Infrared Remote Extender

This project sprang from the need to be able to remotely control audio-visual equipment placed inside cupboards. RF-based commercial units such as those used for home theatre were found to be overkill for this application. The circuit is based on a commonly available infrared receiver module (IRX1) and a PIC12F675 microcontroller (IC1) – see circuit. Most infrared standards specify a nominal 38kHz carrier signal for data transmission, which the module receives and demodulates.

Circuit diagram: Digital data output:

The digital data output from the module is fed into GP2 (pin 5) of the PIC micro, where it’s received by the PIC program and duplicated on output GP1 (pin 6). This flashes the "Signal" LED to give a visual indication that the extender is receiving the remote control’s transmissions.