Part list

This is the part list with pictures and description. Depending on where you live, the IR receiver and a honestly priced serial shell
are sometimes hard to find.
Prev: Tools - Next: The circuit explained
[-] Sub-D 9-pin serial box; very standard component, avoid the metallized ones if you can: [-] The description of this circuit is
rather simple. The RTS line of the serial port gives power to the voltage regulator which fixes it to 5 stable volts. A diode is
there to protect the serial port from inverse current. The capacitor helps to
keep a stable voltage; all the grounds are bound to the GND line of the
serial port. The data output of the IR receiver is connected to the DCD line
of the serial port together with a pull-up resistor coming from the power
line.

eps version
IR-receiver and voltage regulator
Let's mount it. We begin with the IR receiver and the voltage regulator.
Prev: The circuit explained - Next: Diode and resistor
[-] You should bend the IR receiver data ping as you can see in the picuture to let the pins enter the hole of the serial box (see
the image below). Use tweesers to do this. [-] After having chechek the data sheet of your voltage regulator, bend and cut the
pins in this shape, helping yourself with the wire cutter and the tweesers of course. The input pin must be cut very short; the
ground (central) pin will be connected to the GND of the serial connector and the output pin will be soldered to the IR
receiver. [-] This is how it fits together. Try to find out the best possible shape of the pins for your specific serial case. The
central pin of the voltage reguator must be inserted in the 5th pin of the serial connector.
Diode and resistor
We will now insert the diode, from the DCD pin of the serial port, to the voltage regulator, and the resistor from the cathode of
the diode to the RTS pin.
Prev: IR-receiver and voltage regulator - Next: The wire and the capacitor
[-] We must cut the diodes very short, because they have to be placed between the serial connector and the input pin of the
voltage regulator: [-] The same with the resistors, depending also on the size of your particular component.
[-] The diode have to be inserted in the pin number 7 of the serial connector and then soldered to the input pin of the voltage
regulator. [-] This picture shows even better where the diode has been inserted. The serial connector is upside down in this
picture of course. [-] The resistor have to go from the pin 1 of the connector to the same input pin on the regulator, soldered
together with the diode. [-] Another view of the resistor together with the diode.
The wire and the capacitor
We now mount the wire from the data output of the IR receiver to the DTS of the serial connector, and the capacitor between
GND and the output of the voltage regulator.
Prev: Diode and resistor - Next: Mounting it inside the box
[-] The wire has to be cut so it can easily go from the data pin of the IR receiver to the first pin of the serial connector. Then we
solder it on the data pin *only*.
[-] We put then a piece of the thermal tube to protect the data line. Remember to "burn" it a bit so it will stay against the wire.
[-] Is it possible now to solder the other end of the wire to the first pin of the serial connector. [-] This is a very delicate work:
you should try to bend the pins of the capacitor like in the picture. Pay attention that electrolitic capacitors are polarized: in
simple words, there is a positive and a negative pin. [-] Look at the picture to understand how to mount the capacitor. The
positive pin has to be soldered together with the output of the voltage regulator and the power input line of the IR receiver.
The negative pin will act as a bridge to connect the ground of the IR receiver together with the ground of the regulator. [-] I
suggest you to solder first the negative pin of the capacitor to the ground of the receiver, then to the ground of the regulator.
At this point you'll have to adjust a bit the position of the positive pin to easily solder it on its place. After this, bend the
capacitor so it "lays" on the circuit making it easy to fit inside the serial case.
Mounting it inside the box
We can finally proceed to insert the circuit inside the serial connector-box.
Prev: The wire and the capacitor - Next: Placing the IR receiver
[-] We now have some "skeletons" of the circuit that have to be inserted in the serial box. Try to make the circuit as "thin" as
possible to avoid problems when closing the box.
[-] Sometimes it's needed to play a bit with the pins gently bending them ti fit exactly inside the serial box. Check if the
skeleton can stay inside the connector without problems. If you can't insert the circuit de-solder a pin somewhere: the circuit
will gain flexibility and you will be able to change its shape. Then solder again and eventually repeat the process until you're
satisfied. [-] This is how the circuit should look when inserted in the serial box. [-] After the skeleton is inside, we only have to
close the serial box... [-] ...and we will have those cool IR receivers ready to be tested!!!