RF to IR project- simple electronics questions as I am a beginner

Thread Starter

Wtstreetglow

Joined Feb 25, 2018
15
Hello All! Can you guys help me figure out how to get my situation sorted out. It is very similar to what you are talking about in this thread but I am kind of lost. I posted this over on the Avs forums also but no real help was given as of yet.

Here we go:
Could someone give me some help with this modification if I post some pictures of my remote? I currently have the mk161 module built and the 8049 added to my harmony.
I have 2 questions however, 1 is on the same direction as above. I have a remote that uses 2 AAA Batteries for total of 3 volts. The power supply I am powering the mk161 with is 12V. My question is when I come out of the 2 channels of output on the mk161 to go to the remote, do I have to have a dc-dc step down converter in-line on each of the 2 output channels between the output of the mk161 and The 3V remote control.? I plan on continuing to use the 2 AAA batteries to power the projectors rf remotecontrol.
I?m not very sure of myself when it comes toelectrical so it’s possible that what I just said makes no sense at all. Because if the power to that circuit is coming from the 2 batteries, then will I even need step down converters??- Iguess I’m just afraid that when I solder the wires coming from the mk161 to the proper places on the rf remote circuit board that I will blow it up and I’m confused if the voltage differencebetween the 2 pieces will mess something up.

The second question is the buttons on the rfremote control on the circuit board look like they are made of a thin concave piece of tin that pops in on the center when pressed. There is a thinclear sticker over the area where this described component is. So the question is, how do Isolder to it? (Since it is under the transparent sticker like material and where do I solder my + and - wires to on the described components?)

I am going to try and attach some pictures for in case my descriptions are no good.

Thank you all so much in advance!!
 

Thread Starter

Wtstreetglow

Joined Feb 25, 2018
15
Pictures are attached. This is a homegear 120” motorized projector screen. I would say a great great value for the price you can find it online for. However, I must say also, it is evident, that quality control and build quality is not that of a much more expensive screen so keep that in mind. I just couldn’t make myself spendhundreds of dollars on a screen just to upgrade to a motorized screen.F98B6208-AD37-4E03-8406-1399A11D15CD.jpeg 8ED66429-6F55-4030-9306-0EE25D569CFB.jpeg A929BA32-78A3-48F3-9DAF-1997738478FC.jpeg 4703D1F3-A5AB-48A2-9196-3BEFE6A379FA.jpeg C5861263-1419-4975-8C0C-8C1EECB2FD28.jpeg
 

sghioto

Joined Dec 31, 2017
5,380
You don't need any step down DC converter. The outputs of the MK161 are just open relay contacts, they don't have any voltage on them. From the board layout K1,2 and 3 should be easy, just scratch off some of the green coating to get to the fresh copper traces. Looks like 5 and 6 would have to be accessed from the other side of the board.
SG
EEE harmony solder points.png
 
Last edited:

Thread Starter

Wtstreetglow

Joined Feb 25, 2018
15
You don't need any step down DC converter. The outputs of the MK161 are just open relay contacts, they don't have any voltage on them.
SG
Awesome. Thank you for that answer!!

Could you also help me With that second question about how do I connect the wires to make the button seem like it has been pressed? Essentially my goal is, the harmony hub sends the ir command to the mk161, the mk161 then sends the command through the relay and out of the board to the remote. That is where I am now stuck, how do I go about getting the remote to think it’s button has been pressed? I guess, where do I solder the wires to the remote circuit board to make it as if the remotes button has been pressed?
 

Thread Starter

Wtstreetglow

Joined Feb 25, 2018
15
You don't need any step down DC converter. The outputs of the MK161 are just open relay contacts, they don't have any voltage on them. From the board layout K1,2 and 3 should be easy, just scratch off some of the green coating to get to the fresh copper traces. Looks like 5 and 6 would have to be accessed from the other side of the board.
SG
View attachment 146995
Check back to post #3.
SG
Thank you so much!! I’m sorry that my mouth was running faster than my mind on that one.

I completely understand now, so just trace the circuit coming in and out of the buttons that I am wanting to wire to.

Does it matter which side I wire the black to and then the red to?

The only buttons I will want to use are the up/ down which corresponds to k1 and k3 since the mk boards is a 2 channel relay.

Thank you again!! I will give this a go tomorrow and report back to make sure I did it right.

Thank you so much for all of your responses for this beginner!!
 

Thread Starter

Wtstreetglow

Joined Feb 25, 2018
15
Also, in this case k5 and k6 are non used for the remote in the pictures. They would be for left and right but since it’s just a projector screen, the only ones on the circuit are up down and stop (the center 3 buttons)
 
Devil's advocate. Thinking out loud.

Totally confused. Only one switch and three "buttons"?. Something else may be going on here like capacitive or inductive sensing except for the center button.

Even though the center button has 4 connections, it's usually mainly for stablity in mounting the switch.

So, a relay can work, but I've used a FET optocoupler to control buttons before.

OK, so the button on the "back" is really for something else.

Post a pic of the front side of the remote so we can see the silk screening.

Look at how the 'actuator" is designed. It may just be a solid metal plate.

In one case it looks like 4 positions, but initially i thought of L R Up Down and Enter. that may not be the case.

K1 is connected to K2 which is connected to K3, so again we need the top side labeling.

It looks like two functions from the back. (K1,K2,K3) to K5 and (K1,K2,K3) to K6.

But you described ON/OFF up and down. Is ON/OFF the single switch on the back?

A pic of the front and back case would help.
 

Thread Starter

Wtstreetglow

Joined Feb 25, 2018
15
Devil's advocate. Thinking out loud.

