<article-heading
title="Media center remote: Infrared receiver"
is-published="true"
updated-date="2021-09-04"
/>
<p class="article-description">
The first stage of making the <a href="" data-article="media-center-remote">media center remote</a> is
setting up a basic ESPHome configuration to receive and decode infrared signals.
</p>
<p>The goals of this stage are to:</p>
<ul>
<li>Get the ESP8266 to connect to a WiFi network.</li>
<li>Get the infrared receiver wired up to receive and log incoming infrared signals.</li>
<li>Correlate the remote controller button presses to the resulting signals.</li>
</ul>
<section class="gallery previews-large">
<figure>
<img src="/content/articles/media-center-remote/infrared-receiver/media-center-remote-stage-1-breadboard-diagram.png"
alt="A breadboard diagram showing an ESP8266 connected to an infrared receiver module" />
<figcaption>Stage 1 breadboard diagram</figcaption>
</figure>
<figure>
<img src="/content/articles/media-center-remote/infrared-receiver/media-center-remote-stage-1-prototype.jpg"
alt="An ESP8266 wired up to an infrared receiver module" />
<figcaption>Stage 1 prototype</figcaption>
</figure>
<figure>
<img src="/content/articles/media-center-remote/infrared-receiver/remote-controller.jpg"
alt="A generic 21-button remote controller" />
<figcaption>"Car MP3" remote controller</figcaption>
</figure>
</section>
<h2>ESPHome configuration</h2>
<h3><code class="inline">media-center-remote.yaml</code></h3>
<pre class="prettyprint" v-pre="v-pre">
<code class="lang-yaml">esphome:
name: media-center-remote
platform: ESP8266
board: esp01_1m
api:
password: !secret media_center_remote_ota_password
logger:
baud_rate: 0
ota:
password: !secret media_center_remote_ota_password
wifi:
ssid: !secret wifi_ssid
password: !secret wifi_password
# Skip searching for available networks first
fast_connect: true
# Connecting is faster and more reliable if you don't wait for DHCP.
# Just make sure the router is also configured to reserve this address for your device.
manual_ip:
static_ip: !secret media_center_remote_wifi_manual_ip_static_ip
gateway: !secret media_center_remote_wifi_manual_ip_gateway
subnet: !secret media_center_remote_wifi_manual_ip_subnet
remote_receiver:
pin:
number: GPIO2
inverted: true
# The Car MP3 remote controller signals can be interpreted as LG codes,
# so let's just pretend it's an LG remote controller.
dump:
- lg</code>
</pre>
<h3>Log output</h3>
<p>
Powering up the device and pressing buttons on the remote controller yields logs similar to the following:
</p>
<pre class="prettyprint" v-pre="v-pre"><code>...
[17:48:34][C][remote_receiver.esp8266:059]: Remote Receiver:
[17:48:34][C][remote_receiver.esp8266:060]: Pin: GPIO2 (Mode: INPUT, INVERTED)
[17:48:34][C][remote_receiver.esp8266:065]: Buffer Size: 1000
[17:48:34][C][remote_receiver.esp8266:066]: Tolerance: 25%
[17:48:34][C][remote_receiver.esp8266:067]: Filter out pulses shorter than: 50 us
[17:48:34][C][remote_receiver.esp8266:068]: Signal is done after 10000 us of no changes
...
[17:48:47][D][remote.lg:053]: Received LG: data=0x00FFA25D, nbits=32
[17:48:49][D][remote.lg:053]: Received LG: data=0x00FF629D, nbits=32
[17:48:50][D][remote.lg:053]: Received LG: data=0x00FFE21D, nbits=32</code></pre>
<h2>Next steps</h2>
<p>
</p>With the infrared receiver working, it's time to react to these signals in
Stage 2: <a data-article="media-center-remote/kodi-integration">Kodi integration</a>.
<p>
This article is part of the <a data-article="media-center-remote">Media center remote</a> set.
If you have any feedback or questions related to this article, please reply to <a
href="https://twitter.com/TassSinclair/status/1434156531663048707">my post on Twitter</a>.
</p>
