Update: IR Controlled Lighting

[Muris] is back with another infrared controlled lighting hack. When we checked in with him last year he was showing off an IR controlled dimmer module. Now he’s back with this device that is CFL friendly. Because standard CFL bulbs are not dimmer compatible he’s adapted the project away from dimming and toward switching. The new design still uses an infrared remote but now it can turn two devices on and off again or toggle between them. Our favorite part of the build is that the PIC based device can learn the codes of whichever remote you choose, rather than having to rely on one specific type of remote.

11 thoughts on “Update: IR Controlled Lighting

  1. If he’s only ever driving lamps then the switch element could be done cheaper by full wave rectifying the AC and using a FET instead. The MOC304* / triac combination works out quite pricey (>> the cost of the PIC), and is not really necessary unless varying the duty cycle of the load.

  2. Nifty. I think I need to make something similar(but not IR controlled) to launch fireworks this summer. Maybe I’ll go super overboard and make it a missile launch console with keypad and launch codes and all.

  3. What is special about this to make it suitable for CFL? From what I have read is that the standard leading edge dimming is not suitable for CFL due to the current peaks when switching on. So a reverse phase or trailing edge dimming must be used which TRIAC’s can not do.

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