Turn any IR remote control to a wireless control ON/OFF switch

While building a Toastmaster timer, I needed a switch to act as a Start/Stop switch. I first built it with a long flexible coax cable, but as time went on, it turned out to be impracticable: it could be too long and people could trip on it. So I was looking for a circuit to remotely control the timer without wire, and it almost has to be cheap and built from readily available household components. Let's see what do I have around my house which can function as a wireless device. Eureka! a bunch of  old and abandoned IR remote controls.
The idea is very simple: the IR remote control sends out a stream of 10 bits, and the simplest way so far to convert this stream to a simple pulse is using an One shot circuit to generate a simple pulse when any remote button is pushed.

Step 1 Component list

Very short: 2 IC and 4 passive elements.

555 (8 pin)
TSOP1838 (Vishay IR receiver 38Khz)
Caps: 10uF, 1uF, 0.1uF
Resistors: 18K

Comments

[Utsav25]

Can I use this circuit for powering on my computer CPU instead of the push on-push-off button?

[bic]

If you know how to design a relay driver circuit. What you need is a driver: ULN2003, and a 5V relay like the TQ2-5V. A nice feature of the ULN2003 is that it has an internal diode, and the logic is TTL.
Bic

[Utsav25]

Can you provide a schematic for this? I am new to electronics so it would be hard for me to design this circuit .thanks

[tmcalhoun]

(removed by author or community request)

[bic]

What is the signal control for your musical card? Is it a logic signal? Please elaborate.
Bic

[manudhiman6]

I am trying to control a 3 switches to on-off state via remote. Will you please describe the receiver and the transmitter circuit.. I am not an expert so need more information.. will you please help me out!!

[bic]

The transmitter is the Remote control: any remote control, any pin.
Receiver is the integrated TSOP 1838.
Pin 3 is the logic 0-5V acting like an ON/OFF signal. This can be used on a transistor switch.
Off course if you want to control a relay, you may need a little bit more circuit.

[diy_bloke]

As I understand the transmitter is just a basic IR remote control like for TV and audio. TheIR Receiver is a TSOP1838. These are available for peanuts and have ground, a plus and a signal pin.
The TSOP1838 picks up the signal from the Remoet control, regardless which button is pressed and puts that on its signal pin
The schematic is such that the 555 reacts to ant signal coming in and gives a pulse on its outpu

[ajinkyadixit]

thanx ......thnx a lot now its working properly...............

[ajinkyadixit]

thanx ......thnx a lot now its working properly...............

[ajinkyadixit]

i have completed the circuit but its not working. i m confused about to which pins connecting any component to run(eg. motor,led,etc.) & which pins are connected to ground(-ve).pls tell me about these.

i know that the components one terminal should have to connect to middle pin of tip1838 but which? -ve/+ve?
And where to connect another terminal of component?

whinh pins are connected to power supply?
how to connect the capacitor of 10mF?

pls tell me about these.........................

[e5frog]

Wonder if you have solved this yet...

The little triangular marks means it's connected to ground, when using battery that's usually the negative pole.

[vince29]

What is the function of 2N7004? Are there any substitutes?

[bic]

The 2N7004 is just a logic level N-Mosfet, used as a driver to drive the motor since the motor pull a lot more current than an ordinary IO can provide.
Any power N-Channel mosfet with Vgs threshold of [2-4V] will do.

[vince29]

Thanks for your help!
I now need to buy these components and try them out.
I hope to get back to you as soon as I can

[bic]

I found out a while later my circuit exhibited some random glitches from the IR receiver causing the 555 to fire unexpectedly. I have since designed a better circuit which does not suffer any glitch. I might may post it here.

[vince29]

I hope you do post it. I am sure many will benefit from it.

[bic]

Here it is:
Instead of a 555, use a Schmidt trigger (74HC14, or 74HCT74, 74F74..) a couple of caps and resistors. Very robust. No glitches, therefore no flase triggering.
The last gates on the right with the x2 on top means 2 gates in series, so the signal is active high

[vince29]

I am anxious to try this. Can you describe the receiver end? How was the toaster rigged up to receive the IR signal?

[bic]

It is not rigged to control a toaster as in bread/toast, but as a toggle switch to control a regular timer. The output is a TTL logic level. SO I guess you can drive a relay to turn on the toaster.

[vince29]

Bic, Thanks for the quick response. I am a retired Civil Engineer dabbling in electronics.
My purpose is to start/stop a model type (mini) 5v DC motor remotely with an Infra Red transmitter/receiver set. I am still unfamiliar with TTL logic level. Are you saying the output pin 3 of the 555 timer can drive a relay that opens a circuit that has the motor? Can you suggest a relay?
Thanks so much!

[bic]

Is your 5V motor controlled by a H bridge driver? Or can you describe how the motor is driven.

[vince29]

Right now my motor is driven only by connecting it to a battery or a 5vDC source

[bic]

Try this circuit. Go to digikey and get the part and package you want. I assume your motor is small and does not draw much current.

[vince29]

Could not find 2N7004 transistor in Digitkey catalog nor in Mouser. Found one browsing Google. It appears outdated by its scarcity and a cost of >$17.
I'm not prepared for this. Another suggestion, please?
Thank you.

[bic]

remember S (source) goes to Ground. D (drain) goes to the motor terminal.

[bic]

Try this: IRLD110PBF-ND ($1.7/each)

[hinge]

Do I see transistor on the breadboard,not mentioned in your BOM/schematics?

[Mprikiman]

If you look more carefully the transistor is not connected to the rest of the circuit on that breadboard.

[philip42]

Instead of purchasing an IR receiver couldn't you just strip a generic one out of an old VCR, TV, or whatever?

[bic]

Not sure. However what you need is a module which would demodulate the IR remote signal and not just the the IR photodetector.