Advanced IR Analyzer & Decoder for TV remote controls and more....

A big thanks to everyone for supporting AnalysIR. Check out our latest updates via the TAB above. We have received quite a few emails since the campaign ended, from people looking to support AnalysIR. So we are happy to say that if you missed the opportunity to support AnalysIR during the campaign, we still have a limited number of perks available on the same terms as in this Campaign  until we launch v1.0 on our main website.

Note: The Kit perks will only be made available to people who have contributed to another perk which includes AnalysIR. Bonus: AnalysIR now includes support for a number of IR Sources including Arduino, Raspberry Pi, USB IR Toy and TI MSP430 Launchpad.

 For more updates on this project please visit our Blog

AnalysIR was born as part of another leading-edge IR(infra red) project we are working on - Think mega Universal Remote Control meets Arduino & saves the Planet (But don’t tell anyone - it's still a secret).  For this we needed to decode every TV remote control we could find and found the existing products available out there to be either limited or too expensive. The truth is we didn’t find one that met our needs at any price. The good news is that we are making good progress on this project and that as we enhanced our own ‘homebrew’ decoder tool we realised how useful and unique it was and decided to devote resources into launching it as AnalysIR.

As we are big fans of Arduino (and Raspberry Pi) we implemented a Windows application which connected to an Arduino with the addition of a just ‘one’ component, an IR receiver. Voilá, we now have what we believe to be the most feature rich IR analyzer & decoder available. It's so good we can decode new IR signals in a fraction of the time before AnalysIR. No need for expensive Logic Analyzers or Oscilloscopes.

AnalysIR already decodes 13 of the most popular IR protocols on the market (up from the 10 mentioned in our Video) which we estimate represents circa 80% of the hundreds of millions of TV type remote controls in homes, hotels, offices, Auditoriums around the world. So today more than 500 million remote controls can be decoded by AnalysIR - not bad eh!. We would welcome our backer’s help in increasing this 80% coverage to 90% and beyond!.

The rationale for our efforts with IR technology is to find ways of reusing the millions of discarded TV remotes controls on the planet. AnalysIR is our first baby step and we look forward to even bigger steps with the help of your backing.

What is AnalysIR

AnalysIR is made up of 3 components:

• AnalysIR Windows PC application.

• An Arduino (or other MCU type platform such as Raspberry Pi, Pic, MSP, AVR etc) with an inbuilt serial over USB, connected to the PC.(Not included)

• An 3-pin IR receiver (circa $1) which uses one digital input pin and works off 5V or 3.3V power supply and GND. (Not included, See Guide for more details.)

To give you an idea of the functionality we have provided a copy of the pre-release version of the Getting Started Guide and Video, in the gallery (click the Gallery tab near the top of this screen for the Guide & the video link is below). The Guide also includes a Fritzing schematic. Please refer to the Video and Guide for a deeper understanding of the features of AnalysIR. Also see the FAQ below for simple setup instructions.

What We Need & What You Get

We will use your contributions to:

• Fund development of enhancements to AnalysIR,

• Complete the Documentation

• Purchase a Raspberry Pi and similar platforms and publishing the associated on-board software.

• Complete & launch our website for community interaction.

In return for your much needed support, you will receive:

• A copy of the latest version of AnalysIR via internet download & Licence Key

• A copy of the AnalysIR Getting Started guide (20 pages so far).

• A copy of the Arduino source code for your use without any restrictions, plus a copy of the source code for any new platforms supported such as Raspberry Pi etc. You can easily port this Arduino code to any MCU platform (Raspberry Pi, Pic, MSP, AVR) as most of the functionality is in the Windows application.

• A vote for the next features to be included in AnalysIR (each $ = 1 vote)

• All updates to the product for at least 24 months and maybe longer.

• A link to an online guide to help in the selection of IR receivers for specific projects, which is briefly covered in the User Guide.

So if we raise our minimum target of $1,000 - AnalysIR will be released. When we hit $2,000 we will add support for Raspberry Pi. If we make $3,000->10,000 we will add features, protocols and more platforms based on the feedback & votes of you - our backers.

We have decided to set a low minimum target to ensure there is at least some interest & demand for our project. If we don't reach this minimum threshold we will focus our resources on other exciting IR projects we have in the pipeline.

