IR repeater with 555 timer

Description: The signal emitted by an IR remote control contains two parts, the control pulses and a modulated carrier wave. The control pulses are used to modulate the carrier, a popular modulation frequency being 36 and 42KHz. The signal is radiated by an IR diode, typical wavelengths in the 850 and 950 nm region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Although this light is invisible to the human eye, it can be seen as a bright spot with a camcorder or digital camera. In this circuit, the TSOP1738 IR module removes the carrier leaving only the slower control pulses (1 - 3KHz) which appear at the output. R1, C1 and Z1 form a smoothed 5 Volt supply for the IR module. Under quiescent conditions (no input signal) the output of the IR module is high. Transistor Q1 will be on, resulting in a low collector voltage, resetting the 555 oscillator. Q1 also acts as a level shifter, converting the 5 Volt output signal to 12 Volts for the 555 timer. When an IR signal is received, decoded control pulses turn Q1 off and on. Each time Q1 turns off, pin 4 of the 555 timer goes high and an oscillation will be produced for the duration of each data pulse. As the timing is crucial the capacitor should have a tolerance of 5% or better and the power supply should be regulated. To allow for tolerance in components a 4k7 preset resistor is wired in series with R4. This adjustment allows R4 to be 15k to 19.7K creating output pulses of 21us and 27.58 us. As frequency is the reciprocal of periodic time then the oscillator adjustment is from 36.2Khz to 47KHz, allowing fine tuning for almost any appliance.

The final output stage uses a BC337 transistor in emitter follower. The output pulse will not be inverted, and the current through the IR photo emitters is around 30 mA dc. This is of course an average value, measured with a digital multimeter. The red LED as always, is a visible indication that an input signal has been received. The circuit may be modified to use a fixed resistor in the timing chain as shown below. In this example a voltage regulator is also recommended to prevent changes in supply voltage altering the output pulse.

Before powering the circuit, remove IR LEDs. With no input red LED should be off. Now press a button on a remote control, red LED should flicker. If that's the case then your circuit should be working ok. Install IR LEDs. It was found during testing that the IR signal emitted from the remote and the IR signal emitted from the circuit are interfering with each other, which makes the receiving device not react to the received signal. This happens when the IR from the remote and the IR from the circuit's LEDs are in the same room. To solve that, the IR beam of the remote control must be isolated. To do that, a thin pipe can be used in front of the infrared sensor so that the beam emitted from the remote hits the sensor directly. Another solution to this would be to place the emitting LEDs in a different room.

The described circuit operates by utilizing a TSOP1738 IR receiver module, which demodulates the incoming IR signals and outputs the control pulses that can be processed by other components. The circuit is powered by a regulated 5V supply, created by R1, C1, and Z1, ensuring stable operation of the IR module. The output from the IR module is high when idle, which keeps Q1 activated, thus holding the 555 timer in a reset state. The switching behavior of Q1, driven by the incoming IR signals, is crucial as it modulates the timing of the 555 oscillator, generating output pulses at varying frequencies based on the adjustments made to R4 and the capacitor in the timing circuit.

The use of a BC337 transistor as an emitter follower in the output stage allows for the pulse to be transmitted without inversion, ensuring that the output remains compatible with the IR emitters. The average current through the emitters is maintained at approximately 30 mA, which is sufficient for effective operation. The inclusion of a red LED serves as a visual feedback mechanism, confirming the reception of the IR signal.

To enhance the circuit's performance and mitigate interference, particularly in environments where multiple IR sources may be present, physical modifications such as the installation of a pipe to direct the IR beam or relocating the emitting LEDs can be implemented. These adjustments ensure that the circuit functions reliably in various operational settings.The signal emitted by an IR remote control contains two parts, the control pulses and a modulated carrier wave. The control pulses are used to modulate the carrier, a popular modulation frequency being 36 and 42KHz.

The signal is radiated by an IR diode, typical wavelengths in the 850 and 950 nm region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Although this light is invisible to the human eye, it can be seen as a bright spot with a camcorder or digital camera.

In this circuit, the TSOP1738 IR module removes the carrier leaving only the slower control pulses ( 1 - 3KHz) which appear at the output. R1, C1 and Z1 form a smoothed 5 Volt supply for the IR module. Under quiescent conditions (no input signal) the output of the IR module is high. Transistor Q1 will be on, resulting in a low collector voltage, restting the 555 oscillator. Q1 also acts as a level shifter, converting the 5 Volt output signal to 12 Volts for the 555 timer. When an IR signal is received, decoded control pulses turn Q1 off and on. Each time Q1 turns off, pin 4 of the 555 timer goes high and an oscillation will be produced for the duration of each data pulse.

As the timing is crucialthe capacitor should have a tolerance of 5% or better and the power supply should be regulated. To allow for tolerance in components a 4k7 preset resistor is wired in series with R4. This adjustment allows R4 to be 15k to 19.7K creating output pulses of 21us and 27.58 us. As frequency is the reciprocal of periodic time then the oscillator adjustment is from 36.2Khz to 47KHz, allowing fine tuning for almost any appliance.

The final output stage uses a BC337 transistor in emitter follower. The output pulse will not be inverted, and the current through the IR photo emitters is around 30 mA dc. This is of course an average value, measured with a digital multimeter. The red led as always, is a visible indication that an input signal has been received. The circuit may be modified to use a fixed resistor in the timing chain as shown below. In this example a voltage regulator is also recommended to prevent changes in supply voltage altering the output pulse.

Before powering the circuit, remove IR LEDs. With no input red LED should be off. Now press a button on a remote control, red led should flicker. If that's the case then your circuit should be working ok. Install IR LEDs. We found during testing that IR signal emitted from remote and IR signal emitted from circuit are interfering each other and that's make receiving device not to react on receiving the signal, this happens when IR from remote and IR from circuit's LEDs are on the same room. To solve that we must isolate the IR beam of remote control. To do that we used a thin pipe in front of infrared sensor as seen in photo below, so that the beam emitted from remote hits the sensor directly.

Another solution to this would be to put the emitting LEDs on a different room.