hi
Do-it-yourself
Nid ria
hu
Kat
Arduino Based Windows PC
Volume Remote Control
P
resented here is a project that
turns your Arduino into a
remote control. Infrared (IR)
remotes have been very promi-
nent since 1980s. In todays world
almost everything is controlled by
a remote. This project allows you
to control the master volume of a
Windows PC, a television set, set-
top box, home theatre system and
the like.
Standard data formats
There are two common data formats
for IR control: RC5 coding and NEC
coding.
RC5 code. RC5 code uses a
bi-phase coding, and the carrier
frequency is fixed at 36kHz. Trans-
mission of the data begins with two
start bits followed by a toggle bit
(Fig. 1). Toggle bit changes its value
at each new key press. Five address
Data
24.9ms
2 1
start bits
17052
Fig. 1: RC5 transmission code (Image courtesy: www.vishay.com)
130 May 2017 | Electronics For You
Arnav Bansal
bits represent the address of the de-
vice to be controlled. Six command
bits contain the information to be
transmitted.
Each bit in the data consists of
half a bit period with no transmis-
sion and half a bit period with a
burst of 32 pulses at 36kHz. The
most suitable IR receivers for receiv-
ing RC5 code are those with AGC2
setting and a band-pass frequency
of 36kHz. Some examples are
TSOP1236, TSOP4836, TSOP34836,
TSOP39236 and TSOP36236.
NEC code. NEC code uses bursts
at a carrier frequency of 38kHz. It
starts transmission using a leader
code, a burst with a length of 9ms,
followed by a pause of 4.5ms and
then the data (Fig. 2). The original
purpose of this leader code was to
let the internal control loops in the
receiver modules to settle.
114ms
Bit length 1.78ms
5 6
toggle bit address bits
27.8s
868s (32 cycles of 36kHz)
After transmitting the data, only
the leader code and a single bit are
transmitted repeatedly for as long as
a key is pressed. A special prop-
erty of this code is a constant word
length in combination with pulse
distance modulation.
Address and data bits are trans-
mitted twice, first as a normal byte,
followed by an inverted byte. The
half period burst portion of each
bit contains 22 pulses, each with
a width of 8.77s and a period of
26.3s. 0 is represented by a pulse
distance of 1.125ms, and 1 by a
pulse distance of 2.25ms.
Eight address bits are used to
identify the device to be controlled.
Further eight bits are used for
transmission of command data. As
mentioned above, the words are
always followed, without a pause,
by inverted words. For example,
The data word
is repeated as
long as a key is
pressed
Example
of a data word
data bits
Burst
(half bit)
www.efymag.com
 Do-it-yourself

Leader code
Data

67.5ms

108ms 108ms

Address code Address code Data code Data code

4.5
9ms ms 8 bits 8 bits 8 bits 8 bits

13.5ms 27ms 27ms

17053

Fig. 2: NEC transmission code (Image courtesy: www.vishay.com)

key of the remote and then

Some IR receiver modules for compares it with predefined
different carrier frequencies variables to figure out which
Module Frequency Module Frequency key is pressed. If it finds a
TSOP1730 30kHz TSOP1733 33kHz match, it sends the signal
TSOP1736 36kHz TSOP1737 36.7kHz to the PC, which is inter-
TSOP1738 38kHz TSOP1740 40kHz preted by Remote Volume
TSOP1756 56kHz Control software (designed
Fig. 4: Screenshot of Remote Volume Control by author), which further
software performs the required
task. Screenshot of Remote
TSOP1738
IRTX1 108ms time slot for as long Volume Control software is shown in
POWER USB
INPUT as the key is pressed. Fig. 4. The most important step is to
DRIVER AREF
IR receiver modules. configure the desired remote control
1 2 3
IOREF
RST
GND The most suitable IR device with Arduino Uno.
13
receivers for receiving
GND
VCC
O/P

