Programmable Arduino Remote Control
Introduction: Programmable Arduino Remote Control
With this small, palm-sized device, it is possible to remote control your PC or your Smartphone. Or to control your PC and your Smartphone at the same time.
And it is freely programmable. You can write programs like: Login to your PC, open and login to instructables.com, play/pause a movie or adjust the volume on your Smartphone.
How is that possible? The used micro controller board has a chip that can act as a so called HID device, which stands for Human Interaction Device and simply means keyboard or mouse. And it has another chip, a Bluetooth chip which can act as a Bluetooth keyboard.
The programming is intuitive and there are more examples in the User Manual in the Wiki [1]. The syntax is described in the Programming Guide [1]. The video demonstrates a wireless login to a Windows PC with one click and a login to instructables.com with another click.
In the second video, the Parc device is used as a Bluetooth remote control with the functions: Volume Up and Down, Next Song, Mute. Further, the remote control is connected to the PC and sends keyboard commands that open a text editor and type in some text.
What makes the Parc remote control unique is that everything is stored in the volatile memory of the micro controller. It is safe to write programs which contain passwords.
And it is unique as Bluetooth remote control which you can program from a long list of possible commands. For more details see also the User Manual [1].
The idea for the Parc remote control came when I read and made this great instructable: How-to-Make-a-Arduino-HID-Keyboard.
It describes how you can turn an Arduino UNO into a USB keyboard. The Arduino UNO is limited in the way that the firmware on the serial interface chip has to be changed. But read yourself.
From the first prototype with hardcoded programs to the current version, I use the Parc remote control almost every day. 379
At work it is handy to login, lock the screen or login to the time management tool. At home I often use it as remote control when I watch a movie on my PC.
The direct material costs are approximately USD 70.
[1] Parc Wiki on github
Supplies
1 Adafruit Feather 32u4 Ble (https://www.adafruit.com/product/2829)
1 MicroUSB cable 1 IC MCP23008 (https://www.adafruit.com/product/593)
1 LiPo 350 mAh (https://www.adafruit.com/product/2750)
5 Button switch, 6mm (https://www.adafruit.com/product/1119)
6 Slide switch (https://www.adafruit.com/product/805)
1 Prototyping board, cut into 2 pieces, 32x65mm and 32x42mm (https://www.adafruit.com/product/2670)
1 Stack female headers (https://www.adafruit.com/product/2886)
1 Long male header pins (https://www.adafruit.com/product/400)
1 Windows PC 1 Arduino IDE (https://www.arduino.cc/en/software). Optional: PuTTY (https://www.putty.org)
1 3D Printer
1 Soldering iron and soldering wire, hookup wire 21g PLA filament
1 Metal saw (to cut the prototyping board)
I added links to the Adafruit webshop, but you also get the parts elsewhere. For the LiPo battery, search for "PKCELL LP552035".
Step 1: 3D Printed Parts
PLA and the standard settings (20% infill) can be used. Enable support structures for the openings for the USB plug.
Step 2: Prototype on Breadboard
Once you have all the parts, I recommend to test the parts on the breadboard before you start building the remote control. The wiring on the pictures is the same as for the final product.
I recommend to install the test program first and check that the wiring is correct and the components work. For that, you can skip steps 3 to 5 and continue with steps 6 and 7.
If you like, you can attach the battery, install the final software and use breadboard as remote control. If are not planning to actually build the device, continue with step 6.
Step 3: Soldering Keypad
This will be the most time consuming part. Take your time. The prototyping board has the dimension 32x65mm, or 25x12 holes.
The hand painted soldering plan should help you through the process. Leave the length of the wires that are lead out approximately 40mm long. 379