PIC Based IPod Remote Control

ipod remote

I’d found plenty of documentation on the iPod’s dock pinout and serial based remote interface, but never a decent explanation of how to actually implement it. Finally I found BigCookie’s iPod to T&A remote control adapter tucked away in the iPod Linux wiki. He built the controller to receive remote signals from his T&A audio receiver and then translate them to control the iPod. He’s got schematics and code for a a PIC16F628 microcontroller. I’m guessing the code could be adapted to support almost any input method the PIC supports.

15 thoughts on “PIC Based IPod Remote Control

  1. I’ve seen all the pinouts too, and worked out a few interesting ideas, but the dock connector I have (that I cannabilized from the dock to USB connector) has tiny little flecks of metal as contact points on the back which I am finding it impossible to solder to.

    Does anyone have any ideas about where the dock connector on the wiki came from? If I had something like that I could do what I want with no problems…

  2. I’ve seen all the pinouts too, and worked out a few interesting ideas, but the dock connector I have (that I cannabilized from the dock to USB connector) has tiny little flecks of metal as contact points on the back which I am finding it impossible to solder to.

    Does anyone have any ideas about where the dock connector on the wiki came from? If I had something like that I could do what I want with no problems…

  3. n1x-uk:

    Thats exactly what my idea is. The pinouts are fairly simple and the linux-wiki says, in theory, you don’t need to short pin 21 to ground with a 500k ohm resistor which makes it that much easier if its true.

    All you’d need is a dock connector like what they have as opposed to the ones I have…

  4. The last poster has the idea. Since both the remote and dock connector are modified serial ports, and the documentation for both is now easily available. It would make a wonderful How-To…hint-hint…

  5. Nice article! I’ve also got some example code for this and earlier ipods with the simpler Atmel microcontrollers (see my website). The website only describes the schematic, and I’ve got a printed version in the “iPod and iTunes Hacks” book.

  6. So, could this work with a Basic Stamp 2? If so, that’d be kinda cool, especially if it could observe the audio leaving the minijack. The ultimate iPod dock, complete with physical visualizations.

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