IR Board Problems

[Kevin Watson]

Originally Posted by Kevin Watson

I'm working on code that will work with the 12-bit Sony protocol.

Edit: Here's the FAQ that I started, but quickly forgot about: http://www.kevin.org/frc/2004/faq.htm

These photos showing how to quickly and cheaply build a sensor unit might be of interest: http://www.kevin.org/frc/2004/tracker

-Kevin

Well, the code works really well using a $2.00 Vishay IR detector and a Sony TV remote. I'll release the code after I do some testing with one of those universal remotes and write a bit of documentation.

-Kevin

[Frank Neuperger]

In testing the FIRST IR board, we found poor performance when multiple IR remotes were used. It is real easy to jam it. We were using a Sony code in a universal remote. It had range of at least 35 feet (not tested to greater distance) . When a second (jammer) remote was introduced at the same distance and the jammer button held down in repeat mode, our IR only got through very intermittently.

[Kevin Watson]

Originally Posted by Kevin Watson

I'm working on code that will work with the 12-bit Sony protocol.

I've released the code. See this thread for more information.

-Kevin

[Kevin Watson]

Originally Posted by Tom Line

Dave, can you perhaps give us a nudge in the right direction for a commercially available board? I spent 30 minutes googling for programmable IR boards with digital outputs and didn't come up with anything even resembling what we're using.

Here's the source for components I used back in 2004: http://www.rentron.com

-Kevin

[Joe Ross]

Originally Posted by Tom Line

Dave, can you perhaps give us a nudge in the right direction for a commercially available board? I spent 30 minutes googling for programmable IR boards with digital outputs and didn't come up with anything even resembling what we're using.

Here is the board that the FIRST board is based off of: http://www.tauntek.com/tinyir2-learn...l-receiver.htm

[iambujo]

Thanks for the great info - I guess I did just get lucky afterall with the serial cable option I threw together. . It worked for me, now I am wondering if there is anyone else out there it worked for. BTW - I used a Dell desktop to flash it - at least that one had the right voltages.

I certainly wanted to buy a reliable option, but we were at crunch time wanting to test autonomous modes and ship the robot ready to to.

The good news is there has been so much great information shared due to this problem that it is incentive for me to order a programmer and prototyping kit, and start playing with uControllers as a hobbiest.

I am sure it was not intentional, but the IR board problem has pushed some or many teams to dig much deeper into some technologies that would have otherwise been blackbox out of the KOPs.

I am so impressed by the FIRST "community" and the knowledge sharing.

[Tom Line]

Originally Posted by Joe Ross

Here is the board that the FIRST board is based off of: http://www.tauntek.com/tinyir2-learn...l-receiver.htm

Thanks for the direction Joe - I had found that page as well and emailed back and forth a bit with the maker of the FIRST board and the TINYIR and TINYIR2 boards. He stated that he does not suggesting trying to use the TINYIR and TINYIR2 boards in FIRST competition because they will not function well in an environment with multiple IR controllers.

We found a different solution. Thanks for the all the help guys!