Hello,
I'd like to use my computer to control a robot built of Lego Power Functions modules. These contain a IR-receivers and the protocol is available*. My problem is though that my hardware knowledge in this area is pretty much zero. What I am looking for is a building set or maybe a complete IR-transmitter that I can control via USB (preferably used with simple control messages) or a serial port. Serial over bluetooth would also be an option.
The IR protocol itself is pretty straight forward: One-way communication with a 38kHz carrier frequency and the actual signal modulated on top of it. That seems to be a common set up.
I already digged around and found all kinds of receivers and transceivers from links in this forum and on google but no simple transmitters with the connectivity mentioned above.
These are three projects that I think can do the things that I want to do but I'm not really sure. Besides they also have the added complexity of a receiver which I don't need.
http://www.irtrans.de
http://www.home-electro.com/tira2.php
http://www.usbuirt.com/
I doesn't need to be a "finished box" - I know my way around a soldering iron. And I know how to program in C. But this is quite the start into the embedded world for me. From what I know though it cannot be overly complex. Modern microcontrollers have integrated clocks and serial ports, don't they? So this would be the chip, the LED and a few power related items.
Do you have any ideas where to look or how to start this?
Regards,
Misel
*http://itlug.8421.info/itlug_docs/LEGO_Power_Functions_RC.pdf
I'd like to use my computer to control a robot built of Lego Power Functions modules. These contain a IR-receivers and the protocol is available*. My problem is though that my hardware knowledge in this area is pretty much zero. What I am looking for is a building set or maybe a complete IR-transmitter that I can control via USB (preferably used with simple control messages) or a serial port. Serial over bluetooth would also be an option.
The IR protocol itself is pretty straight forward: One-way communication with a 38kHz carrier frequency and the actual signal modulated on top of it. That seems to be a common set up.
I already digged around and found all kinds of receivers and transceivers from links in this forum and on google but no simple transmitters with the connectivity mentioned above.
These are three projects that I think can do the things that I want to do but I'm not really sure. Besides they also have the added complexity of a receiver which I don't need.
http://www.irtrans.de
http://www.home-electro.com/tira2.php
http://www.usbuirt.com/
I doesn't need to be a "finished box" - I know my way around a soldering iron. And I know how to program in C. But this is quite the start into the embedded world for me. From what I know though it cannot be overly complex. Modern microcontrollers have integrated clocks and serial ports, don't they? So this would be the chip, the LED and a few power related items.
Do you have any ideas where to look or how to start this?
Regards,
Misel
*http://itlug.8421.info/itlug_docs/LEGO_Power_Functions_RC.pdf
