Apple Remote Arduino shield

arduino-apple-remote-shield

[Computergeek] made an Arduino Shield in order to use it as an Apple remote. We like the construction technique that he used; taking perf-board and soldering the circuit and using stripped wire to interface with the pin sockets on the Arduino. He’s written the code needed to function as an Apple Remote but this shield has a lot more potential. This is an excellent opportunity to delve into the different IR protocols out there and create a universal remote for all of your random devices. We’d also want to give it a try as a TV-B-Gone.

The parts are easy to find or salvage without putting in an order. We’re not certain about his design, he should probably have invited a resistor to the party the two IR LEDs are having.

Comments [25]

tagged: apple, ir, led, remote, tv-b-gone, universal remote

Reader Comments

No menu button?

Posted at 4:20 pm on Nov 3rd, 2009 by octel

I think he’s OK without the resistor… judging by the schematic he posted, he’s driving them from the Arduino’s pin 13, which has a built-in current-limiting resistor.

Posted at 4:41 pm on Nov 3rd, 2009 by Russ

“he should have invited a resistor…”

If he’s running both LEDs from pin 13(built in resistor) should he need another one?!?

Posted at 4:41 pm on Nov 3rd, 2009 by KMD

sounds like Resistor gets to stay at home while Arduino hangs out with two hot IRs all night yet again. T_T

Posted at 4:46 pm on Nov 3rd, 2009 by mukmuk

When having LEDs in parallel like that, each LED should have its own resistor (instead of one resistor for both). It still works the original way, but this way is just more electronically correct

Posted at 5:50 pm on Nov 3rd, 2009 by RazorConcepts

Vive La Resitance (like spoken in the infamouse “allo allo” series)

Posted at 6:00 pm on Nov 3rd, 2009 by polossatik

Woot! LED party!

Posted at 6:55 pm on Nov 3rd, 2009 by WeirdFishes

If I remember correctly, the resistor is only on the SMD led built into the duemilanove, check the schematics if you don’t believe me

Posted at 7:14 pm on Nov 3rd, 2009 by jamieriddles

I’ve refused the Arduino kool-aid before this, but I had a quick science fair timer project to do for the kids, so instead of yet again setting up the PIC C compiler etc I ordered one.
Man they are soooo easy to use with the simple included libraries and IDE. The project took 1/4th the time it would have with a PIC.

Posted at 7:41 pm on Nov 3rd, 2009 by ladz

There is no pullup on inline resistor on Duemilanove pin 13.

http://www.arduino.cc/en/uploads/Main/arduino-duemilanove-schematic.pdf

Duemilanove pin 13 is connected to a resistor and LED to ground. Duemilanove pin 13 is directly connected directly to pin 19 on the ATMEGA.

Posted at 7:44 pm on Nov 3rd, 2009 by robocat

I didn’t add use a resistor with the IR LED’s because pin 13 already has one built in. So Russ, KMD, RazorConcepts, jamieriddles & robocat are correct in their thinking.

@octel
I didn’t add a menu button because I didn’t have another button easily assessable & on my apple remote it’s kind of annoying. But it would be easy to add one.

Thanks for featuring my project!

Posted at 8:06 pm on Nov 3rd, 2009 by ComputerGeek

As the author of the Arduino Apple Remote library, I’m super excited that my work has (tangentially) made Hack-a-day. I welcome any patches, as well as pointers to other projects using it. Thanks for featuring a project that featured my project.

–Casey

Posted at 8:47 pm on Nov 3rd, 2009 by Casey

apple BOOOO!!! instructables BOOOO!!!

Posted at 9:04 pm on Nov 3rd, 2009 by walt

but does it have an arduino in it?

Posted at 9:10 pm on Nov 3rd, 2009 by blue carbuncle

@ladz
what you talking about !?
in MPLAB you can real time debug, calculate each cycle time and use any language you like and most of them come with so large libraries that manual look like encyclopedia

Posted at 1:36 am on Nov 4th, 2009 by therian

@ladz
even pic ccs, which considered by many as worst language come with so much build in stuff that Arduino cant even dream about with all its shield

Posted at 1:40 am on Nov 4th, 2009 by therian

I’ve come up with a diagnosis for the thing people like therian are afflicted with. It’s A.D.S. (Arduino Derangement Syndrome).

Posted at 3:02 am on Nov 4th, 2009 by riazap

If not including a resistor in series with a current mode device isn’t wrong, then connecting two current mode devices in parallel certainly is.

If you wouldn’t do either of these things with power diodes, why is it that people think it’s okay with LE Diodes? Because they *look* like little globes? Is the need for current drive *really* that hard to understand?

I have examples of LED torches (flashlights) that depend entirely on the bulk resistance of the diodes in parallel and internal resistance of the battery in series – utterly bloody horrible “design”. Some LED’s do expire, and they make very poor use of the batteries. Yes, even manufacturers are getting away with such abominations, but they *are* abominations, not examples to emulate.

Adding a transistor stage will allow more current to be switched, but current setting resistors then become mandatory. IR LED’s in particular have the lowest cut-in voltage at 1.2 volts, and their V/I curve then rises almost vertically with a slope of amps per volt!

See;
http://www.electronics-tutorials.ws/diode/diode12.gif

I don’t think a “reflector” is actually going to help much because most of the light is already being lensed into about a 30 degree forward cone. What does work is a bit more lensing to concentrate the energy into a narrower beam.

Posted at 5:05 am on Nov 4th, 2009 by Roly

@riazap
Derangement Syndrome mean irrational belief despite all factual evidence(like false imaginary difficulties or unbelievable high cost) so professor, to which side this definition apply more ?

Posted at 5:23 am on Nov 4th, 2009 by therian

If you need something as huge as an arduino to create an IR remote, you fail at mc building. Look at the TVBGone – who needs an Arduino to pulse IR LEDs?

Posted at 6:04 am on Nov 4th, 2009 by M4CGYV3R

I think the point of using an Arduino is that when this project gets boring, its easy to take the Arduino off to some other party. Inevitably, the swiss-army knife factor comes into play here a bit ..

Posted at 6:34 am on Nov 4th, 2009 by Jay Vaughan

@therian
I’m not knocking PICs at all.
The PIC / MPLab and assorted compilers and certainly have more flexibility and power than Arduino. But for quick hobby projects that don’t require any optimization for manufacturability, battery life, speed, etc (read: actual engineering) it seems like the Arduino environment is ideal.

Posted at 10:07 am on Nov 4th, 2009 by ladz

@Jay Vaughan
“I think the point of using an Arduino is that when this project gets boring, its easy to take the Arduino off to some other party.

but this mean you destroy you project, newer leaving working one, isn’t it better to grab new cheap chip from bag and leave working piece for future use ?

Posted at 3:26 pm on Nov 4th, 2009 by therian

@therian
You truly are useless. Are you a libertarian or an objectivist? You certainly sound like someone brainwashed by Ayn Rand.

Posted at 7:40 pm on Nov 4th, 2009 by riazap

@riazap the truth is too hurtful ?

Posted at 12:21 am on Nov 5th, 2009 by therian

Apple Remote Arduino shield

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