Lighting system IR remote control

Thread Starter

simoncwk

Joined May 20, 2008
9
I have a project which need to build a IR remote control to control the lighting system at home. The remote control are able to to switch on and off the light and can control the light intensity. Anyone has any suggestion for me about how this project going to be start? The hardest parts for me in this project is the MCU, how a MCU can control the light intensity by just using 2 switches?
 

mik3

Joined Feb 4, 2008
4,843
I have a project which need to build a IR remote control to control the lighting system at home. The remote control are able to to switch on and off the light and can control the light intensity. Anyone has any suggestion for me about how this project going to be start? The hardest parts for me in this project is the MCU, how a MCU can control the light intensity by just using 2 switches?

You can use an MCU with a built in DAC or an MCU plus an external DAC. With the one button you will increase its analogue voltage and with the other decrease it. You will use this analogue voltage to control the bulbs illumination intensity.
 

beenthere

Joined Apr 20, 2004
15,819
If this is going to be successful, you will have to decide on the devices that will be used to control lamp intensity at each point, plus the type of control inputs they need to function.

The big problem is going to be retrofitting this stuff into an existing home and adding the wiring for the control lines. Then you will need to decide where the control station receiver/s will be located, and how they will communicate with the controller.

This is a non-trivial task. After you have the hardware specs in hand for the above stuff, you can start to think about the controller.
 

Thread Starter

simoncwk

Joined May 20, 2008
9
You can use an MCU with a built in DAC or an MCU plus an external DAC. With the one button you will increase its analogue voltage and with the other decrease it. You will use this analogue voltage to control the bulbs illumination intensity.
DAC = Digital Analogue Converter? Which MCU has this function? Can you give me an example? How about PIC MCU or Zilog Z8 MCU? It is any possibility to do the coding?
 

mik3

Joined Feb 4, 2008
4,843
DAC = Digital Analogue Converter? Which MCU has this function? Can you give me an example? How about PIC MCU or Zilog Z8 MCU? It is any possibility to do the coding?
I dont know about Zilog MCU's but almost (if not all) the PIC MCU have ADC. A few examples are PIC16F819, PIC18F4520, PIC16F877A and more other PIC's.

You can visit microchips website www.microchip.com and find the one which suits best for your needs.

''It is any possibility to do the coding?'' what do you mean?

Oups!!! you asked about DAC not ADC!!! Well i dont know but i will search and tell you
 

mik3

Joined Feb 4, 2008
4,843
DAC = Digital Analogue Converter? Which MCU has this function? Can you give me an example? How about PIC MCU or Zilog Z8 MCU? It is any possibility to do the coding?
Ok one PIC with DAC is the dsPIC33FJ128GP802. Search on this family of PIC's (dsPIC33FXXXXX) and you will find more.
 

Thread Starter

simoncwk

Joined May 20, 2008
9
Can anyone give me some idea for going to start this project at the first? The major porblem i wil be facing is to control the light intensity using the remote control.
 
Top