I have a ceiling mounted TV I can drop down and adjust the angle with a remote controller. Obviously I would love to get this integrated into my home assistant eco system.
The problem is, I can’t figure out how to go about this. I originally brought a Broadlink Mini Pro 3, but I soon discovered that the remote isn’t omitting IR.
So I assumed it was an RF frequency, so I purchased the Broadlink RM4. Soon to find out that the RF feature didn’t pick it up either.
I looked up the remote controller as it has a serial number on the back and found this pdf https://fccid.io/2AG62RMT-02/User-Manual/User-Manual-4758932 which states that actually… the RF operating frequency is 2.437GHz … it’s a WIFI signal?? This tiny controller with 10 buttons?? This range isn’t supported by the RM4.
I’m pretty sure this remote must be sending out some sort of protocol to send the “up” or “down” commands to the tv mount. But now I have no clue how to even go about figuring this one out. Do any of you people here have any ideas how to approach this?
Just to update here in case someone finds this post from google.
Turns out, looking at the schematic information chips i found on the remote, the frquency was 2.4ghz, and used a lock/key protocol, the same as remote car keys.
I ended up asking for the manufacturer to send a second remote. I paired the new remote and wired in an ESP3266 with some logic components to the button contacts on the remote’s pcb.etc I wrote some logic to virtualise button presses, and now the remote is controlled through ESPHome.
Now I’m but no means an expert at electronics! But my understanding on how an optocoupler works is if current flows through one side, a switch will open on the other side for current to flow through. Optocouplers I believe keep circuits isolated, which made them wonderful ‘switches’ for something like an ESP3266. I can wire an addressable pin which is wired to one side of an octocoupler, then wire the the two parts of a button pad to the other side, which can simulate a button press.
(If someone see’s an issue with how this works then please speak up! It’s working for me but I have no frame of reference if this is a good/safe solution)
Hey there, running into the same exact situation. Curious if you’d be willing to construct a more step by step guide? Would love to replicate and thus automate! Thanks.
Same boat here. Can you confirm what you meant about asking the manufacturer to send a new remote? Was it just a duplicate that you could modify while you kept the original intact, or was there anything special about the 2nd remote? Either way what exactly did you do to the 2nd remote to make the automation work?
Yes the second remote was the same, it just needed pairing as per the instructions that came with the mount. (A case of pressing a hidden pin press button on the mount itself). So then there were two identical remotes - except one I could take apart and ‘play’ with.
To get the second remote working with automation I soldered the addressable pins from a ESP3266 to one side of two octocouplers (see the amazon link above) and the other side soldered to the in/out of a button button pad. I could then use home assistant to control the ESP3266 pins.
@grazzii Please, I have the same controller and I don’t know how it did it. Could you expose a schematic of how you have done it and the code you have used in the ESP? Thank you so much.