IR Kit

IRKit Hardware

I was tired of having to use 2 or 3 remotes to use our TV.   There is a remote for the DVR box which is for channel changing and DVR type functions.   Then there is a TV remote.  Fortunately the DVR remote controls the TV power but if I want to change HDMI channels then I have to dig up the TV remote.   The surround sound uses a Sony amplifier which of course has it's own remote.  In addition, our TV only has 2 HDMI inputs.  This isn't enough since I want to use the DVR on one HDMI, a Chromecast on another HDMI and either a PC computer, Raspberry Pi or a streaming box such as Roku on yet another HDMI.  There are external HDMI switch boxes but an HDMI switch box with additional HDMI channels of course means another remote.

The ultimate solution is to use that universal hand held computer device, the Smartphone.   All Smartphones are able to access WiFi so the ideal remote is a Smartphone communicating with a WiFi to IR bridge.   Customized IR commands such as changing HDMI channels or changing the TV channel or switching on the surround sound would be programmed into a web server.   The Smartphone displays the webpage and the user touches buttons on the page to send commands over WiFi to the WiFi-IR bridge.  The bridge gadget then transmits the appropriate IR command to the device we want to control.  The device receives an ordinary IR signal commanding it to perform the desired function such as changing channels, etc.

The key to this whole scenario is the WiFi to IR bridge.  Ideally the bridge should be Open Source so that future enhancements could easily be added to the device.   An extensive web search revealed several possibilities including DIY versions that require adding components onto a shield of an Arduino and somehow packaging the whole thing into something living room friendly without a bunch of wires hanging out everywhere.  Enter the IRKit.

The IRKit is sold on Amazon and is a consumer nightmare.  There are no instructions except for a piece of paper written in Japanese.  There is a website for the device but literally no  documentation.  The website shows a few command windows with sample Curl commands.  I can't imagine anyone other than an experienced engineer figuring this stuff out.  The engineer would have to be well versed in hardware, firmware, software and networking.

Remove 4 screws to reveal inside the Case

Remove 4 screws to reveal inside the Case

The great news of the day is that the IRKit comes n a beautiful plastic package.   Removing the 4 screws that hold the plastic cover down reveals a single circuit board.   This board contains an Arduino Leonardo clone, a WiFi module, IR Leds, an IR receiver and a micro USB port.  The micro USB supplies power to the board and also serves as a firmware programming interface for the Arduino clone.  When the  micro USB port was attached to my laptop the board was recognized by the Arduino IDE as a Leonardo.   Excellent!   Now I have the hardware basis   for my  own WiFi to IR bridge, just add software.