HELP!!! USB Infrared Toy downloads, help, FAQ
The USB Infrared Toy is a USB infrared receiver and transmitter for computers.
Latest firmware
*Downloads
*How to upgrade
Help
*Documentation
You will always get help fastest from the crowd in the forum. A bunch of people can help, and the answers are available to help other people too. Private messages with support questions are discouraged.
Frequent Questions
Q. My IR Toy was working fine, but now it doesn't connect to the USB port. Is it broken?
A. A firmware update will often fix this. Connect the PGC and PGD pins of the ICSP header with a bit of wire and plug in the IR Toy. It should show up as a USB HID device. Then run the update program available here.
Q. The indicator LED I is always on! The IR Toy is stuck in upgrade/bootloader mode. It appears as a USB HID device and the indicator LED (I) is on. How do I get out?
A. Upload the latest firmware over USB to get unstuck. Once you jump to the bootloader by typing $ in the terminal you must complete an upgrade, or exit cleanly with the fw_update application, or it will stick in the bootloader mode.
Q. I cannot find a serial (COM) port number in bootloader/upgrade mode. What gives?
A. The USB IR Toy bootloader uses a USB HID interface, not a serial port.
Q. Is the IR Toy portable? Can I capture a code and play it back away from the computer on battery power?
A. In theory it could, but the current firmware does support that feature.
Q. How do I fix these problems: incorrect transmit frequency, transmit often fails, IR Toy disappears?
Firmware v22+ has massive fixes, please upgrade. If the problem persists, please give us a shout for more help.
Q. What does the IR Toy version string mean?
The IR Toy t and v commands report a four character version string like v122 or v222. The first number is the hardware version (v1 or v2). The last two digits are the firmware version (firmware v22). IR Toy hardware v1 and v2 use the exact same firmware.
Q. What is the difference between IR Toy v1 and v2?
IR Toy v2 has a frequency detector for raw frequency measurement. It also has a much higher power constant current transmitter, and a expanded breakout of unused pins. IR Toy hardware v1 and v2 use the exact same firmware.
Q. I have IR Toy v1 and the transmit range is very poor. Is there anything I can do to improve it?
IR Toy v1 has a very weak transmitter. You can swap resistor R4 to a lower value, such as 22ohms, to provide more power to the LED. Beware that the resistor will be over-current if the transmitter ever sticks on the 'on' position.