$3.50 DIY TV-B-Gone Micro

I previously made a slideshow on my DIY TV-B-Gone, and many people requested I make an Instructable. So, the first in a series of DIY TV-B-Gone clones, is the TV-B-Gone Micro!

Technically, because TV-B-Gone is a brand name, this is a "TV-B-Gone clone."

The TV-B-Gone is a neat little device that can turn almost any TV on or off. It uses a microcontroller hooked up to IR LEDs to output a library of on/off codes. Adafruit sells a kit, and has the code as well as the schematic on their website.

Here's a micro clone of the TV-B-Gone that runs on a coin cell battery, is slightly bigger than a quarter, and costs about $3.50 (compared to $20) to make!

Step 1: Materials and Tools

Here is a list of what you will need.

Materials:

• Attiny85v microcontroller - $1.82
• CR2032 battery holder - $0.62
• 8MHz resonator - $0.50
• Wide-angle IR LED - $0.20
• Narrow-bean IR LED - $0.18
• NPN transistor - $0.10
• 150 ohm resistor - $0.05
• 22uf capacitor - $0.02
• Small pushbutton - $0.27 (note: this is slightly different than the one I used)

All of these prices are if you buy only one of each part. If you buy in bulk, like I did, it will actually have a cheaper unit price. For me the total was less than $3.50, for you maybe more if you only buy one of each part.

You will also need some 2032 batteries to power it. DON'T FORGET!

Tools:

• AVR programmer (I used a USBtinyISP, a good, cheap programmer made from a kit)
• Computer with internet access; I predict you are using one right now :-)
• Soldering iron with solder
• Helping hands tools, very helpful

Now let's get started!

Comments

[crusso]

Great instructable!!!!!
Just one question: would it work with an ATTINY85-20PU?

[jacobanders12]

would a 22uF 50v capacitor work?

[hilukasz]

do you even need the resonator? since you can reset the fuses on attiny so it runs at 8mhz?

[dark sponge]

Nope! See steps 2 and 4.

[furrysalamander]

I'm building a V1.2 with one of these: https://www.sparkfun.com/products/10732 Instead of two. What parts can I remove? Can I get away with just the capacitor, the led thing, the resonator, and the microcontroller? I plan on connecting the power wire directly to the batteries, and the digital wire to the microcontroller. Also, if I do that, should I add an extra capacitor, or just have the power for both run through the same one. And lastly, can you help me modify the code so that it stops when you let go of the button instead? Or maybe let me change between the two options with a switch? I'm putting it inside a toy sonic screwdriver. Please reply ASAP, I have a birthday party coming up and I need to finish it.

[dark sponge]

If you use that LED, the only things you can take out are the transistor and the resistor that connects it to the microcontroller. Just connect the CTL pin of the LED chip to the output pin on the microcontroller. You shouldn't have to add an additional capacitor, but if the microcontroller resets often you may want to substitute a larger one.

As for the code, you shouldn't have to modify it. I would recommend leaving the button in the way it is right now to save battery, but if you want to wire it for single press operation there should be a schematic on Adafruit's website. The microcontroller would be wired directly to power but the sense pin (pin 6 I think) would have the button between it and ground.

Version 1.1 has worked perfectly fine for me and I've never found a TV I can't turn off.

Good luck and have fun! I'll try to respond more quickly next time if you have any more questions.

[furrysalamander]

Okay, so I've poked around in the code, and I now know that the 1.1 has way less codes. Is there a way to merge the codes and the format from 1.2 with the main program from 1.1 so that I can use a 1.1 circuit? Or probably simpler, just modify the 1.2 code to work with a 1.1 circuit? I really need help, and I'm pretty sure that this can be done. Also, as far as hold down button until tv turns off and let go, this would require changes to the circuit as well. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE help me figure this out, this is my best friend and I need to have everything ready to order within the next two days because their birthday is on the 13th. :-|

[furrysalamander]

Wait, does v1.2 have more codes? I'm fine with sticking with v1.1 if they have the same amount of codes!

[furrysalamander]

Please please please help me!

[mbotond]

Which microprocessor replaces the Attiny85v? I can't find Atmel products in Romania.

[pabhilash]

Hi! Great I'ble.. so i have a question. I have a spare ATMEGA328 i can use(got it off an arduino clone). Can i use that instead of the ATTINY? (p.s, i'm assuming it already has a bootloader installed because i have uploaded sketches to it a few times.) Thanks! :)

[dark sponge]

Sadly, no. If you want to use the precompiled code, you need to use an Attiny85v.

[karabey]

Does anybody have the actual Codes?

[dark sponge]

There is a link in step 5 for a .zip download containing the code.

[dubstepmaker]

excellent.

[degen S.]

hey i,m new at this programing i was wondering if you could just give me a step by step instruction on the arduino software i've done a lot of research on arduino and if you could just give me a step by step tutorial that would be great. i bet it would help a,lot of people too. but if you could that would be fantastic. and ya that,s were i
know arduino and i just need to know what type arduino you used and the software.

[titan69]

Hi there, how would i change the fuses using an arduino uno, i get a blinking led working on the attiny85 using the arduino but cant seem to figure out how to do this step with only an aduino uno.

