http://www.8051projects.net/ Learn to make simple microcontroller projects, pic, 8051, avr and arm projects. download 8051 projects, tutorials, libraries, sample codes. join the microcontroller discussion forum and ask doubts regarding electronics. the best source for 8051 over internet. en-gb 2009-01-07T22:22:26-08:00 contact@nospam.com hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 http://www.8051projects.net/forum-t3931.html 2009-01-07T22:22:26-08:00 Im doing a project to control my laptop using the RC5 remote control, i already did the decoding program using a PIC18f452 .Im new at this so plz bare with me Anywho.. i was wondering how hard will it be to transfer the data through USB..i did a little research abt it but seems a little tricky!Do u think it can be done ? I've heard about a PIC18 that has a USB port , will that make it easier for me ? http://www.8051projects.net/forum-t3931.html 2009-01-07T22:22:26-08:00 Ajay well.. you can make use of a serial to USB converter IC like FT232 or buy a similar kind of module from market. so you can use your previously designed PIC board for your idea...yes PIC series of 18F i think but not sure.. have USB onchip. you can use that one if you can find it http://www.8051projects.net/forum-t3931.html 2009-01-07T22:22:26-08:00 Milz Thanks for the reply Ajay, great forum .. Another question, should i make any changes to the VB code in case i was using USB instead of serial ? http://www.8051projects.net/forum-t3931.html 2009-01-07T22:22:26-08:00 Ajay I cannot say.. if you can see an extra serial port after connecting that USB to serial dongle. then you will also see the serial port in the VB software. so the same software can be used..I need to know more on how the dongle works with PC.. will it work as a virtual serial port or just like a normal USB.. most probably it will be a virtual serial port. http://www.8051projects.net/forum-t3931.html 2009-01-07T22:22:26-08:00 abhishek_h do you want to connect to serial port or usb? a usb->serial converter is available but not the other way. if u use usb to serial conv, then the usb port will become a virtual serial port. so you wont have to change your driver prog. http://www.8051projects.net/forum-t3931.html 2009-01-07T22:22:26-08:00 Milz do you want to connect to serial port or usb? a usb->serial converter is available but not the other way. if u use usb to serial conv, then the usb port will become a virtual serial port. so you wont have to change your driver prog. I want to connect it to a usb port . There ARE serial to usb converters , but im not quite sure if that's the proper application! http://www.8051projects.net/forum-t3931.html 2009-01-07T22:22:26-08:00 Milz Thanks again ajay... have a couple of questions regarding me using a pic18 instead of the AVR mcu ..I dont really get the code since i dont know the language, what i dont understand is why we're checking if it's in Keyboard mode or Mouse mode on the mcu , isnt that VB's work ? Bottom line, in order to get your VB code to work on my Pic18 code, what does my code needs to send/receive ? Because up untill now, my code just decodes the signal into the standard RC5 command bits ... This is more of a programming question so i might be in the wrong sub-forum, forgive me http://www.8051projects.net/forum-t3931.html 2009-01-07T22:22:26-08:00 Ajay if your really want a proper way then make use of PIC with USB.. like PIC18F2550. Serial to USB is just a compromise kind of thing. also extra cost. If you can get a PIC with USB then will be good for you. http://www.8051projects.net/forum-t3931.html 2009-01-07T22:22:26-08:00 Ajay First i want to tell you the significance of toggle bit if you know then skip it when you press a button on remote, let say toggle bit is 1 even of you put your hand in front of remote without releasing the button, toggle bit is still 1. So receiver knows that you have not released the key yet. toggle bit will change its state only after you release the button and press it again.So in my application.. in mouse mode.. the navigation button for moving cursor up/down/left/right those keys has to be continuous so in my controller software i am reading mode bit before processing any key if it mouse mode i am not checking the toggle bit because button has to work continuously.where as in keyboard mode or WMP control mode.. all keys like play/stop/next/forward etc are to be pressed only once.. whenever you change the mode from WMP to Mouse or Mouse to WMP control, mode bit is changed and VB software is informed about the changed mode.The RC5 code i wrote is for 8051 not AVR http://www.8051projects.net/forum-t3931.html 2009-01-07T22:22:26-08:00 Milz Thanks again for replying ajay, and yes i think i will be using the Pic18f2550 , but for it to work along with your VB code , what will i need to do besides decoding the signal ?? as i said earlier, didnt quite understand your AVR code since i dont know the language. What part of the decoded bits are you sending through the TX ? What are you receiving through the RX? .. and most importantly, why do u have a mouse/keyboard parts in this program ? does it matter? i thought one would send the command bits, along with the toggle bits, would be enough... Thanks again ! http://www.8051projects.net/forum-t3931.html 2009-01-07T22:22:26-08:00 Milz weeeeeww... That last post made it a lot clearer thx.. another thing, this is UART transmission right ? (between 8051 and VB)if so, how many bits are we transmitting, 8 or 9 ? as a last question for today , '#30H' is 30 in Hex right? u didnt use the standard RC5 commands .. http://www.8051projects.net/forum-t3931.html 2009-01-07T22:22:26-08:00 Ajay yes transmission is between VB and 8051 and its only 8 bit 30H is 0x30 or 30 hex. i read the standard commands but i send back the normal digits.. coz its easy to debug using a simple hyper terminal http://www.8051projects.net/forum-t3931.html 2009-01-07T22:22:26-08:00 Milz whenever you change the mode from WMP to Mouse or Mouse to WMP control, mode bit is changed and VB software is informed about the changed mode. I dont quite get that, you mean one of the 8 bits sent, informs the vb abt the mode status? Or is it just that the vb starts off with a certain mode initially, and toggles it everytime the user presses 0 ? ( cause that's how i understood it ) Another thing i do not understand in the code, in the mouse routine... CODE:mskip2:  
        cjne a,#03H,mskip3
        acall chk_valid
        jb VALID,ok2
        ret
ok2:
        mov a,#33H
        acall tx
        ret What does the chk_valid do? and why it is only for a few commands of the mouse routine ? CODE:mskip6:
        cjne a,#26H,mskip7
        mov a,#37H
        acall tx
        ret also in the mouse routine, why are you expecting a 26hex , since it's the 7 button?:-/ http://www.8051projects.net/forum-t3931.html 2009-01-07T22:22:26-08:00 Ajay Milz wrote ... whenever you change the mode from WMP to Mouse or Mouse to WMP control, mode bit is changed and VB software is informed about the changed mode. I dont quite get that, you mean one of the 8 bits sent, informs the vb abt the mode status? Or is it just that the vb starts off with a certain mode initially, and toggles it everytime the user presses 0 ? ( cause that's how i understood it ) Yest it starts with mouse mode initially.. and toggles it after pressing power key. when power key is pressed controller send 0 and then software replies back with mode.. if software send 'm' that means its in mouse mode.. so mode bit is toggled and controller switches to keyboard mode.Milz wrote ...Another thing i do not understand in the code, in the mouse routine... CODE:mskip2:  
        cjne a,#03H,mskip3
        acall chk_valid
        jb VALID,ok2
        ret
ok2:
        mov a,#33H
        acall tx
        ret What does the chk_valid do? and why it is only for a few commands of the mouse routine ?As i already said.. for navigation keys like Up, Down, Left, Right Toggle bit is not checked.. but for others like left click and right click toggle key is checked. So for only few commands this routine is used.Milz wrote ... CODE:mskip6:
        cjne a,#26H,mskip7
        mov a,#37H
        acall tx
        ret also in the mouse routine, why are you expecting a 26hex , since it's the 7 button? well.. this is a different story you will see an extra piece of code added for 26H and 38H the reason was.. i was not having volume+/- keys on my test remote.. as it was a custom made... so i used those keys for same operation of Vol+/- you can remove that code if you want.. it was only for my convenience did not bother to remove it.. coz it wont harm anyone http://www.8051projects.net/forum-t3931.html 2009-01-07T22:22:26-08:00 Milz Ajay rocks ! hehe Yest it starts with mouse mode initially.. and toggles it after pressing power key. when power key is pressed controller send 0 and then software replies back with mode.. if software send 'm' that means its in mouse mode.. so mode bit is toggled and controller switches to keyboard mode. ok might sound stupid, but i had no idea vb sends back to the controller .. ! from the few things i understood from the 8051 code, i didnt see any rx routine! .. or i didnt get you ... that's an option too http://www.8051projects.net/forum-t3931.html 2009-01-07T22:22:26-08:00 Ajay check in the Timer1_timer subCODE:Case &H30
If Mode Then
    MSComm1.Output = Chr(Asc("m"))
    Mode = False
           
    StatusLog.SelText = vbCrLf & "0 Received, Mouse Mode"
       
Else
    MSComm1.Output = Chr(Asc("x"))
    Mode = True
           
    StatusLog.SelText = vbCrLf & "0 Received, Keyboard Mode"
End Ifafter checking the Mode variable.. i send 'x' or 'm'. this is how it work.. http://www.8051projects.net/forum-t3931.html 2009-01-07T22:22:26-08:00 Milz CODE:keyboard:                               ;Routine for Keyboard operation
        mov a,TEMP
        cjne a,CMD,k_valid1
