Communicate
IR Communicate
🔴 IR – Communicate – Your “Programmable Remote Control”
What it does: Sends and receives infrared signals.
Send: Control TVs, air conditioners
Receive: Read existing remote controls
🧩 Fun Guide to IR Communication Blocks (Clu-blocks Pro)
📡 Important! IR blocks let your robot send and receive invisible light signals — just like a remote control. You can use it to control devices, react to button presses, or even talk to other robots!
🔻 IR Receiving Blocks
| # | Block | What it does | Dropdown options | What the options mean |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | setupIRreceive PIN# 2 Socket Type NEC_8 docallback function | Sets up the IR receiver on a pin | Socket Type: NEC_8, NEC_16, NEC_other, RC5 | Choose the IR protocol your remote uses |
| 2 | IRreceive get command code | Reads data from the IR signal | command, address, raw, pulses | Choose what part of the signal to read — command is most common |
| 3 | IRreceive Pause | Temporarily stops receiving | Pause, Recover | Pause = stop listening, Recover = start listening again |
| 4 | IRreceive whether receive new data | Checks if a new signal was received | — | Returns true if a new command came in |
| 5 | IRreceive timeout 2000 ms | Sets how long to wait for a signal | — | If no signal comes in during this time, it times out |
| 6 | callback with: cmd, addr, raw, pulses | Defines what to do when a signal is received | — | You can use the received data to trigger actions |
| 7 | println cmd addr raw pulses | Prints the received IR data | — | Great for debugging or learning what your remote sends |
🔺 IR Sending Blocks
| # | Block | What it does | Dropdown options | What the options mean |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | setupIRsend PIN# 2 Socket Type NEC power 100% | Sets up the IR transmitter | Socket Type: NEC, Samsung, RC5 | Choose the protocol your target device understands |
| 9 | IRsend command code 0 address code 0 control bit 0 | Sends a full IR signal | — | You define the command, address, and control bit manually |
| 10 | IRsend pulses code [9000,4500,563,563] | Sends a custom pulse pattern | — | Advanced use — great for mimicking unknown remotes |
| 11 | IRsend raw code 0x1234 | Sends a raw hexadecimal signal | — | Use this if you know the exact code to send |
| 12 | whether the ir transmission is Complete | Checks if sending is done | — | Returns true when the signal has finished transmitting |
🧠 Quick Tips for Students
- Use setupIRreceive before trying to read signals — it’s like turning on the ears.
- Use command code to get the button press — most remotes send this.
- Use callback functions to make your robot react instantly — like turning on a light when you press a button.
- Use IRsend to control TVs, fans, or other IR devices — just match the protocol and code.
- Use println to discover what your remote sends — then reuse those codes to send them back!