Comments on: Control Media Center with programmable IR receiver

By: bic

bic — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 01:34:00 +0000

You don’t need all that, especially if you’re only using a serial connection.

I’ve got a homemade IR receiver which was made with Radio Shack parts for under $10, which is read by WinLIRC (free), which is in turn interpreted as keystrokes by AutoHotKey (also free). I just followed some instructions on Engadget, except instead of stepping the voltage on the serial port down I just stole +5v from a free USB port.

It’s configured so I can control the Windows port of XBMC with my PS2 DVD remote. The only limitation is that WinLIRC doesn’t work with USB serial adapters.

By: Pedro

Pedro — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 20:18:14 +0000

radon222, yes they do. The MS remote is actually one of the nicest remotes I’ve ever used in my life as well.

By: radon222

radon222 — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 16:21:43 +0000

This design seems to have the extra feature that it can receive a “power on” signal and activate the power switch to turn on the machine. I think for the other design above, you’d have to manually power on the machine before it can receive any signals.

Do those MS remotes have this remote power on feature?

By: miked

miked — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 14:41:50 +0000

does the pic add functionality? why not just use this circuit -

http://lnx.manoweb.com/lirc/?partType=section&partName=circuit

version 4 of the girder sw is free. version 5 is the current paid version.

By: Liam

Liam — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 14:41:16 +0000

For what it is worth, I had a play with Girder about a year ago and ended up dismissing it as far too complicated, poorly written and quite expensive. I would avoid it where possible.

By: drew

drew — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 13:34:44 +0000

yea but that is on no way in the spirit of hacking you just have to do stuff some times you know it just has to be done because it can be done dosent nessacarily have to be cost effective i mean for most ppl this is just a hobby any way not to many of us are actualy useing this stuff like daily some times you just have to make something you know

By: fartface

fartface — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 12:53:17 +0000

A Micrisift remote with IR reciever is only $35.00 on newegg. why not buy one of those and call it done? you get something that is better and does not require a half arsed “girder” program installed to make it all work. (P.S. girder is not free, so you gotta bu y that as well.

Finally there are far easier setups online that dont need a custom programmed pic either…

By: grant

grant — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 12:28:48 +0000

From the picture, looks like they are using serial not USB.

By: Wwhat

Wwhat — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 09:40:20 +0000

“The circuit is powered by 20 pin ATX connector pin 9 “+5VSB” because it is the only pin that is powered when the computer is off”
Must be a 80’s computer since all computers made the last decades have a jumper to get standby power on the USB ports.