Hey everyone, I wanted to share my recent success in configuring ESPHome for infrared (IR) control. I’ve been wanting to integrate my old IR-controlled devices into my smart home setup, and after some trial and error, I finally got it working smoothly!
I started by setting up an ESP32 module with an IR LED and receiver. Initially, I tried using binary codes for my fan remote, but it didn’t work as expected. After some research, I realized that using raw data was the way to go. I used the remote_receiver component in ESPHome to capture the raw IR signals from my fan remote. The data looked something like this:
[-297, 1395, -297, 1394, -297, 1369, -325, 1449, -242, 8142, -1166, 552, -1143, 548, -298, 1372, -1142, 626, -1089, 527, -320, 1370, -1166, 554, -294, 1366, -325, 1423, -270, 1368, -325, 1370, -350]
I then configured the remote_transmitter component in my ESPHome setup to send this raw data. After some tweaking, my fan now responds perfectly to the IR signals! It was a bit tricky at first, especially getting the wiring right and ensuring the IR LED was flashing correctly, but the satisfaction of seeing everything work seamlessly is worth it.
I also tried using a different remote for my AC unit, and it worked out of the box with a Panasonic code. It’s amazing how versatile ESPHome is for these kinds of projects. I’m now looking into adding more IR-controlled devices around my home, like my TV and sound system.
If anyone is struggling with IR control, I’d recommend starting with capturing the raw data and testing with a simple setup before moving on to more complex configurations. Happy tinkering! 