{"id":943,"date":"2015-07-26T21:28:45","date_gmt":"2015-07-26T11:28:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bandetech.com\/blog\/?p=943"},"modified":"2015-07-27T16:46:50","modified_gmt":"2015-07-27T06:46:50","slug":"remote-enhancements","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bandetech.com\/blog\/2015\/07\/remote-enhancements\/","title":{"rendered":"Remote enhancements"},"content":{"rendered":"

I like to tinker and to solve problems for the fun of it. However,\u00a0this project might confirm that\u00a0I’m just downright lazy.\"HTPC<\/a><\/p>\n

I solved two ‘problems’ this week: adding remote power-on capability to my home theater PC (HTPC) and remotely switching input selections on an HDMI switch box — by reassigning a couple of unused buttons on our TV’s remote control.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

My HTPC (the computer in my TV cabinet) is in a slim CoolerMaster case, <\/strong>which had remote power-on capability via its own remote control. The infrared\u00a0receiver broke long\u00a0ago but that\u00a0was no biggie — I just got off my arse and turned the computer on manually\u00a0and then operated it\u00a0with my Rii\u00a0<\/a>mini\u00a0keyboard\/mouse.<\/p>\n

Recently, I added an HDMI switch to my set up because my aging\u00a0Samsung telly has only one HDMI input. The switcher\u00a0doesn’t have a remote control,\u00a0so I\u00a0found myself making the arduous 1.5 metre excursion across the living room far too\u00a0often. The time had come to be rid of\u00a0all that pesky incidental exercise by way of\u00a0an Arduino\u00a0project.<\/p>\n

\"htpc_remote_check_codes\"<\/a>

Simple setup to read\/record the codes from the TV remote<\/p><\/div>\n

I started with\u00a0an infrared receiver\u00a0module connected to an Arduino nano.\u00a0The IR receiver\u00a0both detects and decodes remote control signals, presenting the Arduino with\u00a0nice, easy to work with codes. A\u00a0temporary set-up of Arduino and IR receiver enabled\u00a0me to record the\u00a0codes associated with\u00a0the buttons I wanted to use on the TV remote control and then it was time to build the\u00a0main project.<\/p>\n

Most Windows-based PCs are turned\u00a0on by briefly connecting\u00a0the green\u00a0wire on the power supply to an earth or ground point. For this project,\u00a0I piggy-backed\u00a0this\u00a0green wire\u00a0to\u00a0an Arduino output — which is either ‘high’ (5 volts) or ‘low’ (grounded). By switching that\u00a0output from high to low and back again the PC will\u00a0start.<\/p>\n

My\u00a0HDMI switch\u00a0doesn’t lend itself to an electronic remote control solution, so\u00a0I had to mechanically\u00a0press the button the same way I did with my\u00a0remote camera shutter release<\/a> — a servo. Unlike that project, there\u00a0is no need to calibrate the servo every time because it’s a more permanent set-up. What you see in the pictures is my proof-of-concept —\u00a0I hope to make something more elegant one day.<\/p>\n

\"Bench <\/a> <\/div> <\/div>
\"The <\/a> <\/div>
\"Testing <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"The <\/a> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Ready <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n

To make this project useful it has to remain active,\u00a0even if the PC is turned off.\u00a0This\u00a0was fairly easy to solve as PCs have 5 volt standby power that is always available. In this case the standby power had already been tapped for\u00a0the original remote control detector circuit.<\/p>\n

The Arduino\u00a0nano is tiny so I had no issue fitting it into the computer’s case, and the IR detector just\u00a0replaces the old dead one.\u00a0The components I used in this project all came from one of those cheap Chinese super-sites and cost\u00a0less than A$5 — a very inexpensive solution.<\/p>\n