Hardware Build-Your-Own Sensor Bar

nloding · Dec 13, 2006

So I just got a deal I couldn't pass up on a 42" Panasonic HD Plasma TV ... so now I'm moving away from my crappy 25" CRT TV. Right now I have the Sensor Bar sitting on top of the TV, and the one thing that everyone has noticed is that wherever the Wiimote is pointing, the cursor is just below that point.

By now we all now that Sensor Bar is just IR signals. Has anyone built their own? Does the Wiimote respond any better?

My idea was to make two small IR emitters, and mount them halfway down both sides of the TV. This spreads the IR signals apart though, I don't know how well the Wiimote will respond to this.

The only way to figure out is to try, and I'm willing to do that. I was wondering if anyone else had actually created a replacement Sensor Bar yet, instead of just experiementing with wifi solutions and how the Bar/Wiimote function.

sixb0nes · Dec 13, 2006

some guy used candles, so I think your idea should work.

Veho · Dec 13, 2006

You would have to calibrate the Wiimote again, but the thing should work.

rabbit1654 · Dec 13, 2006

I think that for sure this would work, but the interesting point on this would be, that the distance between the emitters will be much higher than within the sensorbar and to get the picture with the wiimote (cam or whatever sleeps inside that masterpiece) you'll have to step a littele backwards. so the point is - when you step backwards - will the IR signal strong enough to be received (seen) by the wiimote?

to have the pointer just where you are actually pointing - this is the only way it should work out - i think

I'm interestet if it works out - please report

shtonkalot · Dec 15, 2006

I've just today made (nearly finished) a wireless IR setup for use with the wiimotes.
I've made two sets of 3 IR LEDs joined by a cable that is longer than the sensor bar but not wide enough to span either side a plasma screen.

I'm gonna do more testing over the weekend, I've still yet to build the battery holder and switch compartment.

So far the most interesting thing I've noticed is when I was testing the IR LEDs I'd soldered onto a small piece of perf board. I had the Nintendo sensor bar unplugged and had only one set of 3 LEDs closely soldered together but the wiimote was working quite well with just the one set of LEDs.
I'm unsure how much difference the distance will make because of this. Stay tuned and I'll update when I've completed the setup and done some more testing.

Jeda · Dec 15, 2006

later the day it turned out that the wiimote still worked even with no LED activated at all. Futher researches could prove the Wiimote was using magic to work

dbrood · Dec 15, 2006

as far as i can remember someone also managed to control there wii with some tv remote (its on youtube), another rumour has it that its controlled by wifi not ir as somebody else once they calibrated the remote turned the sensor off and it still worked which explains jeda's account. but this is all hearsay...im still saving up pennies for one lol

Veho · Dec 15, 2006

The Wiimote doesn't rely on the sensor bar alone, it also has solid state gyros (accelerometers), and uses the sensor bar only as a reference point, for precision and correction. Some games don't need the sensor bar. Wii Sports, for example. Once you start a game, it relies on the gyros alone for information, and you can turn the sensor bar off. But if you use the Wiimote as a pointer, like in the menus or Zelda, you need the sensor bar. Or two lit candles

Bowser128 · Dec 15, 2006

QUOTE(dbrood @ Dec 15 2006 said:
as far as i can remember someone also managed to control there wii with some tv remote (its on youtube), another rumour has it that its controlled by wifi not ir as somebody else once they calibrated the remote turned the sensor off and it still worked which explains jeda's account. but this is all hearsay...im still saving up pennies for one lol

You are aware Jeda was joking aren't you? Hence the "it was using magic" statement and the

smiley.

shtonkalot · Dec 16, 2006

veho knows what he's talking about here. There is no mystery on how it works.
The interesting part to me was that the wiimote worked with only the one set of closely grouped LEDs where the original Nintendo sensor bar has a set of 5 LEDs closely grouped on either end.

7llusion · Dec 16, 2006

The most difficult thing I find in making a sensor bar is findind the IR leds, I don't want to destroy the original one and have only one led from an old tv remote, anybody know where to find some in other common objects(btw:in France its very difficult to find IR leds thats why Im wondering where to look for some)

OrR · Dec 17, 2006

Try it at an electronics store maybe?

Golds · Dec 17, 2006

http://www.ledsupply.com/
http://tech-led.com/index.shtml

nloding · Dec 17, 2006

Well, this is all very interesting!

I found a website online selling wireless sensor bars. I guess I'll actually have to go ahead with my project and see if the distance between the two actually changes anything.

I'd assume that if I put enough IR LEDs together, that distance from the Wiimote shouldn't be an issues. The IR signal should be strong enough ...

7llusion · Dec 17, 2006

Thx all of you, but I thinkthat ill just wait for a cheaper wireless sensor bar to be realesed(25 for just leds, and some plastic and the wires should be cheaper), I don't feel like buying some cheap leads to have a high shipping price...

shtonkalot · Dec 17, 2006

My LEDs only cost $1 Australian each and they are good quality. I got them from a local electronics store. I had some perf board left over from old projects that I just cut to the right side. My housing for them will probably just be some candy containers.
You could always try an eBay auction for cheap LEDs. Those ones look pretty similar to the ones I bought.

imgod22222 · Jan 4, 2007

They're LEDs! I'd hope they cost less than a dollar!
BTW would all this sensor bar IR interfere with TV/VCR/PC IR connections?

shtonkalot · Jan 4, 2007

shouldn't interfere as:
1. The 'sensor' bar LEDs are sending light out away from the TV/AV equipment/PC.
2. Most IR receivers recognize the IR input through the pattern of flashing light from the IR LEDs, meaning other IR input won't be picked up. Thats why your TV remote doesn't (usually) start playing a DVD when you change the channel.

imgod22222 · Jan 4, 2007

Another reason my DVD player doesn't work with my TV remote could be because (while using a bad metaphor) My TV remote and TV speak one language (english) while my DVD remote and DVD player speak another langauage (german) so if they're all in the same room (which they are) they can't understand each other.

TheStump · Jan 7, 2007

Well me and a mate are in the process of making sensor bars for our PC's so we can play all our games on the pc via wiimote. (if you have no idea what im tlking about check out WiiLi.org)

Im also from Australia and the IR transmitting L.E.Ds are like $1, basically all we did was drill small holes in some wood then set up a circuit that was powered by a USB cable. I'll start my own topic when they are done ;D

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