Re: Urgent - Time to kill, want to build IR Extender

["Graham Howe" <graham@xxxxxxx>]

Thanks for the response Nigel, I agree I am very unlikely to get the TSOP
or
Sharp devices today so I'll pop into to Maplins and see if they have any of
the components for the mitedu version. If I am successful with this then I
will probably have a go at your version later in the week

Regards

Graham

----- Original Message -----
From: "Nigel Orr" <nigel@xxxxxxx>
To: <ukha_d@xxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, October 30, 2000 12:44 PM
Subject: Re: [ukha_d] Urgent - Time to kill, want to build IR Extender


> At 13:03 30/10/00 +0000, you wrote:
> >http://www.mitedu.freeserve.co.uk/Circuits/Interface/irext.htm
and  I
have
> >to admit that the latter looks much simpler than Nigel's version.
>
> It is simpler, in terms of component count and probably cost.  I've
not
> built it, but I'd expect the one I suggested would be significantly
more
> reliable.
>
> The mitedu one doesn't demodulate the IR signal, and I wouldn't expect
it
> to cope well with high or varying ambient light (and particuarly in
the
> presence of fluorescents or compact fluorescents), I would expect that
it
> would generate more spurious noise from the transmitter which might
reduce
> the range of other remotes that you are using.  That's not due to any
> cleverness on my part, just that the IR receivers I use seem to cope
well
> with extremes of light.
>
> All that said, I don't have any particular interest in you building
mine,
> so feel free to go for either one!  In particular, if you're doing it
> today, you might find the TSOP or Sharp devices hard to find.  The
circuit
> on the website is my IR transmitter.  You also need 1 receiver for
each
> room where you want to go with the remote.  That's the TSOP or Sharp
> devices, they contain everything (IR photodiode, demodulator etc) but
do
> need a 5V supply.
>
> A zener diode- based thing would suffice- if James Hoye is reading,
maybe
> he can share the secrets of his success, I can't easily find the
emails I
> sent with resistor value suggestions etc...
>
> >normal seating position). So all I really want to know is what to
buy,
how
> >to build it and is this really feasible for a complete novice ?
>
> Not sure, it should be OK.  At complete novice level, I'd suggest you
buy
a
> little plugboard as well, which makes soldering faults less likely,
and
> gives you the chance to test it and correct mistakes without commiting
> yourself.  M****n do a little white one, around 40 rows of contacts
with
> separate power rails, or at least used to... it's probably been
replaced
> with a larger range of mobile phone vouchers by now :-)
>
> >If anyone has any advice or suggestions (other than go and do an
electronics
> >course !) then please respond.
>
> Take your time, and don't forget to add a connection from pin 8 of the
> timer to +12V (must update the schematic some time!).  If possible,
get
> hold of a camcorder or cctv camera for testing- they are sensitive to
IR
so
> you can get some idea of what is going on, assuming you have no
oscilloscope.
>
> Check, double check and triple check before you switch it on.  Buy a
cheap
> multimeter if you don't already have one (even an analogue one will
> probably be fine, but digital might save you reading resistor colour
> codes!), and check the voltages before you plug in the 555 timer.  If
you
> solder it together, put the timer chip in a socket.
>
> That's probably enough to get started!
>
> Nigel
>
>
>
>
>
>


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