IR Remote Control Tester

[Xenobius]

Hello I am going to build the IR Remote Control tester found on the Projects section of this website and I see that in the schematic, you can put a Volt Meter to read the power of the IR. I would like to modify it so that instead of a volt meter, I put 6 leds (2 green, 2 yellow and 2 red) and the more power the ir send the more leds will light up starting from green to red.

In other words I would like to add an LED volt meter to it. And since I will be using it with a battery, I would like to make a small slide switch to it so I can either read the strenght of the IR remote or read the bettery life!

Thanks a lot

[audioguru]

Xenobius,
For an LED voltmeter, use an LM3914 chip, its datasheet is here:
http://www.national.com/ds/LM/LM3914.pdf

[Xenobius]

Ok I have combined 2 circuits in one and created a PCB for it. I will go buy the components tomorrow and build it. I will post the PCB if you want.

[MP]

Xenobius, after testing the circuit, you could upload it to the projects section.

MP

[steven]

:) nice idea, i biult a simple one to test the infrared remote for videos and tv, its basically a relay, a transister and a fairchild phototransister, and all you have to do is piont infrared transmitter at the phototransister and listen to the relay triggering really fast to every pulse, and you can get more detecion range useing a lense and even linking the relay to a simple setup gave me a infrared remote triggerd arc display of high voltage arcs

[audioguru]

Hi Steven,
Your sparks go everywhere.

Xenobius,
I finally found the project, here:
http://www.electronics-lab.com/projects/test/003/index.html
The photo-diode probably works as a voltage generator, not a photo-conductor as in the article.

[steven]

:D the fairchild photo transister responds to infrared rays very well as i found out when i experimented with the light activated relay circuit, useing the transister and , i used it to test the infrared remote for tvs and videos, and i even used this setup for a infrared remote controll plasma tube exsperiment. useing that fast switching relay that responds really fast to the incomeing infrared pulses from the remote , of the video and tv.