Tag Archives: Infrared

Flipper Zero support added to AnalysIR

We are delighted to announce that our industry leading AnalysIR application now includes support for Flipper Zero. Features include capturing signals into AnalysIR over Serial USB via the CLI, Manually importing of single and bulk signals in Flipper Zero Format, manually exporting of Infrared signals into Flipper Zero format for control of the target device. This update greatly enhances the capability of Flipper Zeros devices who also have a registered copy of AnalysIR.

Getting the AnalysIR Update

Existing owners of AnalysIR (All Editions) can request the updated version by emailing your support contact using your registration email address. New owners of AnalysIR will be sent the updated version after Registration. When using with AnalysIR, users can reverse engineer signals, convert to a wide range of industry formats and auto-correct IR signal timings using our signal ‘Clean’ feature.

LearnIR vs Flipper Zero

As existing users will know LearnIR is far superior and better value for IR dedicated tasks compared to the Flipper Zero. Similarly all of our IR modules and shields use higher quality components and features than are available on the Flipper Zero. We would also like to thank all of our users who tested this support update with their own devices.

To get your own copy of AnalysIR or our flagship LearnIR module visit our web-shop

A.IR Shield Nano Python Script – Raspberry Pi (RPi)

Using A.IR Shield Nano with RPi
Using A.IR Shield Nano with RPi

Following the release of our highly popular A.IR Shield Nano, we have received numerous requests about using the module with platforms other than Windows. Because the module uses a standard Serial USB interface for communicating, experienced users can easily integrate it into any other platform. To assist other users we have now released an A.IR Shield Nano Python Script. Continue reading A.IR Shield Nano Python Script – Raspberry Pi (RPi)

Preview: A.IR Shield ESP8266/ESP32 Tx, a high-end IR Shield

A.IR Shield ESP8266/ESP32 Tx for AnalysIR with IR Blasters

The latest member of our MakeIR series of devices & kits is the A.IR Shield ESP8266/ESP32 Tx. This shield works out of the box with AnalysIR and is essentially plug & play, with additional custom Firmware options. This shield is a ‘sibling’ to our related TRx shield, and features IR multi-send only vs the send & receive of the TRx shield. The shield plugs into a Wemos D1 Mini (ESP8266) with headers or any pin-compatible clone (e.g. ESP32 Mini D1). Although designed specifically for AnalysIR, users can also upload any sketches that run on the ESP for Infrared remote control projects by customising the included firmware. A.IR Shield ESP8266/ESP32 Tx is built with only the highest quality IR components available and boasts dual Infrared emitters with configurable IR Power. The supplied firmware uniquely supports hardware PWM for sending IR signals (on ESP8266). Continue reading Preview: A.IR Shield ESP8266/ESP32 Tx, a high-end IR Shield

Using AnalysIR with Flirc – Video tutorial

We have posted a brief 4 minute “Using AnalysIR with Flirc – Video tutorial”  showing how to use the Flirc USB device as an Infrared remote control signal source for AnalysIR. The video is available now via YouTube, by clicking the image below. The tutorial covers the semi-automatic method we have used to support this feature, which should greatly enhance the Flirc Device and enable more troubleshooting with problematic signals or just simply as an additional powerful feature for the Flirc device. There is no need to update your Flirc installation or firmware, provided you have the latest revision installed. {See update notes below}


Continue reading Using AnalysIR with Flirc – Video tutorial

Preview: A.IR Shield ESP8266 TRx, a high-end IR Shield

The latest member of our MakeIR series of devices & kits is the A.IR Shield ESP8266 TRx.

A.IR Shield ESP8266 TRx with Wemos D1 Mini

This shield works out of the box with AnalysIR and is essentially plug & play, with additional custom Firmware options. The shield plugs into a Wemos D1 Mini (ESP8266) with headers or any pin-compatible clone. Although designed specifically for AnalysIR, users can also upload any sketches that run on the Wemos for Infrared remote control projects by customising the included firmware. A.IR Shield ESP8266 TRx is built with only the highest quality IR components available and boasts dual Infrared emitters with configurable IR Power. The supplied firmware uniquely supports hardware PWM for sending IR signals.

A.IR Shield block diagram ESP8266 TRx
A.IR Shield block diagram ESP8266 TRx

We have provided a link below to the product data sheet and would welcome feedback on additional, nice to have or missing features, if any. Please read the data sheet for a more detailed description of the A.IR ESP8266 TRx shield. The shield is now available to purchase via our web shop.

A.IR Shield ESP8266 TRx Wemos D1 Mini sidebyside
A.IR Shield ESP8266 TRx Wemos D1 Mini side-by-side

Custom Firmware

Although designed to work with AnalysIR, users can customise the provided firmware to send and receive IR signals via web requests, thus making integration into projects easy. More advanced users can integrate into platforms like Alexa or similar.

Also check out our example for creating your own IR send sketch for a variety of Signals (Air Conditioner, HEX, RAW & protocol based) using this shield with a Wemos D1 Mini or any ESP8266.

