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Topic: IR Extender (Read 1575 times) previous topic - next topic

IR Extender

So I have purchased this IR Extender device:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00F ... UTF8&psc=1

I was wondering what your thoughts might be in "hard wiring" the irtoy to this? Would it be as simple as unsoldering the transmitting IR LED on the toy and then snipping off the end of the "receiver" and soldering the pair of cables to the holes where the LED went on the toy?

If this is overly simplified please for give me I am not exactly an electronics guy as one might tell from this post ;)

[I asked about adding additional LEDs sometime ago to the toy itself but i could never figure it out :) ]

Re: IR Extender

Reply #1 –
So I bit the bullet I unsoldered the LED and tried to solder a wire direct to the extender, needless to say my lack of skills FCUK'd the PCB :D (now charred PCB!)

However on further attempts I realized I can just use the two UART IRTX IRRX from the breakout on the side. The missing LED and scorched PCB seem to make little difference (harm) to the signal.

Tomorrow I will go the the electronics store gadgets in hand for some advice on how to permanently attach the extender to the IRTOY and report back after some more dangerous experimentation! First tests with the wires just twisted in place gave great results and I can control all my IR gadgets :)

Send IR to the extender felt a little "hit and miss" but somehow the direct connection from the IRTOY to the extender some how feels "cleaner" and the signals to the end point IR devices seems to work 98%.

Attached is a pictured before I butchered the poor devices so people can see what I mean. Ill post other pictures if any one is interested once I seek professional help (to solder ;) )

I have another TOY in the post and lessons learned from this project I will replace the slightly charcoaled version and report back as I think this is interesting. When I sought advise on how to improve the range in previous posts no one suggested this so I write with the pure aim that someone some day might stumble upon this and it provide a solution that does not require much in terms of brain capacity (something I have little of!)

Re: IR Extender

Reply #2 –