PC Controlled Remote Control

[rahul240sx]

Hi Guys,
Im trying to control a remote control toy race car with a computer using, maybe a universal remote control that has a pc interface. Currently im looking at the TX-4 PC serial Rf transmitter to do this. (http://www.rentron.com/remote_control/TX-4-PC.htm)

My questions were, how would i go about making this remote be able to control a toy race car? I don't have time to build one, but would have to use a toy car off the store shelf. Also, do you guys think this would work and if not what problems i would run into.
Thanks guys, appreciate it....

 

[akg]

how many control signal your toy car needs ? i presume it to be Fw: , Back, Left and Right .
the module u specified can transmit 16 signals ,which can easily accomodate ur need if u need more u have to biuld a custom protocol on the protocol of the tx-4-pc module. and from the companion receiver module u can get 4 binary o/ps

 

[rahul240sx]

so how do i get the toy car to recognize the signals being sent by the transmitter? Sorry im really new at this.....

 

[ClydeCrashKop]

I think I would hack the remote that came with the car. It is probably just 4 switches. You could use phototransistors to close those circuits, triggered by IR LEDs controlled by the data bits of LPT1. Use a 1K series resistor on each LED. If you are using windows, find info on inpout32.dll for LPT1 access.

 

[rahul240sx]

im sorry i didn't understand the part about the ir LEDs....

 

[akg]

im sorry i didn't understand the part about the ir LEDs....

I think I would hack the remote that came with the car. It is probably just 4 switches

hope u understand this part, so , instead of mechanical switches , w'll need electronic switches .one option is given above and another will be using optocoupler .the transistor in the opto act as the switch and the led in the opto will be switched by ur ckt

 

[rahul240sx]

Hey guys, i found out recently that some remote controlled cars use matching cards or chips in both the controller and the car, so that the signal is recognized by the car when sent out by the controller. Do you guys think its possible to put in a chip in the TX-4 and then a matching one in the car, to make this work?

 

[mramos1]

I would use the remote that came with the car.. And you can connect to the switches on that controller. It will be matched to the freq (or cards/chip as you call them).

Use a relay or opto to simulate a button press. If only 4 buttons, maybe parallel over serial?