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How Remote Controls Work

by Julia Layton

The world's first remote controls were radio-frequency devices that

directed German naval vessels to crash into Allied boats during
WWI. In WWII, remote controls detonated bombs for the first time.
The end of the great wars left scientists with a brilliant technology
and nowhere to apply it. Sixty years later, some of us spend an hour
looking for the remote before we remember there are buttons on the
TV.

In this article, we'll examine the infrared technology used in most

home theaters, look at the difference between IR and RF remotes,
find out the difference between a "universal" and a "learning" remote
and check out some of the other high-tech features you can find on
remotes today, like PC connectivity, RF extenders and macro
Photo courtesy HowStuffWorks Shopper
commands.
Logitech Harmony
universal remote control
Infrared Remote Controls: Inside
The dominant remote-control technology in home-theater applications is infrared (IR). Infrared light is
also known as plain-old "heat." The basic premise at work in an IR remote control is the use of light to
carry signals between a remote control and the device it's directing. Infrared light is in the invisible
portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.

An IR remote control (the transmitter) sends out pulses of infrared light that represent specific binary
codes. These binary codes correspond to commands, such as Power On/Off and Volume Up. The IR
receiver in the TV, stereo or other device decodes the pulses of light into the binary data (ones and
zeroes) that the device's microprocessor can understand. The microprocessor then carries out the
corresponding command.

To get a better idea of how the process works, let's take a look inside a typical remote control -- the
universal remote that came with the author's digital cable box. The basic parts involved in sending an
IR signal include:

z Buttons
z Integrated circuit
z Button contacts
z Light-emitting diode (LED)

http://www.howstuffworks.com/remote-control.htm/printable 11/12/2005
 To find out more about the parts on a remote-control circuit board, check out Inside a TV Remote
Control.

On the component side, the infrared receiver sits on the front of the device where it can easily see the
signal coming from the remote control.

You've probably noticed that some remotes only work when you're pointing them directly at the
receiver on the controlled device, while others work when you're pointing them in the general vicinity
of the receiver. This has to do with the strength of the transmitting LED. A remote with more than one
LED and/or a particularly powerful LED produces a stronger, broader signal.

Now let's find out how these parts work together to allow pulses of light to change the channel on a
cable box.

Infrared Remote Controls: The Process

Pushing a button on a remote control sets in motion a series of events that causes the controlled
device to carry out a command. The process works something like this:

1. You push the "volume up" button on your remote control, causing it to touch the contact
beneath it and complete the "volume up" circuit on the circuit board. The integrated circuit
detects this.
2. The integrated circuit sends the binary "volume up" command to the LED at the front of the
remote.
3. The LED sends out a series of light pulses that corresponds to the binary "volume up"
command.

One example of remote-control codes is the Sony Control-S protocol, which is used for Sony TVs and
includes the following 7-bit binary commands:

Button Code
1 000 0000
2 000 0001
3 000 0010
4 000 0011
Channel up 001 0000
Channel down 001 0001
Power on 001 0101
Power off 010 1111
Volume up 001 0010
Volume down 001 0011
Source: ARRLWeb

The remote signal includes more than the command for "volume up," though. It carries several chunks
of information to the receiving device, including:

z a "start" command
z the command code for "volume up"
z the device address (so the TV knows the data is intended for it)
z a "stop" command (triggered when you release the "volume up" button)

So when you press the "volume up" button on a Sony TV remote, it sends out a series of pulses that
looks something like this:

http://www.howstuffworks.com/remote-control.htm/printable 11/12/2005
 Sony TV remotes use a space-coding method in which the
length of the spaces between pulses of light represent a one
or a zero.

When the infrared receiver on the TV picks up the signal from the remote and verifies from the
address code that it's supposed to carry out this command, it converts the light pulses back into the
electrical signal for 001 0010. It then passes this signal to the microprocessor, which goes about
increasing the volume. The "stop" command tells the microprocessor it can stop increasing the
volume.

Infrared remote controls work well enough to have stuck around for 25 years, but they do have some
limitations related to the nature of infrared light. First, infrared remotes have a range of only about 30
feet (10 meters), and they require line-of-sight. This means the infrared signal won't transmit through
walls or around corners -- you need a straight line to the device you're trying to control. Also, infrared
light is so ubiquitous that interference can be a problem with IR remotes. Just a few everyday
infrared-light sources include sunlight, fluorescent bulbs and the human body. To avoid interference
caused by other sources of infrared light, the infrared receiver on a TV only responds to a particular
wavelength of infrared light, usually 980 nanometers. There are filters on the receiver that block out
light at other wavelengths. Still, sunlight can confuse the receiver because it contains infrared light at
the 980-nm wavelength. To address this issue, the light from an IR remote control is typically
modulated to a frequency not present in sunlight, and the receiver only responds to 980-nm light
modulated to that frequency. The system doesn't work perfectly, but it does cut down a great deal on
interference.

While infrared remotes are the dominant technology in home-theater applications, there are other
niche-specific remotes that work on radio waves instead of light waves. If you have a garage-door
opener, for instance, you have an RF remote.

Radio Remote Controls

Radio-frequency (RF) remote controls are very common. Garage-
door openers, car-alarm fobs and radio-controlled toys have always
used radio remotes, and the technology is starting to show up in
other applications, too. They're still pretty rare in home-theater
devices (with the exception of RF extenders, which we'll discuss on
the next page), but you will find RF remotes controlling certain
satellite-TV receivers and high-end stereo systems. You'll also find
Bluetooth-based remotes that control laptops and smartphones.
(See How Bluetooth Works to learn about this radio technology.)

