Introduction: IR Remote Control Jammer

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Get your own IR Jammer Kit here.

Look at the IR Jammer project page here.

The IR Jammer is a fun project that provides a bit of safe, non-destructive fun. The Infrared Remote Control Jammer allows you to render all IR remote controls inoperative! The microcontroller in this design allows for all 6 of the main IR frequencies to be targeted making this unit universal. It works by corrupting the data that is being sent by your normal remote controls.

A single press of the button sends out stream of IR pulses from the two narrow beam and two wide beam IR LEDs for 30 seconds. Each press of the button will add 30 seconds to the running timer. For remote operation you can simply connect a button to the On Sw. pads, shorting this input will turn on the IR output until the contact is opened. This would allow the device to be mounted into an old remote, brim of a hat, etc.

The compact design is the size of a 9 volt battery allowing it to be strapped directly to its power source if desired.

Step 1: IR Jammer Overview

The heart of the IR Jammer is a PIC 12F675 microcontroller. This microcontroller has been programmed to reproduce the 6 popular IR frequencies, 30kHz, 33kHz, 36kHz, 38kHz, 40kHz and 56kHz. When the button is pressed two transistors are used to pump infrared data out of the 4 IR LEDs. Using two wide beam and two narrow beam IR LEDs allows good distance and a ease of use. The Green LED is used to indicate power up by blinking 3 times and also to indicate when the jammer is running by a quick flash ever few seconds. When building the kit you can select the power selection resistors to adjust the balance between range and power consumption.

Step 2: IR Jammer Code

After the jammer flashes the green LED to indicate power on the unit goes to sleep and wakes up on a pin change interrupt, this allows it to last a very long time in standby. The PCB mounted push button will wake it up and allow it to operate for 30 seconds for each press and the On Sw. remote switch connection will run the jammer until the switch is turned off. There are 6 assembly language routines that are used for each of the IR jamming frequencies that the device replicates.

You can get the free source code here if you want, or download the HEX file here to burn directly to a microcontroller.

Step 3: IR Jammer Schematic

If you would like to make your own board design have a look at the schematic here or purchase a bare IR Jammer board if you want to build your own using your own components.