        ret As soon as you enter keyboard mode, you're checking if the command is the same as the previous command and if they are you're disregarding the command ... Ok but what if the user presses two 'Next' button twice in a row, but with an acceptable delay between the two .. will the program disregard the 2nd click ? http://www.8051projects.net/forum-t3931.html 2009-01-07T22:22:26-08:00 Ajay it will accept.. i know your confusion.. because even i was confused when i coded it.. and believe me it works.. maybe the data reception is way too fast.. also sometimes.. you get error in sending commands.. reason for error is.. after reception of first bit.. we give delay with a wild guess that next bit might come at this place.. even a small mistake will make big difference.. even if no data is coming.. sometimes a flicker in ambient light cause circuit to get activate. Try it in sun you will get to know.. it just one example of error... there are many other possibilities like the way you handle the remote.. direction and angle.. etc... I tested the whole thing with almost all possibilities.. well you will understand when you use it... or make it from scratch http://www.8051projects.net/forum-t3931.html 2009-01-07T22:22:26-08:00 Milz Hello again Ajay! happy new year to every1.. Ok so im finally trying out my pic , and while trying as a first step to simply test the decoding part, where the pic should output the command bits on Port D through LEDS .. It did Not work.. But what really is blowing my mind, is that it works perfectly well when i tried the code on Proteus !So im just wondering , what could be the problem , if it works on Proteus, but not on hardware?P.S: When i click on my remote, it simply gives me random bits everytime... nothing close to the command i clicked on, even if i click the same button twice! http://www.8051projects.net/forum-t3931.html 2009-01-07T22:22:26-08:00 Ajay PROTEUS?? how did u simulate there???and.. there is surely delay problem.. the timings are not correct..even thought the theoretical values say about the timings..but.. in reality.. there is sometimes a lot of difference.. try to decrease the delay.. slowly.. till you get right bits.. only way to get it working is testing on hardware..it took me 7 days for perfect decoding.. also.. once you finish with your code.. i will add ur PIC code in my library will be useful.. so test test test.. http://www.8051projects.net/forum-t3931.html 2009-01-07T22:22:26-08:00 Milz Actually, i did not test the hardware for a value, i used the timer to count the actual bit period, In order not to take 7 days for decoding lol and yes it worked on proteus, i enter a stream of bits through RB0, and it decoded it perfectly. Another thing, i also tried to output the calculated period through my pic, and the output was very close to the value it was supposed to be.. so the problem is not there.. I feel the problem could be in some floating input, noise, or something related to grounding the unused pins... i have no idea in that area bcuz it's now giving out the correct commands, like 20% of the time.. should the receiver be directly inserted into the PIC input ? thanks for your time http://www.8051projects.net/forum-t3931.html 2009-01-07T22:22:26-08:00 Ajay yes.. directly connect the receiver to PIC pin.. controller pins are not big problem if not used.. Technically there should not be any problem in circuit if the connections are firm and tight.. so check for loose solder.I am sure it will work.. best of luck..will wait for your PIC library..coz soon i am going to shift this project to PIC with USB support onchip.. i am reading about writing device drivers as soon as i finish learning that. i will make this project USB ready! http://www.8051projects.net/forum-t3931.html 2009-01-07T22:22:26-08:00 Milz IT WORKED ! .. Thanks a lot ajay ! But a weird thing is that in the case of pressing the button to Increase the volume, it is doing MUTE... and it's definitely not a code error, or remote problem... could it be bcuz i have the Windows Media player 9 ?? Another thing is that the USB to RS232 cable didnt work .. ive installed it, and when i open the exe file, there's no ports to choose from.. any ideas ? PS: will give the code when i finish cleaning up useless commands . cuz its DAMN LONG http://www.8051projects.net/forum-t3931.html 2009-01-07T22:22:26-08:00 Ajay i know its gonna work just the thing is.. now we need to develop a new application in VB which works only for USB.. hope you are getting me.. only you can do that coz you know how to make it work using windrive.If you need my help then tell me.. or tell me what should i download to understand this thing.. gimme the link.. and.. my code uses shortcuts for only WPM11 not 9 better now you upgrade your player to version 9 coz its much much better.... in looks and functions PS: my asm does not have any useless commands i think... are you using my asm code? http://www.8051projects.net/forum-t3931.html 2009-01-07T22:22:26-08:00 Ajay Milz waiting for your code.. and what are you doing about the USB thing?i have got my 18F4550 too..