[titan69]

Edit

Figured it out, what i did was i used the ardunio-1.0.1 software and did the following:

1- Opened Arduino program and selected tools>board>Attiny85(external 20mhz clock)
2- Click open tab and click ArduinoISP.
3- Connected all wires of arduino uno to attiny85.
4- Then navigated to C:\Users\arduino-1.0.1\hardware\tools\avr\bin and opened this path in command prompt.
5- Entered the following command (remember to put your com port):

avrdude -p attiny85 -P com6 -c stk500v1 -b 19200 -U lfuse:w:0xfe:m -U hfuse:w:0xdf:m -U efuse:w:0xff:m

And everthing worked.

[dark sponge]

Glad you figured it out, sorry for the late reply. Thanks for leaving the how-to for other people!

[ke7ofi]

What would I need to do to only use the narrow beam LED and a AA batter? I can't really code, but I could struggle through it. Range isn't really an issue, as I'm fitting it in a sonic screwdriver with a reflective cone to boost range a bit, and I'll be close enough that it shouldn't matter.

[nodoubtman]

20$ shipping cost is ridiculous..!!! mouser :(

[RippedNerds]

(removed by author or community request)

[dark sponge]

Whoa, fun video! I noticed a bunch of people asking where you got it, maybe you could post a link.

[earthtown]

Packaged mine in a "door alarm" from Big-Lots (4 for $1...also got a reed switch, batteries, and speaker in parts). Added some sparkfun.com swag just to be flashy...the "geek" sticker wouldn't fit on there, I tried.

[dark sponge]

That looks awesome! Thanks for posting pics!

[Michael_Bell]

If i use the internal oscillator, I just omit the external one from the schematic, right?

[dark sponge]

Correct.

[batman96]

Hi Dark Sponge, You seem to know the most about tv b gones. I build electronic stuff, but I use discrete components, and have yet to use any micro controllers. I wanted a Tv B Gone, but wanted to build my own, I think I asked you about using a universal remote as one a couple of years ago. So here is what I did. I found the Tv B Gone data as a wav file on the net. I loaded it onto my mp3 player only to find that it can't play wav files. I converted it to mp3 and then heard some nice fax machine sounds. I made a Infa Red plug for my mp3 player out of a mono jack and two leds one facing each direction, (I found how to wire it in a article about using a Iphone as a universal remote). So the Idea is that I bring my mp3 player when I am going to be in waiting rooms and such, so when i want to shut off a tv I just plug that in instead of headphones. But my mp3 player doesn't have enough power to light them, If I run it though a small amp taken from a set of old computer speakers it works fine and shuts off all of my tvs, but that is to big to take with me. I already tried turning up the audio file on the computer, it is louder, but still doesn't light them. I know it works, obviously the I phone puts out enough power to work, the IR leds I am using are the dark ones, although I tried the ones out of a ball mouse too. Are there any that have a lower voltage? Thanks, Batman96

[Michael_Bell]

sorry for replying to such an old comment, but can you post a link to the wav file?

[batman96]

That's OK.

I have no idea where the website I got the files from are, but if you PM me your email I can send them to you, it seems you can't upload a file into a comment.
Also I have individual WAV files for each TV type, and I have them all combined into 4 WAV files, tell me which you want, or if you want all of them. All together the files are about 15MB.

I've found that there are no mp3 players that put out the required voltage to light the led's, you have to run the audio through some sort of amplifier, I wanted to make a very tiny in line amp that used a transistor and watch batteries, but I couldn't get enough quality, the sound degradation was so bad that the TV wouldn't recognize the signal, so you either have to use a bigger amp like I did, or make a high quality mini amp.

[dark sponge]

In that situation I would advise just building a simple amplifier with a transistor that would plug into the mp3 player and be powered by a separate battery. I don't know why it doesn't already light them, it should have enough power. But If it works with the computer amp, a smaller pocket amp should work too. You could maybe even get it to run off of a coin cell. Good luck!

[blinkyblinky]

Is there a way to use Arduino code?

I have an Arduino to ATtiny programmer...do you think that would work?

[Michael_Bell]

avrdude -c arduino -p t85 -P [your arduino comport here for example if it was comport 15 it would be '-P com15'] -b 19200 -U flash:w:tvbgone.hex

[dark sponge]

I think you can use the Arduino as a programmer to send this code to the ATtiny chip. You could also try to write your own code in arduino, but I would recommend just using the premade stuff.

[blinkyblinky]

Yeah, you can. Can you program the original code in through it though?

[TobaTobias]

Hi, great project. Do you think I could program the Attiny with Arudino as ISP on my mac?

[Michael_Bell]

Nevermind I figured it out. You need to change the command abit:

avrdude -c arduino -p t85 -P COM2 -b 19200 -U flash:w:tvbgone.hex

Change the programmer to the Arduino, include the port to whatever port your arduino is on ie com port 2 would we '-P com2', make sure the p is capitalized, and change the baudrate to 19200, The baudrate was the thing that was messing me up

[Michael_Bell]

sorry for the bump, but have you had any luck with this?

[dark sponge]

That should be able to work, but I'm not sure. I know it has been done on a PC but I am not very familiar with ISP programming on macs. You might be able to find instructions on a forum somewhere...

[acerpeng229]

what pnp transistor to use