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PC IR Remote: Best $5 Gadget of 2014 — Parallax Forums

PC IR Remote: Best $5 Gadget of 2014

ercoerco Posts: 20,256
edited 2014-01-07 11:17 in General Discussion
I'm very pleased with the IR remote control I just received from Ebay China, just $4.70 shipped . I wasn't sure how useful it would be; TTYTT if it did nothing but play/pause VLC player I would have been satisfied (for the twins' videos, it's much quicker to VLC an AVI file than fire up the TV and the DVD player).

http://www.ebay.com/itm/400370213790

Anyhow, it works great with many apps including VLC player. I tested & works on PCs with XP and Win8. Just plug the receiver into a USB port and you get "the ding" sound; no software or driver to load. Surprisingly, the "mousepad" works perfectly and intuitively, now you can click on anything from way across the room. Dedicated buttons which work fine for me:

mouse trackpad and mouse left/right buttons
master volume up/down/mute
internet (launches default browser)
desktop
my pc/my computer
mail (launches default email program)
win photo viewer fwd/rev
fullscreen
page up/down
tab left/right
close
play/pause/stop/next/prev/ffwd/rew (VLC player, Windows Media player)
cursor up/down/right/left/enter
power
numeric/alpha keypad (requires some practice, much like texting on a numeric keypad ABC DEF GHI)

Plus a few more buttons I haven't had time to figure out. I haven't tried it on a laptop with Powerpoint yet, but it works on Win photo viewer and dollars to doughnuts this thing will work with Powerpoint and could be a useful presentation tool.

Hey, I got my five bucks worth and more. IMO well worth it even if you only use it a few times a week. The first erco-approved gadget of 2014!
pcremote.jpg
600 x 600 - 38K

Comments

  • RDL2004RDL2004 Posts: 2,554
    edited 2014-01-05 07:35
    Now that looks interesting. I'm buying one today. Ordered.

    I long ago gave up on DVD players. VLC ftw :)

    All my movies and videos are stored on the computer (my home server) with a back up copy on a different machine. I can start playing a movie faster than other people can even find the disc. Fast-forwarding/reversing or skipping around are almost instantaneous.
  • jazzedjazzed Posts: 11,803
    edited 2014-01-05 08:37
    How is this related to Parallax products? Can you use it in a project?
  • LoopyBytelooseLoopyByteloose Posts: 12,537
    edited 2014-01-05 09:31
    Linus has long had a hackable IR remote project running. About the only difference here is that the remote is a nicely formated dedicated device, and it uses a USB port.

    I suspect if you want to go Linux and use either a motherboard that has IR reception (my Cubieboard does), or you want to build a RS232 receiver to keep your USB free --- both options are possible. The Linux IR support includes applications than can just about decode the timing of any IR remote and patch it into anything you want to do with your Linux machine.

    http://www.lirc.org

    I am sure if the remote is decoded (via the lirc.org support(, it just might find a way into a Propeller project as well.

    My favorite project woutld be to adapt my Cubieboard to be an auto jukebox via the hard disk storage ability, and an internet ration via the MediaU web site that offers world-wide FM stations over the internet (without ads! or fees).
  • mindrobotsmindrobots Posts: 6,506
    edited 2014-01-05 10:40
    jazzed wrote: »
    How is this related to Parallax products? Can you use it in a project?

    It probably looks like a USB HID to the PC. We just need the Prop to be able to host an HID or come up with a USB to serial gizmo(tm) to plug the IR dongle into.

    You're right, it probably "impossible"!
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    edited 2014-01-05 12:48
    someone wrote: »
    How is this related to Parallax products? Can you use it in a project?