Instead of sending out light signals, an RF remote transmits radio

waves that correspond to the binary command for the button you're
pushing. A radio receiver on the controlled device receives the
signal and decodes it. The problem with RF remotes is the sheer
number of radio signals flying through the air at any given time. Cell
phones, walkie-talkies, WiFi setups and cordless phones are all
transmitting radio signals at varying frequencies. RF remotes
address the interference issue by transmitting at specific radio
frequencies and by embedding digital address codes in the radio
signal. This lets the radio receiver on the intended device know Photo courtesy HowStuffWorks Shopper
when to respond to the signal and when to ignore it. To learn more Bose RC-18S RF-only remote
about the technology of radio-frequency remotes, check out How
Remote Entry Works.

The greatest advantage to radio-frequency remotes is their range: They can transmit up to 100 feet
from the receiver (the range for Bluetooth is shorter), and radio signals can go through walls. This
benefit is why you'll now find IR/RF remotes for home-theater components. These remotes use RF-to-
IR converters to extend the range of an infrared remote.

In the next section, we'll talk about RF extenders and other special remote-control features.

Remote-control Features
Today's home-theater remotes do a lot more than turn a component
on and off and control the volume. Here are just a handful of the
features you can find on some of the higher-tech remote controls
out there.

Universal capabilities
Different electronics brands use different command codes. Some IR
remotes are preprogrammed with more than one manufacturer's
command codes so they can operate multiple devices (sometimes
up to 15) of different brands. If your home-theater setup
incorporates components from, say, three different manufacturers,
you can either use three different remotes to operate your system or
use one universal remote. To add functions to a universal remote,

http://www.howstuffworks.com/remote-control.htm/printable 11/12/2005
 you need to know the command codes for the component you want
to control. You can look these up online or find them in the manual
that came with your remote.

Learning
A learning remote can receive and store codes transmitted by
another remote control; it can then transmit those codes to control
the device that understands them. For instance, let's say you have a
receiver with its own preprogrammed remote, and you buy a new
TV that comes with a universal learning remote. The learning
remote can pick up the signals your receiver remote sends out and
remember them so it can control your receiver, too. You don't need
to input the command codes yourself -- a learning remote picks up
and stores the signals another remote sends out. All learning
remotes are considered universal remotes because they can control
more than one device.
Photo courtesy HowStuffWorks Shopper
Samsung 12-device universal
Macro commands
learning remote with LCD
A macro is a series of commands that you program to occur screen
sequentially at the push of a single button. These macros can be
anything you want, such as an "activity command." You can set up a macro that lets you push one
button to activate, in order, everything that needs to happen for you to watch a movie or listen to a
CD. (Some remotes come with "activity commands" preprogrammed, and others let you download
macros from the Internet.)

PC connectivity
There are remotes that connect to your PC via the USB port so you can install programming software
and download command codes and personalized graphic icons (for remotes with LCD screens).

LCD screen
A remote-control LCD screen may simply display data, or it may be a touchscreen that receives user
input.

User interfaces
Most remotes still utilize the simple button-pushing method, but some have more high-tech manners
of inputing commands. You'll find remotes that you operate via an LCD touchscreen, a joystick (for
directional commands) and even voice commands.

RF extenders
Some IR remotes can send out both IR and RF signals. The RF signals aren't meant to control RF
devices (in fact, they can't control them). They're meant to extend the operating range of the IR
remote control from about 30 feet to about 100 feet (give or take) and allow the signal to penetrate
walls and glass cabinet enclosures. The remote automatically transmits both IR and RF signals for
every command. When you hook up an RF-to-IR converter (sometimes included with IR/RF remotes,
sometimes sold as add-ons) on the receiving end, it receives and converts the signal back into the
infrared pulses the device can understand. Now you've got an IR remote that can increase the volume
on your home-theater stereo from your bedroom upstairs.

Remote controls are steadily increasing the number of devices and functions they can manage. Some
universal remotes intended for home-theater components can learn commands for wirelessly
controlled lights, so they will not only start a movie at the push of a button, but they'll also dim the
lights for you. Full home-automation systems let you use one remote control to manage lighting, alarm
systems and entertainment components by way of a receiver wired directly into your home's electrical
wiring. Chances are it won't be long before you have a single remote control to manage every
electronic device in your life.

For more information on remote controls and related topics, check out the links on the next page.

Lots More Information

Related HowStuffWorks Articles
z Inside a TV Remote Control
z How Remote Entry Works
z TV Buying Guide
z How Television Works
z How Home Theater Works
z How Light Works
z How Radio Works

More Great Links

z ARRLWeb: A TV Remote Control Decoder

z The Great Idea Finder: Invention of the Remote Control
z RemoteCentral: Glossary of Remote Control Terms
z RemoteCentral: IR Codes
z Universal Remote Control Codes

Sources

z "Glossary of Remote Control Terms." Remote Central.

http://www.remotecentral.com/features/glossary1.htm
z "How It Works: Remote Controls." Radio Design Group.
http://www.radiodesign.com/remwrks.htm
z "Infra Red Remote Controls - How They Work." UW Electrical Engineering.
http://www.ee.washington.edu/conselec/A95/projects/pierreg/works/works.htm
z "Inside a TV Remote Control." HowStuffWorks.
http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/inside-rc.htm
z "Invention of the Remote Control." The Great Idea Finder.

http://www.howstuffworks.com/remote-control.htm/printable 11/12/2005
 http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventions/story061.htm
z "RF Extender." Remote Central.
http://www.remotecentral.com/urcseries/index15.htm
z "A TV Remote Control Decoder." ARRLWeb.
http://www.arrl.org/news/features/2004/03/30/1/

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http://www.howstuffworks.com/remote-control.htm/printable 11/12/2005