I'm assembling my hardwares to start configuring a knoppmyth install, but I will need a IR blaster to control my cable set top box

My tv tuner is a hauppauge pvr 350 so I don't think that the IR dongle included will be able to do blasting (but someone point it out if I'm wrong!)

Is there a preferred IR blaster? Should I just grab a MCE remote kit off of ebay? I believe they come with a single ir blaster that attaches to the receiver.

THanks!

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noob. please forgive my ignorance.
running: r5e50, pvr350, p4 1.7ghz 512mb ram, nvidia fx5200, 27" flat tube tv

If you have a serial port, I have had very good luck with the IR receivers from http://www.irblaster.info/ (NOTE: As I don't have a STB I have not used their blasters). Very reasonably priced and quick to ship...

If all you need is an IR transmitter, and you have an old remote you can gut for parts (mainly the IR transmitter diode), and you are willing to use a soldering iron, go to lirc.org and look for instructions. I have done this successfully. You may need to get a resistor and diode from Radio Shack or whatever.

If your want something prebuilt or a kit I have used the iguanaworks tranceiver kit (about $25) successfully.

Yeah. I agree with what cliffsjunk said. You can even do it without the signal diode as I have done (after all, the LED is itself a diode).

RS232 uses bipolar signalling. did you check the reverse breakdown voltage of the IR LED? no? right -- the external diode protects the IR LED. not using an external diode will drastically shorten the lifespan of the IR LED, if it doesn't fail immediately.

wrooster

I just got the irblaster from irblater.info, it works fine

_________________
noob. please forgive my ignorance.
running: r5e50, pvr350, p4 1.7ghz 512mb ram, nvidia fx5200, 27" flat tube tv