IRK! Infrared Remote Controlled USB Keyboard Without Keys

IRK! is a USB keyboard, without keys, that you can operate just by using your LEARNING infrared remote control.

I created it to allow me to control my MythTV home theater PC with my LEARNING infrared remote control instead of having to use a real USB keyboard - but it will work with any system (Linux, Windows, or whatever) that you can plug a USB keyboard into, and also other home theater systems like XBMC and MediaPortal.

Many people use LIRC on Linux to control MythTV, but my solution does not require you to edit any complicated configuration files and does not need any special device drivers or software to be installed.

IRK! is an open-hardware project that I created on SourceForge. Contributors and bug reports are welcome.

Features

The feature set so far includes:

• IRK! teaches your LEARNING remote control IR codes
• IRK! lets you map IR codes to USB keystrokes - for example, Shift+Enter
• IRK! sends the USB keystroke to your PC when you press a button on your remote
• IRK! can send power off, sleep, and wake codes to your PC
• IRK! devices can have one of 256 addresses - so you can have multiple IRK!'s
• IRK! handles broadcasts - so multiple IRK!'s can respond to a single remote button
• IRK! supports USB Consumer Device functions (e.g. Mute)
• IRK! has a programmable LCD backlight delay (or ON/OFF commands)

IRK! is an evolving project. Please check out irk-usb on SourceForge for the latest enhancements.

Step 1: Prerequisites

This project is for reasonably advanced electronic nuts...but if you stick with it anyone can make it.

You're going to be making a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) or at least a matrix board, soldering electronic components onto it, and then programming a PIC micro-controller, so you'll need:

• PCB making equipment. I use inkjet transparencies, an ordinary fluorescent desk lamp as a UV source, and Kinsten positive-acting presensitised board, and ferric chloride etchant.
• A good soldering iron with a fine tip.
• A micro-controller programmer able to program a Microchip PIC18F2550 micro-controller, such as a Pickit2 or you can make your own (search for "pic programmer" on Instructables).

And in case it doesn't work for you first time, you may find it helpful to have:

• A good logic analyser like Logic (works on Windows or Linux)
• A USB trace capture program like USBTrace (Windows) or Wireshark (free on Linux). On Linux, make sure you're using the libpcap 1.1 (packet capture library) or later.

Comments

[Loonytech]

Hi! I just wanted to say that this is by far, the best instructable I´ve seen. For about a year I´ve been an entuisiast with the "learning by doing"- principle, and the tricky side is to understand the instructions in this new and great hobby. This instructble has no such bieffects.. absoluteley fantastic. This is probably my first comment as well.. Thanx a 1000 times for a wonderful work. Now lets see if I can do some work on the actual content in your instructable. / Loony

[simplicio]

Heh Loonytech,

Glad you're having fun with it! (sorry about the delay in responding, but I only got notified about your comment after 5 days - must be some anti-spam thing).

I have to admit I've not put much more effort into IRK! since I bought an Android phone and installed the mythmote app on it to control my MythTV system, but I sure had a lot of fun doing the whole design/build/program thing and to end up with a reasonably unique home-made gadget was worth it just for that!

Cheers,
Andrew A.

[zack247]

i would love to make this but i would get as far as finding the parts and by then i already would have given up. :)

[Taran606]

What would happen if I pulled out 1random wire what would you do cause that's a lot of wires lol jk

[simplicio]

Well, it *was* a lot of wires...but it's off breadboard now. New pic attached.

[electronic boy]

very nice and you go into detail on this so well great asset to instructables