I have my empeg running through my Pioneer CD receiver for amplification. I have the volume on the empeg fixed at 0 and control the volume through the Pioneer. I would like to be able to use the Empeg remote to adjust the volume on my Pioneer receiver.

Is there such a device as an IR translator? It wouldn't have to even be learning...I could use hijack to figure out what the proper remote codes are and hard code it. I image some of you wizards could whip up a quick schematic with an IR sensor, an IR transmitter and a PIC controller (here I'm talking out of my @$$ because I have no idea what's really involved), unfortunately, I have not the skill. Anyhow, please comment on the plausibility of such a thing.

Other alternatives I've pondered are: getting a learning remote and run all of it off that one remote (undesirable because I like the size of the rio remote). Getting a pioneer remote and using it to control the empeg (undesirable because I lose my searching ability.) Another downside to both of those options is that I would no longer have the proper labeling on the remote and I'd have to memorize where all the new buttons are.

Betcha you could write empeg software to do it. Use the IRDA port of the empeg to broadcast the pioneer commands.

oooh! even better. I might even be able to handle that on my own....I'll do some research and let you all know what I find.

Anyone know if the irda port should be capable of emitting a compatible signal?

I think your best bet would be some kind of a modification to the Hijack sources...

um, I think you two are going to be disappointed. From memory what the IRDA emitter is capable of transmitting is way different to what the comsumer IR sensor for the remote expects - do a search, I'm sure I've read this somewhere before. The other problem is that the two can't see each other. Not unless you build a mirror in there somewhere ;-)

Not unless you build a mirror in there somewhere

Sometimes just the reflected light from the cabin is enough. But if not, a simple bit of foil or optic fiber can take care of that. I've done plenty of work with bouncing IR off of bits of foil and it works fine. You'd be surprised.

And I though IRDA transceivers could broadcast in the right range if you threw the right code at them. For instance, there are programs that convert your PalmPilot into an IR remote. I could be wrong about that, of course.

Yeah, you're right Tony.
and in addition the chip in the Empeg that does the "IR sensing" is a Crystal Semiconductor chip that specifically supports IRDA and Consumer IR on board the one chip [just set the registers up on the chip and it works].

I'm not sure about the "output" side of the Ir signals for consumer Ir though - i.e. whether the consumer Ir capability is supported as-is.

However, you certainly can fake it though using the correct IRDA data streams. This lets you emulate most 38Khz consumer IR devices.

However, you're possibly talking some serious coding/testing to get all this working right, but if you could, it would be worth stuffing into hijack, or even as a "add-on" application.

The other thing is that the IR emitter in the Empeg is designed for a 1 meter range as per the Irda specs. This may not work very well in the car environment when talking Empeg to other Head Unit and relaying on simple reflection, you may need a "ir to ir" link of some sort quite close to the Empeg to maximise the Ir signal strength.