, USB bootloader for easy updates
• Supported in WinLIRC
• Open source (CC-BY-SA)

Contents 1 Get one 2 Introduction 3 Download 4 Software 5 Hardware 5.1 v2 5.2 v1 6 Firmware 7 Modes and protocols 7.1 IRman-compatible decoder 7.2 Infrared sampling mode 7.3 Logic analyzer mode (SUMP) 7.4 USB to serial bridge mode 7.5 Self-test 7.6 Deprecated modes 8 Links 9 License

Get one

• Assembled USB IR Toy v2 for $19.50. The next generation IR Toy is here.
• A through-hole version of the USB IR Toy is now available, PCBs are $7

Introduction

• USB IR Toy 101: Drivers, setup, applications, etc.

• USB IR Toy: Quick Start - Quick Start Guide.

Download

Project Summary
Name:	USB Infrared Toy
Buy it:	Get one for $19.50 at Seeed Studio
Price:	$19.50
Status:	Mature
Manufacturing:	Shipping
Forum:	USB Infrared Toy Forum

v20+ is a major upgrade, be sure to update for new features and improved stability.

Release package with firmware, utilities, PCBs:

• IR Toy Package v22
• Upgrade instructions

Developer package with source, project artwork, etc:

• IR Toy Source r1611 v22

Hardcore code nerds:

• Browse IR Toy GitHub

Software

• AnalysIR is an advance IR analyzer & decoder that works with USB IR Toy
• Configure WinLIRC for the IR Toy (Windows)
• Configure LIRC for the IR Toy (Mythbuntu and Mandriva Linux)
• EventGhost plugin for the IR Toy
• Configure EventGhost for the IR Toy (irman only)
• Minimal logic analyzer and test application (Mac OS X)

• Setup EventGhost to use WinLirc

• Simple record and playback application
• Perl scripts for signal decoding, visualization

Hardware

v2

• USB IR Toy v2 design
• USB IR Toy v2 work product and notes, see it come to life

v1

• USB IR Toy v1 design
• USB Infrared Toy through-hole version (DIY PCB)
• Schematics and partlists

Firmware

Note: the firmware version numbering scheme was changed after 1.05, new firmwares are numbered XX (eg v09). See USB IR Toy firmware change history for more info.

• Firmware upgrade guide
• Firmware downloads
• USB IR Toy firmware change history

Modes and protocols

This is a summary of the USB IR Toy modes and protocols.

IRman-compatible decoder

The IR Toy default mode is a simple IRman compatible USB remote control decoder.. Command your PC from a remote control with lirc/WinLIRC, Event Ghost, PC Remote Control, Girder, etc. The LED will blink very briefly each time it decodes an IR signal.

Currently IRman mode is receive only, and will only recognize IR signals in the Philips RC-5 format. Most universal remotes have RC-5 format codes. They are usually some of the lower numbered codes. For support of other IR remote protocols see Infrared Sampling Mode.

• IRman decoder mode (default mode)

Infrared sampling mode

Infrared sampling mode times the duration of infrared pulses and sends the measurements to the computer. It can be used to record and play back most consumer IR remote signals. Many of the recent USB IR Toy applications such as the custom IR Toy WinLIRC plugin and the Record & Play back application. It is suggested to use a recent version of the USB IR Toy firmware for sampling mode. Sending IR signals requires a minimum of USB IR Toy firmware v07.

Currently sampling mode is not the default mode for the IR Toy, the IR-man compatible receive-only mode is. At some point in the future this might change. Many of the commands that work in IR-man mode to switch to other modes are implemented or reserved in IR Sampling mode to ease a possible transition.

• Sampling mode (original)

Logic analyzer mode (SUMP)

The IR Toy captures and displays remote control waveforms with the SUMP open source logic analyzer client. Sampling is triggered by a change on the IR receiver, it won't start capturing until it gets a valid IR source. The logic analyzer mode currently operates at 10kHz with a fixed 4096 byte sample buffer.

• SUMP logic analyzer mode

USB to serial bridge mode

Firmware v08+ includes a USB to serial bridge mode. Serial IO on the UART header pins is converted to USB. The virtual serial port configuration determines the speed and settings.

• USB->serial converter mode

Self-test

The IR Toy has a self-test that can help determine if everything is working correctly.

• Self-test documentation (original)

Deprecated modes

Some redundant and unused modes were removed in firmware v20. These can be added back if there is popular demand. Old modes include RawIO, Intruder detection, and LIN.

• USB IR Toy: Deprecated modes

Links

• Forum
• RGB remote control color changing pumpkin
• RawIO mode: setup RX sample timer
• RawIO mode: setup TX modulation timer
• PIC 18F2550 datasheet
• PIC 18F reference manual[PDF!]
• rsdio's RC5 breakdown
• AnalysIR supports USB IR Toy

License

• PCB art: CC-BY-SA
• Bootloader: GPL (From Diolan)
• Firmware source: CC-BY-SA
• Software: CC-BY-SA or CC-0
• Compiled firmware: CC-BY-SA-NC*

* The compiled firmware uses a USB PID licensed from Microchip for our use. It is limited to 10K units, and licensed only for our hardware production, therefore we have to limit use of firmware compiled with these numbers to non-commercial use. You are free to compile the firmware from source without the PID and use it under the terms of CC-BY-SA.