Totally confused. Only one switch and three "buttons"?. Something else may be going on here like capacitive or inductive sensing except for the center button.

Even though the center button has 4 connections, it's usually mainly for stablity in mounting the switch.

So, a relay can work, but I've used a FET optocoupler to control buttons before.

OK, so the button on the "back" is really for something else.

Post a pic of the front side of the remote so we can see the silk screening.

Look at how the 'actuator" is designed. It may just be a solid metal plate.

In one case it looks like 4 positions, but initially i thought of L R Up Down and Enter. that may not be the case.

K1 is connected to K2 which is connected to K3, so again we need the top side labeling.

It looks like two functions from the back. (K1,K2,K3) to K5 and (K1,K2,K3) to K6.

But you described ON/OFF up and down. Is ON/OFF the single switch on the back?

A pic of the front and back case would help.
Ok, no problem. I can post a pic of the front of the remote in the morning. The remote has a left, right, up, down, and stop. The center button is stop. The only buttons I ever plan to use are up and down (k1 and k3). That is where I came up with the idea of using the 2 channel mk device. Thank you all for spending your time to help me out with this. I think what was said earlier will work out but I’m always up for learning anything you smart guys can tell me.- this is all very new to me and just learning out of necessity in this case.
 

Thread Starter

Wtstreetglow

Joined Feb 25, 2018
15
Also, I don’t really know what the switch is for on the back. It must be for programming from the factory or something. There is no way for the consumer to access that button because it’s inside the case with no button externally of the board.
 
OK, I think I have it. Those Kx things are pushable directly, right?

A lot of the connections seem to be at the diagonal vias near U1. The vias are plated thru holes. You should be able to scratch off the green stuff and connect to the trace. I'd almost like to suggest a connector and Locktite tak pac to run wire wrap wire to a connector.

The wires are probbably not 5 wires to ground, but rather a matrix where say 5 pins can be a 3x2 matrix and do 6 functions. That's only a guess.
 
Hi all,

I'm doing the same as above but instead I'm connecting the MK161 directly to the manual control - see below.


projSwitch.png

I've opened the control unit and I was hoping to connect the MK161 directly to the switches but can't seem to find a way of doing this, I've read online where someone has successfully done it. I'm a bit of a newbie when it comes to circuit boards.

Any ideas of how I can achieve this? Thanks guys - appreciate any help you can give.

The circuit board of the controlIMG-5574.JPG

IMG-5575.JPG
 

Thread Starter

Wtstreetglow

Joined Feb 25, 2018
15
As long as you have determined your mk161 is in working order, I.e) when you apply power to it, led1 lights up, and when you touch the positive and negative wires coming out of each relay block, you should here a click for relay 1 and relay 2.

So once this is out of the way, you will need to determine where the circuit runs for both the up button and the down button separately- the only buttons you will need since you only have 2 relays available anyways.

To solder wires to the necessary circuit traces, you will need to scratch off the green to show the copper surface uncovered on the 2 circuits we are wanting to work on. Only scratch off enough of the green to get a good solderable surface.
 

Thread Starter

Wtstreetglow

Joined Feb 25, 2018
15
As long as you have determined your mk161 is in working order, I.e) when you apply power to it, led1 lights up, and when you touch the positive and negative wires coming out of each relay block, you should here a click for relay 1 and relay 2.

So once this is out of the way, you will need to determine where the circuit runs for both the up button and the down button separately- the only buttons you will need since you only have 2 relays available anyways.

To solder wires to the necessary circuit traces, you will need to scratch off the green to show the copper surface uncovered on the 2 circuits we are wanting to work on. Only scratch off enough of the green to get a good solderable surface.

Your circuit is open when the button is not pressed and closed when the button is pressed. All we are doing is allowing the mk161 + and - wires from each of the relays to close the circuit with a “pulse”.
 

Thread Starter

Wtstreetglow

Joined Feb 25, 2018
15
Another option would be to take the + - wires from your relay and solder them to separate solder points for one individual switch on the back of the board- I believe the way that button works is that if it sees pulse on 2 solder points on 1 button it takes that as a “closed” circuit. You can test that by touching your + - wires from one of your relays and then push the button on your mk161 wireless remote to ensure it makes the screen go up or down based on which button you are testing.
 
This has been really helpful man, thanks a lot. I'll try it out over the weekend and I'll let you know how it goes.

Do you have your idea fully working yet?
 

Thread Starter

Wtstreetglow

Joined Feb 25, 2018
15
This has been really helpful man, thanks a lot. I'll try it out over the weekend and I'll let you know how it goes.

Do you have your idea fully working yet?
Yeah, it is working great. With my av equipment, I use the harmony hub so that was the reason I wanted to do this solution with the remote rather than the control module that is connected to the projector screen. I have the mk161 all wired to the up/ down on the remote and I have that combination setting in front of the harmony hub so that the eye of the mk161 can receive the ir command from the hub which then in turn sends the pulse through the relay to the circuit on the remote (+ - wires, one on each side of the remotes circuit around the button).
 
Yeah, it is working great. With my av equipment, I use the harmony hub so that was the reason I wanted to do this solution with the remote rather than the control module that is connected to the projector screen. I have the mk161 all wired to the up/ down on the remote and I have that combination setting in front of the harmony hub so that the eye of the mk161 can receive the ir command from the hub which then in turn sends the pulse through the relay to the circuit on the remote (+ - wires, one on each side of the remotes circuit around the button).
That's great, good job. Funny that we're both looking to basically do the same thing. Glad I found this thread.
It's a pain that HomeGear doesn't accept IR natively.
 
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