Microsoft IR Receiver question, what the heck is...

Thread Starter

wirednuts

Joined Nov 13, 2011
20
this?





This is the vista remote kit IR receiver taken apart. I am modding a windows computer into my Vizio TV, and was just going to desolder the IR diode and route it to the bezel on my tv.

When I took it apart, I noticed that clear thing that also looks like a diode but I'm not sure.

This kit DID have IR blasting capability, but that was with external cords you had to attach to 1/8" phono plugs on the back.

So what might this component be for? will I need it?

Thanks!
 

trader007

Joined Feb 27, 2010
249
thanks, I knew it was a diode of some sort. I wonder what its purpose is... like I said the blaster function works through the ports on the back with an extension cable. I have never known a feature where you need to point the receiver at anything...

Either way, I will just ignore it. All I need is the IR receiver diode... and I suppose I will use the red LED too, because it is nice to know the receiver is seeing a signal even if the computer doesn't respond to it. Good for a battery check.

Thanks!
 

hexreader

Joined Apr 16, 2011
581
There is a 3-pin IR receiver which contains receiver diode internally, as well as demodulator and amplifier.

Here is my favourite site for explaining TV remote theory http://www.sbprojects.com/knowledge/ir/

EDIT2: Just realised - it is just possible that that clear thing might actually be an IR receiver diode.
If the kit is designed to receive many different IR frequencies, then it may be an alternative receiver. Not sure how clever that kit is, or what functions it has. A receiver diode looks exactly like the matching emitter diode - so that clear component could be either.

EDIT3: Yup.... it looks like an IR receiver diode as far as I can tell. It matches some receiver diodes I have. The emitters are a mirror image and the little dot in the centre of an emitter is clear, while a receiver has a darker little dot.
Hard to be 100% certain though...
 
Last edited:

trader007

Joined Feb 27, 2010
249
thanks. Even harder because the damn thing doesn't work after I extended it!


These remote kits were learning style, and I have never encountered a universal remote that did not work with it. They are still some of the best remote experiences I have had, which is why I continue to use them... so it wouldnt surprise me if it has two receivers in order to cover a wider range of frequencies and newer style universal remotes.


As for mine not working though, it might be because I connected what should have been on the ground pin to the chassis, thinking they were connected anyway. I'm guessing now they are not. Of course, before I tested it I hot glued the thing in place, thinking there was no way I did that side wrong because I hadn't even done the other side yet. I got hungry and left.

Here is the project though. It's coming together nicely now. It's a Vizio E320VL 32" LCD TV powered by a Core i3 Processor and 8GB of ram :D Screw smart tv's, I have a brain tv.









There is a momentary switch on the side for the motherboard power, but normally I just let my htpc's go to sleep and wake when I hit the remote, and this will be the same. Only thing left is to add a powered-on indicator and a couple usb ports that are externally usable. Oh, and a wifi adapter that is routed to the top where its just plastic and no metal blocking the signal. The hdmi off the motherboard just runs out the fan hole and to the port on the tv. I had thought about hard wiring this in internally, but thats more work and I still would lose a port on the tv anyway so whats the difference.

oops, iso was set to 800... oh well
 

trader007

Joined Feb 27, 2010
249
well this is downright maddening!:mad:

The connections on the IR receiver were right. I ohmed out all the traces and connections, everything was fine. Frustrated, I put the IR diode back in the receiver as normal, and it still didn't work!!

OK, I thought, so maybe when I soldered the diode I heated something up too much. I tested the caps and resistors around the area, all seemed OK. Even the diode seems OK.

Whatever I thought to myself. I have another IR Transceiver kit. Plugged it in first, yes it works normally. This time, I cut the IR diode out to avoid overheating. I couldn't get two of the 5 legs (the mounts and the ground cut off, I couldn't get into the last two legs). So I desoldered those as nicely as I could. I soldered in the extension wire (high grade belden cable none the less), and guess what? non-functional!!

Last step, I resoldered the IR diode back in, and just like last time it still doesn't work! Two dead transceivers now. I swear, this must be a multilayer board or something! It looks single layer used on both sides, but I am believing now there must be a layer in the middle that is getting ruined.

I'm off to find a different IR receiver. I see ebay as some lenovo ones for $13 and they are different style, so maybe those will be workable. Pretty upset though, I hate ruining perfectly good products like I just did! :(
 

hexreader

Joined Apr 16, 2011
581
When you have a working board again, it might be worth checking which of the two receivers is the important one to you.

The 3-pin device is the obvious one, but I suspect that the clear receiver may be the one used to "train" the device for a new handset button.

Maybe cover one each receiver in turn to be sure of which one is important in your application.

I would imagine that you could parallel the 3 pin receiver wires to a second 3 pin receiver, taking care that the pin-out matches, or adjust wiring to suit if the second receiver has a different pin-out. Try all of this out of the TV first.

I do not think that you can parallel the clear diode (could be wrong).
 

Thread Starter

wirednuts

Joined Nov 13, 2011
20
I thought that too, I tried paralleling it first but it didn't work. I don't know if the first receiver I pulled out was bad or the circuit just didn't have the oomph to do it.

I found a very small RC6 receiver on ebay that looks like it might fit where I need it without modification, all I would have to do is extend the USB cable...
 

trader007

Joined Feb 27, 2010
249
wow, if anyone is confused, apparently I have two accounts here! How weird that I don't even know which one to use.

If there is a mod that can delete one of them I would appreciate it.
 
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