    For the unimaginative, apparently not. :)
  • MicrocontrolledMicrocontrolled Posts: 2,461
    edited 2014-01-05 12:50
    mindrobots, couldn't a Propeller just interface directly to the remote using an IR receiver, without needing to go through the USB connection? I think Nick (the Gadget Gangster guy) wrote an object for high-speed capturing of IR codes, which could be used to read from the remote. Someone needs to try this out, this remote has a lot more features than a standard universal remote, and it's low cost, too.
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    edited 2014-01-05 12:58
    @uC: Cool blog on radio circuits, you were asking for 4-40pf variable (“trimmer”) capacitor. In my experience, 365 pF caps were the rage. Check the page at http://peeblesoriginals.com/catalog/15.php for a variety of variable caps. One good 4-gang for $5 at http://www.crystalradiosupply.com/1/page7.html

    Folks used to yank a few of the moving plates out to reduce capacitance.
  • MicrocontrolledMicrocontrolled Posts: 2,461
    edited 2014-01-05 13:32
    Wow, thanks erco! I could never find a source for those things, all the big suppliers (digikey, mouser, etc.) never cared to stock anything like that. I don't figure there is much of a market for radio supplies anymore, and I guess trimmer capacitors don't have much use outside of radios and old television sets.
  • jazzedjazzed Posts: 11,803
    edited 2014-01-05 13:59
    erco wrote: »
    For the unimaginative, apparently not. :)
    I imagine your post is more like SPAM than anything else :)
  • mindrobotsmindrobots Posts: 6,506
    edited 2014-01-05 14:08
    Microcontrolled wrote: »
    mindrobots, couldn't a Propeller just interface directly to the remote using an IR receiver, without needing to go through the USB connection? I think Nick (the Gadget Gangster guy) wrote an object for high-speed capturing of IR codes, which could be used to read from the remote. Someone needs to try this out, this remote has a lot more features than a standard universal remote, and it's low cost, too.

    I was bypassing the direct IR interface as low hanging fruit. I was trying to find a way to use all the pieces. :0)

    It does have a lot of interesting buttons!
  • JonnyMacJonnyMac Posts: 9,107
    edited 2014-01-05 14:58
    It does look like it would be useful in presentations, and a little bit of work would probably reveal its protocol which would allow direct use by the Propeller. I'm going to order.
  • MicrocontrolledMicrocontrolled Posts: 2,461
    edited 2014-01-05 15:54
    @mindrobots: Speaking of using all the pieces, this thing acts as a default interface device, right? If the USB piece uses an IR detector similar to the one Parallax sells (it's pretty general, so there's a good chance) do you think you could replace the IR detector with an optical isolator and use it to emulate a keyboard/mouse? Once you've gotten the protocol from capturing the IR signals, you should be able to replicate them as an output, and if the device isn't incredibly high speed it should be possible.
    ....Maybe I should order one of these to work with.
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    edited 2014-01-05 16:59
    Minimal instructions at http://m.ebay.com/itm/171154809120?cmd=VIDESC
  • Duane DegnDuane Degn Posts: 10,588
    edited 2014-01-05 19:42
    Microcontrolled wrote: »
    mindrobots, couldn't a Propeller just interface directly to the remote using an IR receiver, without needing to go through the USB connection? I think Nick (the Gadget Gangster guy) wrote an object for high-speed capturing of IR codes, which could be used to read from the remote. Someone needs to try this out, this remote has a lot more features than a standard universal remote, and it's low cost, too.

    Micro, Beau has an object in the OBEX which can copy IR signals. It's kind of a souped up version of MagicIR (which Nick wrote but was very limited).
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    edited 2014-01-07 09:07
    Update: I just tested this on a Windows 7 computer and Powerpoint works fine. Also tested the four hotkeys and they also work fine. Nice little unit.
  • prof_brainoprof_braino Posts: 4,313
    edited 2014-01-07 11:07
    Does anyone have any data on how much erco's suggestions cost over the course of a year? I lost count after the last order of voltmeters.
    I need to set up a budget or something.
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    edited 2014-01-07 11:17
    And don't forget the dollar for the twins' college fund!
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