A2Pro wrote:
Hi, y'all!
I just realized the changeover to HDTV is going to greatly reduce
the usefulness of my VCR. So I'm looking for a computer controlled
remote to change the channel on the converter box in sync with the
programming of my VCR. I was wondering if anyone has done any work on
using an Apple II to control an infrared LED.
No, I can't afford a new TV or a digital recorder...
As suggested, the game port provides everything you need. You will need M/L code to generate the waveforms on an annunciator to control an IR LED (you'll need a transistor amplifier if the LED isn't fairly close to the IR receiver). The trick will be determining the codes to send. For that you may want to connect an IR receiver to a pushbutton input and write code to "learn" or otherwise analyze the IR codes your box and VCR use. A more direct (but intrusive) way would be to connect the LED driver of each remote control to a pushbutton input to determine the needed codes. Virtually all IR remote controls operate at 38kHz or 40kHz, with pulse-width modulation on the carrier. Different manufacturers use different codes, but there are only a few popular ones. Google will help. -michael ******** Note new website URL ******** NadaNet and AppleCrate II for Apple II parallel computing! Home page: http://home.comcast.net/~mjmahon/ "The wastebasket is our most important design tool--and it's seriously underused."