ARDUINO

3.3V
Software
12
5V 11
GND 10 NEC code are those with
GND
Vin
9
8
AGC4 setting as these The source codes (IR_Key_Test.
have the best noise sup- ino and IR_Final.ino) are written in
ATMEGA328

7 pression while still sup- Arduino programming language. The

6
DIGITAL

A0 5 porting this data format. software used to program Arduino

A1 4
Some examples are Uno is Arduino IDE, which can be
ANALOG

A2 3
A3 2 TSOP4438, TSOP58438 and downloaded free of cost from www.
A4 TX 1
A5 RX 0 TSOP75438. Receiver mod- arduino.cc/en/Main/Software
ules for different carrier Arduino, which is an open source
BOARD1
frequencies are given in the software, makes it easy to write and
Fig. 3: Circuit diagram of Arduino based Windows PC
Table above. upload the code to the board. It runs
volume remote control on Windows, Mac OS X and Linux.
Circuit and working The environment is written in Java
transmission of address 00110111 and Circuit diagram of Arduino PC and based on Processing and other
command data 00011010 is per- volume control is shown in Fig. 3. open source software.
formed by sending bits as: Hardware components required are The library used in this project is
00110111110010000001101011100101 Arduino Uno, TSOP1738 IR receiver, IRremote library. It allows Arduino
In a special version of NEC code, breadboard and some jumper wires. Uno to decode IR signals coming from
the pre-burst, including all address Working of the project is fairly the remote. To install the library, copy
and data bits, is repeated in each simple. Arduino Uno decodes the IRremote folder and paste it in the

www.efymag.com Electronics For You | May 2017 131


Fig. 5: Example of key configuration
Fig. 6: Screenshot of IR_Final.ino
Fig. 7: Device Manager window
following location:
Documents>Arduino>libraries
folder
To communicate between Ardui-
132 May 2017 | Electronics For You
Do-it-yourself
Fig. 8: Authors prototype
no Uno and PC, mode of communi-
cation used is serial communication.
You need to install Remote Volume
Control software on the targeted PC,
which communicates with Arduino
Uno and accordingly performs the
task. This software runs in the
background and automatically starts
when the PC boots.
Initial setup
Step 1. To configure your desired
remote control device, install IR-
remote library and open IR_Key_Test.
ino code from Arduino IDE. Select
the correct board from ToolsBoard
menu in Arduino IDE, and burn the
program (sketch) through the stand-
ard USB port in your computer.
Step 2. After uploading the code,
open Serial Monitor in Arduino IDE.
efy Note
The source code of
this project is
included in this
months EFY DVD and
is also available for free
download at source.
efymag.com
Point the remote control towards TSOP
receiver module and press the key
that you want to assign for volume up
function continuously. Note the key
code number that will repeat again and
again when the key is pressed. Screen-
shot of the example is shown in Fig. 5.
Key code for volume up function
as per current serial data is 45135.
Note that some remotes send value
65535 or FFFF after sending the key
code. Sometimes, there might
be abrupt values due to
ambient light or interference,
so take five to six readings
before assigning the key
code. Similarly, repeat the
above procedure to find the
key codes for volume down
and mute functions.
Step 3. After noting down
the key codes for all func-
tions, open IR_Final.ino code
and write down your key
codes as shown in Fig. 6.
Save and compile the code.
Testing the project
After uploading IR_Final.ino code to
Arduino Uno, connect it to your PC
and open Device Manager. Note the
COM port assigned to Arduino Uno.
Here, Arduino Uno is assigned
COM3 (Fig. 7). Install Remote Vol-
ume Control software and start it.
Select COM3 in COM Ports menu and
select 9600 baud rate from Baud Rate
menu. Click on Connect, and if all
goes well, volume of the PC will be
controlled by your desired remote.
The authors prototype of Arduino
based Windows PC volume remote
control is shown in Fig. 8.
Arnav Bansal is an electronics
hobbyist and loves to tinker
with circuit designs
www.efymag.com