DIY Remote control for HTPC

stereorules

Active Member
Joined
Nov 24, 2009
Messages
238
Points
28
Location
Kolkata
I wanted to make a HTPC for myself. But had wanted a remote also. So, went searching on ebay and found one which fitted the bill. It costed around 700. Wanting something cheaper, searched on ebay.com . Found the same thing for ~ $ 4-5 incl shipping. Ordered one ..But it never turned up.

Long story short, decided to try DIY. Fellow hfv member, goldy, already has a small IR receiver hooked upto his PC. My requirement was that I should not be stuck with only that software which is compatible with that receiver. Finally found a solution which I want to share with all.

The receiver itself is pretty straightforward. Most shops have the TSOP 1738 IR receiver. Costs just Rs 20 - 30 . Altho' goldy recommended TSOP1756, I could not find in most shops.
Make an Infrared Remote Control for PC and
How to build an IR receiver

Next, how do you receive the signal in your PC ? Solution is with LIRC.
For linux LIRC - Linux Infrared Remote Control and for windows WinLIRC.

I used the windows version. I used the 0.6.5 classic version ..Easier to use. First thing is to see if the signal is being received in the PC. Start winlirc. The baud rate should be 2400 or less. Press the rawcodes button. When you press any button on the remote, you should be able to see some codes in the screen. If you do, you are in business.
Next thing is to map the keys of your remote in winlirc. This is pretty straight forward . Use the learning button. Once all the keys are done, save it.

Just getting the remote signals is only half the problem solved. The main issue is how to get these signals to do meaningful tasks. Some software like winamp come with lirc modules so they can directly understand those signals. But what if you dont use winamp ?

Fear not, help is at hand. Enter AutoHotkey. This nifty software will generate key strokes and what not based on signals from the IR receiver. Best of all, theres a ready script available to link it to winlirc here. So all you have to do is to open the winlirc script file, change the location of the winlirc executable, map the remote command keys to whatever keystrokes you want. So then , when you press any button on your remote, autohotkey will generate corresponding keytrokes. Voila ..You can control anything in windows that works with keyboard shortcuts ...Powerful..

I have tried to increase/decrease the windows master volume control with it and it worked ...

So there you have it ...Thought it would be helpful to the community. Have fun trying.
 
This is really cool. Thanks for posting.

I have two questions
1. Is there a way to build a USB version of this. These days RS22 ports are a rare commodity.
2. How is use this combination to shutdown a PC ?
 
2. How is use this combination to shutdown a PC ?
With this, Shutdown , you can not only shutdown, you can Reboot or hibernate also.

DIY interest is good but there are smarter ways..
lenovo HTPC remote retails in 1k
I myself have given links of cheaper ways to do it.
I'm just pointing at ways to do it thro DIY ...
But personally, I would like to save that 1K and use it somewhere more beneficial to me. ...

To each his own way ..
 
There is a lot of ambient IR noise from CFLs etc. If you need robust recordings you must use a dark room to record the keys.

Regards,
Goldy
I've used a DIY LIRC receiver with a AIWA CD Player remote for quite sometime in a room with flourescent lighting and I disagree.
 
Better to cover the sensor with the filter class as u see in all tvs and player this will nullify the IR distrubances
 
I've used a DIY LIRC receiver with a AIWA CD Player remote for quite sometime in a room with flourescent lighting and I disagree.

It will work in most cases. LIRC has config files for most of the remotes/protocols and if you fall in this category, all is well. However there are some remotes that will not have config file in LIRC package or the ones available may not work, in which case one needs to be created manually. For eg NEC remote protocol is a partcularly difficult one and the config file has to be created manually. While creating the config file in normal light worked, the range was limited and many times erroneous keys were recorded. Creating the config files in dark solved this issue. In case any of you face such an issue you can refer to LIRC - Linux Infrared Remote Control, the same has been suggested there.
 
Last edited:
Order your Rega Turntables & Amplifiers from HiFiMART.com - India's reputed online dealer.
Back
Top