Before we get to the perks, we would like to highlight that for the cost of your perk, and using your existing Arduino (Raspberry Pi etc) with a simple IR receiver (~US$1) hooked up to your PC, you will get the best IR Analyzer & Decoder available - outperforming the best professional Oscilloscopes and Logic Analyzers we have seen, without having to part with hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Remember a single use of AnalysIR could save you many times the cost of your perk alone.

Your Perks

We have outlined your perks over on the right. We truly want as many backers as possible to engage with AnalysIR. So we have introduced a discounted perk for Educational use, Hacker clubs, MakerSpaces, Students & any type of Electronics club. To avail of these special rates you will need to use an identifiable email address for product registration. (e.g. me@schoolx.xxx or headmaker@hackespaceNYC.xxx or similar) Registration and support is linked to this email address. Similarly, if you have published your IR project online before the start of this campaign, you may also avail of this rate. (Just include a link in your registration email).

As a further gesture we have also included a limited number of special perks for those who cannot afford more, which will be operated without restriction on a trust basis.

For Professionals, Manufacturers & Kit distributors we have also presented a Full source code perk & Mega packs.

For our heroes who have inspired us, we have created a $1 perk, which is as close as possible to a gift.

You may have guessed it, that we are a software only team and haven't included any kits (Arduino, Raspberry Pi or IR receivers). However, rest assured if you need to source any of the components we will arrange this for you after the campaign either via our web site or partners. (Our web site www.AnalysIR.com will be launched after the campaign). We hope to work with kit suppliers to bundle AnalysIR as an of-the-shelf kit, including MCU & IR receiver.

Delivery of Perks to Backers

We will continue to work on AnalysIR throughout the campaign and plan to make deliveries in 2 stages commencing within one week of the campaign end. The first set will be to earliest 10% of  backers and largest 10% of backers. We will then spend circa 2-3 weeks ironing out any glitches before releasing to all other backers and expect to issue regular updates until the end of 2013. From next year we will adjust to a standard product release cycle. So if you want to experience and help with the early stage roll-out then either back early or contribute an extra $ or two for your perk or do both!. Participation in the stage 1 rollout is optional.

These early adopters will receive special mention in the initial release of AnalysIR.

The Impact

There are hundreds of millions of discarded TV type remote controls in the world. We found a total of 17 in our own home. Our involvement with IR was inspired by the Arduino community and began with an idea to reduce the waste associated with remote controls. We hope that your support for our campaign will help in reducing this waste in the future.

We also believe that AnalysIR will prove to be a great tool for electronics labs within the Education sector, a must have accessory for MakerSpaces, Robotics & Electronics clubs and will also save countless hours for professionals configuring & troubleshooting complex TV & media installations.

Other Ways You Can Help

Remember, if you can't back us directly, you can still help by referencing AnalysIR on your social media, blog or website. Using the share tools on Indiegogo is another excellent way of helping us out. You can also follow us on twitter via @AnalysIR.

We will also include a special credit to our top ‘Noise Makers’ in the initial release of AnalysIR.

Thanks in advance.....from the AnalysIR team.

Future Roadmap

If we exceed our minimum target as outlined above, we will organise a vote among backers on a selection of new features to include in AnalysIR, for example a subset of:

• Additional IR Protocol support

• Exporting to LIRC Format

• Exporting to Pronto Format

• Importing From LIRC Format

• Importing From Pronto Format

• Re-sending of recorded IR signals

• Adding basic Logic Analyzer support (MCU dependent)

• Enhanced colour coding

• Additional IR signal Information

• Tutorials

• Auto check for updates

• Extended signal recording

• Macro support with editing

• Display of IR modulation frequency

• Plus, your ‘Backer suggested’ features

To mark the occasion, we have created a short video entitled ‘March of the Motes’ for you. Share this too to help or campaign.

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Q1) What is the current Status of AnalysIR?

We have been using AnalysIR in-house for a couple of months now, but it is still classified as Beta. We plan to make a full release as part of this campaign with your support.

Q2) What IR protocols are currently supported by AnalysIR?