Continue reading Preview: A.IR Shield ESP8266 TRx, a high-end IR Shield

Updated ESP8266 NodeMCU Backdoor uPWM Hack for IR signals

In our previous post we showed how to generate stable IR carrier signals using the ESP8266 NodeMCU module. A feature of the original approach was that the output IR signal was inverted and required some additional circuitry to invert it again before transmission. Since the original post we have figured out a method to output a non-inverted or standard IR signal thus removing the need for the additional circuitry. This is achieved by using what turned out to be a very simple setting hidden deep in the ESP8266 UART registers which is covered below. Like all simple solutions it also threw up some other quirks of the ESP8266 NodeMCU, which were eventually overcome with the addition of a simple resistor. The Updated ESP8266 NodeMCU Backdoor uPWM Hack for IR signals is detailed below – including updated source firmware, new circuit diagram and explanation of the ‘quirk’. Read on….

Esp8266 NodeMCU and MakeIR SendIR module from AnalysIR
ESP8266 NodeMCU and MakeIR SendIR module from AnalysIR

Continue reading Updated ESP8266 NodeMCU Backdoor uPWM Hack for IR signals

ESP8266 NodeMCU Backdoor uPWM Hack for IR signals

We received our ESP8266 NodeMCU several months ago it has been difficult to find a working example of Hardware PWM to generate crisp Infrared carrier signals. Most posts we have read suggest that there is no PWM readily available on any of the supported platforms. As we have already shown with Arduinos and the Particle Photon we figured it would be possible to use a spare UART pin on the ESP8266 NodeMCU to achieve our goal.  After some initial success we encountered some watchdog timeouts/resets and it seemed like the uPWM hack would not be possible on the ESP8266 Node MCU platform. For a few weeks we ‘parked’  the effort and today we decided to try again with all of the latest and updated firmware available from the ESP8266 community via the Arduino IDE. This time we were successful and the ESP8266 NodeMCU Backdoor uPWM Hack for IR signals using works!

ESP8266 NodeMCU uPWM Inverted IR Circuit
ESP8266 NodeMCU uPWM Inverted IR Circuit

Continue reading ESP8266 NodeMCU Backdoor uPWM Hack for IR signals

Sending long AC Signals from Flash with IRremote

One of the most popular projects involving Infrared remote control, is to use an Arduino to control an Air conditioner (AC) system. However, AC signals are usually very long and take up a lot of SRAM on a standard Arduino. Experienced users will go about reverse engineering the AC protocol to make the sketch fit within the 2K Bytes of SRAM. Many hobbyists will struggle, even with the help of tools like AnalysIR to guide them. In this post we cover sending long AC Signals from Flash with IRremote. IRremote (along with IRLib) is a popular open-source library for sending and receiving IR remote control signals with Arduino. The demo code covered in this sketch extends our previous sendRAW example by demonstrating how to store many long AC signals in Flash with little or no SRAM overhead.

AnalysIR screen-shot showing the signals captured from the sendRAW_Flash sketch
AnalysIR screen-shot showing the signals captured from the sendRAW_Flash sketch (click or more detail)

Continue reading Sending long AC Signals from Flash with IRremote

ESP8266 NodeMCU Infrared decoding added to AnalysIR

A few months ago a new user to AnalysIR, from Canada, asked us to assist in adding ESP8266 NodeMCU Infrared decoding over WiFi into  AnalysIR. We set about making some upgrades to AnalysIR for this and in double quick time he had AnalysIR accepting IR signals from the ESP8266 over WiFi. He stressed the ease of use of the support within the Arduino IDE for ESP8266 devices and he wasn’t kidding. This motivated us to go and order an ESP8266 for US$3.60 including shipping from Aliexpress. Just the other day the NodeMCU arrived, presumably  delayed somewhat by the extended XMAS holidays & celebrations, in this part of the world. So we set about porting our existing firmware for Arduino & Photon over to the new device.

ESP8266 NodeMCU Infrared decoding with AnalysIR
AnalysIR supports ESP8266 NodeMCU over WiFi & Serial/USB

ESP8266 NodeMCU now joins a growing list of devices supported for use with AnalysIR, including: Continue reading ESP8266 NodeMCU Infrared decoding added to AnalysIR

Troubleshooting the Big Button Infrared remote control with AnalysIR

Marco is  a volunteer for an organization (NSW Australia) that builds custom aids for people with disability, and has recently been looking at a project to create a ‘very large button’ IR remote control for a cable TV Set Top Box (STB). The custom unit needed basic functions (Channel Up/Down, Volume Up/Down and Power On/Off). Commercially available large button remotes have buttons that are still too small and/or they have too many buttons. Soon he hit a roadblock trying to capture some difficult Foxtel signals and searched all over the web looking for a solution. Needless to say, nothing worked out for him until he came across AnalysIR via Google. Once he started Troubleshooting the Big Button Infrared remote control with AnalysIR the root cause of his problems became obvious.

Troubleshooting the Big Button Infrared remote control with AnalysIR
Marco’s Big Button Infrared Remote control

Continue reading Troubleshooting the Big Button Infrared remote control with AnalysIR