A game with Arduino and IR

Using Arduino Project Guidance
#1

I've tried looking all over and can't seem to find a solution to my problem.

I am trying to set up an IR game, similar to a scavenger hunt, you walk around the course and locate several IR modules, point your IR emitter/encoder at the IR reciever (TSOP4838) connected to an Arduino with an ethernet shield.

The ethernet shield opens up a TCP connection to the point server and adds points based on which IR you hit and what IR device you have.

My problem is the IR transmitting device, right now, I am using random remote controls, it works, but is hokey. (I guess I can say the remote is a phaser).

I would like to find something that can emit a single unique code for that device.

This absolutely seems like it would do the trick http://www.turmlabor.de/wiki/projekte/dslrfernausloeser

A single button, low power requirements, small, light, and I can reprogram the IR code it emits.

I was hoping to find something similar, but pre made. If I had to make hundreds, I would go this route, I just need 10 or 20 though.

I came accross this, http://www.rentron.com/remote_control/TINY-IR2.htm

Not sure if it will do the trick though. Sent an email to their sales, if I can program each circuit with a unique code, then it will work.

Does the community have any ideas? Or am I stuck with giving out the kids "Magic Universe (al) Remotes".

#2

Hi, You could experiment with using chained 555 or 556 Timers to generate pulses on the IR Emitter, each 'phaser' could have a different pulse width. Its not perfect, but its very cheap.

The basic idea is to have one timer generating a 38Khz carrier, then have another switch this one on and off using by connecting its output to the reset pin of the carrier timer. You would choose the frequency of the second timer, lets call it the control timer so that each phaser had a unique pulse period.

I am doing this in my Lap Timer project although at the moment I am only timing one car so have not looked too far into transmitting and capturing unique IDs through the pulse width. As the time I have to capture the pulse is so short I would probably go for a different encoding for this, but in your case I believe it would work.

http://rcarduino.blogspot.com/2012/02/rc-lap-timer-go-kart-lap-timer-part-2.html

I will try and put up a description of the IR Transmitter over the weekend, but you can find the basic idea all over the web, search for '555 IR' all I am doing is adding a second timer to pulse the first one.

EDIT: Here is a link to a relevant approach - http://rcarduino.blogspot.com/2012/03/punk-consoles-and-ir-transmitters-555.html

Duane B.

rcarduino.blogspot.com rcarduino.blogspot.com

#3