Use Raspberry Pi to Test Your Infrared Remote Control

Introduction

My Air Conditioner (AC) machine didn't work even after replacing the batteries of the remote control. I wanted to know whether the remote control is sending out any Infrared (IR) signal.

Scope

This instructable will show the following:

Make Raspberry Pi receive infrared signal from the remote control

Audience

Raspberry Pi users

Assumption

The remote control being tested work in the 38KHz frequency.

Step 1: Install and Configure LIRC Daemon

Complete the steps in "Install and configure LIRC Daemon" instructable.

Step 2: Test the Remote Control

First test a remote control that you know to be working (example TV remote) to ensure that IR interface of the Raspberry Pi is working as expected.

On the terminal emulator

$mode2 -d /dev/lirc0

Point the working remote control at the Raspberry Pi

Press any button while looking at the terminal emulator

You should see messages being printed on the screen as shown in the screenshot. This is a confirmation that the IR hardware and software interface of the Raspberry Pi is working.

Now point the remote control you suspect to be faulty at the Raspberry Pi

If there are no messages being printed on the screen, then there is a high chance that it is faulty.