Computer interface to a multi-device IR remote control (or functional equiv)?

V, cable box, AVS, etc.) I got a logitech harmony some years ago. Basically happy with it aside from some times the state of certain devices are not t he state that the remote control thinks is should be.

that I can connect my PC to (in some fashion) and send commands from the P C to the remote to do certain functions.

o perform a set of actions, (simulate a set of button pushes) eg:

alone device on the network),

y.

ce and talk to it from my PC, or a RPi.

und that I can use/cobble together to make work, and build a better version later.

whoops - brain freeze, I should have typed Logitech Harmony not Rhapsody

On a sunny day (Wed, 27 Jan 2021 09:08:24 -0800 (PST)) it happened Three Jeeps wrote in :

The general way is to create a leaning remote control. I did that long ago by using a photo transistor connected to the PC par port and reading it in a fast loop and storing the samples in a file, named for each remote command. Then for playback you play the file and toggle an IR diode as transmitter, also from the par port. That works universally, sampling frequency must be high enough, these days any PC will be, also works to record 433 MHz devices like car-keys etc if you have such a module, anything:

No parport? use some serial port pin... get a parport PCI card? Else Rasberry GPIO will do just as well. So you hold the remote in front of the photo diode and press a button, save file say as on_off. It MaY aLSo GivE YoU ACcEsS To tHe CAPITOL If ... If you only have one type of device (protocol) to control and want to get a bit more sophisticated:

IIRC Linux has some IR commands,,,,never used it...

The home theater types have solved (as is normal) 80% of this problem; "Bluetooth IR blaster" is a good search term, for the device-end item. As for the realtime control, a cell phone app is one possibility, or a PC or even an Arduino should be able to handle it all. Just don't expect it to be seamless. And beware, a pad/tablet/phone app isn't always flexible or a durable goods solution....

The old X-10 systems had an RF (900 MHz?) device-end blaster that would work from their dual IR/RF remotes, and also an RF receiver that converted the RF to powerline messaging... I think. I have played with those parts, but don't like the lock-in to X-10 hardware.

I wasn't fond of having to go online just to download device codes, etc.

The problem is knowing *which* pulse trains (Ir codes) to send to each device. The "value added" that these COTS devices have is that they have access to a database of such information. If you want to go that route, you will need to *acquire* the information -- by LEARNINIG from your existing remote(s).

[If you don't have a remote for a particular device, you're kinda stuck]

Linux has their "lirc" project which does some of this and has a collection of "user contributed" Ir device codes.

The concept dates back to the days of PDAs -- but with the same sort of Ir codes database issue.

There exist prepackaged "LED-on-a-string" devices (typically supplied with appliances like DVRs to let the DVR "talk" to a dumb VCR -- by positioning the LED near the VCR's detector).

The more common need is for an Ir detector that can talk to a PC (for PCs that aren't so equipped). IIRC, you can find these packaged in small USB fobs so they are unobtrusively connected to your PC.