Introduction
Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 General Description:
A remote control is a component of an electronic device such as a television set, DVD
player, or other home appliance, used to operate the device wirelessly from a short distance.
Remote control is a convenience feature for the consumer and can allow operation of devices
that are out of convenient reach for direct operation of controls.[2]
Remote control for home appliances is an absolute necessity in our fast-paced life. As a
result, much important has been given to this aspect and a range of remote controls are
prevalent today. One of the most common is that which makes use of IR radiations at
particular frequencies. Our product is a Remote Operated Home Appliance or Remote
controlled Home appliance. The circuit can be activated from up to 10 meters. It is very easy
to build and can be assembled on a general-purpose PCB. The circuit essentially consists of a
transmitter consisting of a 555 IC, the receiver consisting of an IR module, 7474 IC, LED’s
to indicate the reception of the IR radiations, otherwise indicating the ON/OFF state, relay
and other components.[1]
1.2 Background of study and Justification:
Infrared (IR) is invisible radiant energy, electromagnetic radiation with longer wavelengths
than those of visible light, extending from the nominal red edge of the visible spectrum at
700 nanometers (frequency 430 THz) to 1 mm (300 GHz) (although people can see infrared
up to at least 1050 nm in experiments. Commonly, remote controls are Consumer IR devices
which send digitally-coded pulses of infrared radiation to control functions such as power,
volume, tuning, temperature set point, fan speed, or other features. Remote controls for these
devices are usually small wireless handheld objects with an array of buttons for adjusting
various settings such as television channel, track number, and volume. For many devices, the
remote control contains all the function controls while the controlled device itself has only a
handful of essential primary controls.[2]
Earlier remote controls in 1973 used ultrasonic tones. The remote control code, and thus the
required remote control device, is usually specific to a product line, but there are universal
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Introduction
remotes, which emulate the remote control made for most major brand devices. Remote
control has continually evolved and advanced over recent years to include Bluetooth
connectivity, motion sensor-enabled capabilities and voice control. The main aim of this
embedded application is to control electrical appliances using TV Remote. Infrared
remote controls work well enough to have stuck around for 25 years, but it has some
limitations related to the nature of infrared light. First, infrared remotes have a range of only
about 30 feet (10 meters), and they require line-of-sight. This means the infrared signal won't
transmit through walls or around corners that need a straight line to the device trying to
control. Also, infrared light is so ubiquitous that interference can be a problem with IR
remotes. Just a few everyday infrared-light sources include sunlight, fluorescent bulbs and
the human body. To avoid interference caused by other sources of infrared light, the infrared
receiver on a TV only responds to a particular wavelength of infrared light, usually 980
nanometers. There are filters on the receiver that block out light at other wavelengths. Still,
sunlight can confuse the receiver because it contains infrared light at the 980-nm wavelength.
To address this issue, the light from an IR remote control is typically modulated to a
frequency not present in sunlight, and the receiver only responds to 980-nm light modulated
to that frequency. The system doesn't work perfectly, but it does cut down a great deal on
interference.
1.3 Applications:
Home appliance control
Hotel lights/fans control
Shops and showrooms
Industrial applications
Electronic toys
Industry:
Remote control is used for controlling substations, pump storage power stations and HVDC-
plants. For these systems often PLC-systems working in the long range are used.
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Introduction
Video games:
Video game consoles had not used wireless controllers until recently, mainly because of the
difficulty involved in playing the game while keeping the infrared transmitter pointed at the
console. Early wireless controllers were cumbersome and when powered on alkaline
batteries, lasted only a few hours before they needed replacement. Some wireless controllers
were produced by third parties, in most cases using a radio link instead of infrared. Even
these were very inconsistent, and in some cases, had transmission delays, making them
virtually useless. The first official wireless controller made by a first party manufacturer was
the wave bird for Nintendo GameCube. The wave bird changed the face of wireless
technology in video game consoles. In the current generation of gaming consoles, wireless
controllers have become the standard. PC control Existing infrared remote controls can be to
control PC applications. Any application that supports shortcut keys can be controlled via
IR remote controls from other home devices (TV, VCR, AC …). This is widely used with
multimedia applications for PC based Home Theatre systems. For this to work, you need a
device that decodes IR remote control data signals and a PC. Connection can be made via
serial port, USB port or motherboard IrDA connector. Such devices are commonly
available or it can be home made using low cost microcontrollers.
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