We support most of the common protocols out there and hope to increase this with the help of our backers. We estimate that these protocols cover circa 80% of the remote controls in use today and some older ones. The list of IR protocols supported today includes:

• RC5 - Philips

• RC5 Extended - Philips

• RC6 - Philips

• NEC

• SONY  (5 bit)

• SONY  (8 bit)

• SONY  (12 bit)

• SONY  (20 bit)

• SANYO

• JVC

• PANASONIC

• DISH

• SHARP

• XSAT (Daewoo)

• KONKA (Matsushita)

• RECS80

• RCA

• RAW

Note: The names above refer to the IR Protocol and not necessarily a device name, as many manufacturers rebrand devices made by 3rd party companies, even the big ones.

Q3) Why not just use an Oscilloscope or Logic Analyzer?

Ask any of our team, we have a good Oscilloscope to help us out on certain electrical or analogue challenges, but the first choice is always AnalysIR when it comes to IR decoding, analysis and troubleshooting.

We have priced the perks which compare favourably to the cost of entry level Oscilloscopes ($300+) or Logic Analyzers ($150+). Oh and did we mention that AnalysIR is far superior at a fraction of the cost for our backers. We would be happy to put AnalysIR head-to-head against the most expensive Oscilloscopes or Logic Analyzers on the market, for IR protocol analysis & decoding.

Q4) What projects can I use AnalysIR with?

The list is literally endless, because IR can be used to control almost any device on the planet. Here is a small sample:

• Low cost Teaching aid as part of your Lab - everyone can have their own decoder

• Helicopter remote Control

• Robotics

• Indoor ‘Toy Car’ control (Don’t try it with a real car, particularly indoors!)

• Get your iPhone, Android, Tablet, MCU, PC or Server to control your devices using IR.

• Control your 3D printer or CNC machine

• Garage door opener / closer

• Control motors including stepper motors

• Door Opener

• Pet Door opener

• A practical way to teach students about Electronics & Binary/Hex notation.

• Wireless serial communications between Arduino and computer

• Control any Arduino type project (Also Raspberry Pi or any MCU)

• Access the service menu of your TV. (Some TVs can be upgraded for free. NB: Warranty)

• Replace your Air Conditioning remote and control remotely

• Mood lighting control

• Update LED displays & Electronic Notice-boards

• Not to mention, where we began, you can dream up any number of projects to do with TV remote control. (we have our own unique project underway in this area)

• IR can provide optical isolation between an Arduino and relay circuit.

• Camera control, time-lapse, movement detection, flash synchronisation or just remote snapping

In summary, IR is the cheapest indoor method to control a device located within the same room and is extremely reliable, at a small fraction of the cost of wired, Wi-Fi, LAN, ZigBee or other RF systems. And guess what - you probably have several spare controllers already available.

Q5) Is AnalysIR Open-Source?

We will release all of the MCU code (Arduino, Raspberry Pi etc) to backers without restrictions as to use, which is more liberal than OS. We hope this will encourage the release of 3rd party kits & devices for AnalysIR. However, we are not in a position to release the windows based code at this time. We will revisit this again in the future. We do publish the protocol timings & parameters for each supported protocol within the application itself.

Q6) How does registration work?

When the campaign completes we will issue registration keys in 2 phases, as described above. You will receive a registration key, via email, which will be tied to a single PC and the registration email.

Q7) What is included?

Everything you need for a working AnalysIR, Software for PC and MCU, Getting Started Guide & Video, backed up by online support. You need to provide the MCU (e.g. Arduino or Raspberry Pi etc) and the IR receiver yourself. We can help with arranging kits after the campaign ends, as necessary. AnalysIR is designed to work with a minimum screen resolution of 1366x768 along with the latest windows updates.

Q8) How much will AnalysIR cost after the campaign ends?

We have not decided yet, but we expect it will sell for at least 50-100% more than the perks.

Q9) How do I set up AnalysIR?

Setting up is simple, with just 3 connections. Connect the yellow wire to pin 2 on the Arduino, Red to 5V, Green to GND. Check the connections and confirm the pin-out of your IR receiver from the datasheet. Then just simply connect the MCU to your PC, start the AnalysIR application and follow the instructions in the Getting Started Guide. (Note: you will be able to set up other Arduino Models, Raspberry Pi, Pic, MSP, AVR etc by just copying the code provided for your platform. We plan to publish code for these platforms as part of this campaign, as discussed above.) A breadboard is not required, as the IR receiver can be wired directly to the Arduino.