Rotary Universal Remote Issues Up to 400 Commands

After finding the available universal remotes unsatisfactory, this hacker decided to create his own. Instead of using buttons for each command, however, “Matlek” used a pair of rotary encoders as inputs. These encoders are cleverly set up so that the top circle selects the device to be controlled, while the bottom lets you select which action to perform. The command is then issued by depressing the action encoder.

Since each encoder has 20 positions, this gives the remote the ability to issue up to 400 commands, and can be taught by selecting the command to be modified, then long-pressing the action button. Commands from a normal remote are then read via an IR receiver module. These learned signals are stored on an SD card, which can then be accessed by the Arduino Nano that controls the gadget.

Though having a universal remote is convenient, a large part of the purpose of this build was to learn more about how Arduino boards work. Matlek’s write-up goes over design elements such as using an SD card, rotary encoders, long/short button detection, and the use of IR signaling. It also goes over the excellent 3D-printed case with STL files, which could serve as a good base for other types of rotary input projects.