Re: Home IR Control

["Robert Green" <ROBERT_GREEN1963@xxxxxxxxx>]

"Dave Houston" <nobody@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:43d138f5.723401734@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> "Robert Green" <ROBERT_GREEN1963@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> >Well, I do have that little pen/PC oscilloscope from RatShack.  IIRC, it
> >wasn't suitable for 110VAC work, but it might be useful for this.
>
> Probably not - I suspect its sampling rate is too low for some of the
higher
> carriers. If so, you'll get a signal but its frequency will be that of the
> highest sampling rate.

Back into the junk bin it goes!  Someday I'll find a use for it.

> >So, I assume this means an Ocelot is more likely to be able to transmit a
> >code with a carrier outside the 32-40kHz range than it would be able to
> >recognize such a code.  I assume, then, it means the code is actually
> >programmed via numbers rather than learned in the traditional way.  This
is
> >probably a good thing because I am seeking to use the Ocelot to generate
IR
> >that these oddball devices would recognize - probably in response to an
IR
> >code from the UR24A 8-in-1 remote which I know the Ocelot can read
without
> >problem.
>
> With its native Vishay IR receiver it can only recognize carriers in the
> 32-40kHz range. It also has a limit on the maximum number of transitions
it
> can record. Some of the Japanese A/C remotes exceed this limit.

Oh boy.  IR Babel.

> The Ocelot learns in the same way as your CPU-XA. It can only learn what
the
> IR receiver gives it which is a carrier-less (i.e. demodulated) data
> envelope. It assumes 36kHz carrier because the IR receiver is rated for
> 36kHz.
>
> The TSOP1100 will respond to a wider range of carriers but it also outputs
> only the demodulated signal. There is no carrier info.
>
> >I'm worried that I own four of them because they are unlearnable by the
> >UR24A, even after it has had its memory erased.
>
> That might be because of the carrier or the number of transitions.

That will be fun to try to track down without the proper equipment.

> >I've been reading through the ADI IR forums slowly but surely.  IIRC, it
> >looks as if you can plug in a remote IR receiver which I assume means
> >bypasses the older, internal unit in the Ocelot with a new one that might
> >even be CFL resistant.
> >
> >> BTW, if you replace the IR receiver inside the ADI devices (or build
your
> >> own plug-in unit) with the TSOP1100 you can receive a much wider range
of
> >> carriers *BUT* you still need to know the carrier for playback as the
> >> firmware assumes ~36kHz.
>
> I think the plug-in is in parallel with the internal unit but, in effect,
it
> bypasses it.
>
> >I think I will look at building my own plug-in unit (although I think
> >Worthington sells one pretty cheaply) that's CFL resistant because the
> >Ocelot will not be where it can see any remotes.
> >
> >Would I be able to interface the circuitry from the
> >
> >http://sevinsky.20m.com/ha/ir.html
> >
> >site with the Ocelot's IR input jack or would I be better off just doing
it
> >optically via the IR net's light output into the Ocelot's sensor?
>
> NO! NO! NO! NO! That's the problem with sites like that. By the time the
> smoke clears, the evidence is gone. Stick with optical isolation if you
> don't understand the reason for "NO! NO! NO! NO!".

I've discovered some of that the hard way.  In this case, I'll optically
isolate.  I'm also going to use wallwarts and a UPS as John W. does to power
the whole ADI lot because I've been reading lately that ground may not
necessarily be ground the the RS-232 connections on the Ocelot.  Since the
IR design is already optically isolated, it makes sense to feed it to the
CPUXA that way and keep the magic smoke contained!

> >> Maybe you can get Jeff Volp to experiment with the TSOP1100 as a
plug-in
> >> IR receiver for ADI.
> >
> >Sshh!  I'm hoping he's locked in his basement shop working on the world's
> >best X10 RF receiver.  I'll go bother the guys in the ADI forum with
this.
>
> Nah! I already have "the world's best X10 RF receiver." I'm working on
> teaching it UPB and a few other dialects.

Got any factory seconds you want to sell? \

I just hope Jeff designs it so I can use all 256 X-10 codes easily from my
X-10 remotes.  I've become pretty used to the luxury of pushbutton access to
every house/device code with this gargantuan Control-Linc Maxi.  It even has
a status LED that blinks whenever there's PLC activity.  Shrinking all-code
access to the size of a UR24A would be sweeeeeeeeeet!

--
Bobby G.