Powering off TVs with my Cardputer
I've been having fun exploring the infrared features of Bruce firmware on my cardputer. My favorite is the TV-B-Gone function, which spams 100+ power off signals used by common TVs and displays.
A standalone cardputer has a built-in IR blaster, but it's incredibly weak. I have to point it directly at my TV's receiver from ~2 ft away for it to work. I bought this IR emitter & receiver module, but the emitter only has ~3 ft of range.
I wanted to use my cardputer like a typical TV remote, so I bought this 3W IR transmitter. After some testing, it has a much better range of ~30 ft. I did have to use some duct tape to attach it to my cardputer and keep the wires compact.
Bruce also has this cool jamming feature which can essentially "blind" an IR receiver, causing it not to register signals from other devices. I've also used the IR receiver on my expansion module to read and save incoming signals, allowing me to clone TV remotes.
Looking forward to testing this on other devices with IR receivers such as LED strips, AC units, etc. Also, fun fact: most cameras can "see" IR light, and my phone's camera has been very useful for debugging.