Currently I am using a Sonoff RF Bridge w Tasmota/Portisch however these things are a bit awkward when it comes to code capture and playback if the code is not assigned one of the 16 buttons. It is also very easy to inadvertently overwrite the memory locations.
A few years has passed so I am now wondering if there may be a better solution. Broadlink, SDR, or possibly a Tuya RF/IR transceiver.
Thanks for any ideas.
I’m not sure I’ll be any help., But I have a couple of ideas. What is your use case?
Did you yet tried using the same hardware with a different firmware? 
I use Linknlink for IR and RF because they connect to HA locally using MQTT and the set up process is extremely easy. But you have to use the Linknlink app which some people will see as a downside.
But if you don’t mind that part then like I said, the setup process is very easy and I like the fact that whatever you capture will show up as a device and all the learned buttons associated with it will be separate entities in the device page. Here is a ceiling fan I have for example
Very nice that all of the captured codes are individual entities. This will definitely be on my list of candidates should I decide to replace the Sonoff.
The idea seems very similar to the Broadlink devices and on that note I am really surprised that no one has chimed in in support of them in this thread.
Thanks for the reply.
Several years ago I was fooling around with an IR interface and discovered that my TV supported Power ON and OFF codes that the TV’s remote did not have. I’d really like to know what is possible with the RF libraries. I recently acquired a new set of Artika RF controlled outdoor string lights for the deck. The RF control allows Power toggle, bright, dim and a few presets for delayed off time. There are a few other Artika RF remotes for other devices which I do not own that have similar FCC IDs. Might be just wishful thinking but it would be very cool if I could find related RF codes that would give me the option of sending Power On and Off codes.
Thanks for the great idea. I had not even imagined that I could do that but it sure makes sense that it could work. While it is an old interface and does not do IR I might be able to save it from the bin with some new SW.
Do you have a model number for this unit. Does it do IR and RF ?
I just got them from Amazon in the US. Just type Linknlink IR or RF and they should show up. The other thing is that it’s not one unit. They’re separate devices, but they’re pretty cheap. I got the RF for like $25 and the IR blaster or $18 or so at the time.
I’ve got a couple Broadlink units, & I do like the capture process & how things are presented. And even better, I’ve been following the Broadlink Manager (beta, in HACS). It looks like a REALLY nice way to manage RF & IR devices
Just when I thought we had crossed over the proprietary bridge and said good bye to protocols that would one day be orphans, here comes Broadlink with their own spin on things. I lost allot of respect for Broadlink when I read they were developing a their own proprietary protocol for their sensors.
That said the RM4 Pro is on my list of contenders and the Broadlink Manager Add on you mentioned looks pretty interesting. Still a bit hesitant to invest in a company with backward looking management.
I’ll have to take back my comments about Broadlink, in terms of its native process of capturing codes. I had forgotten how klutzy it was (Having to perform unnatural acts in Developer Tools). Fortunately there are good videos that explain the process.
Once captured, I do recall that it was then fairly decent to use the codes in automations. And the BL hardware performs well in reliably sending the codes.
I had problems trying to find ANY solution to decently learn & use IR/RF codes in HA. Until I saw Broadlink Manager; I REALLY like what I’m seeing there.
One other item to mention is something that showed up recently in ESPHome’s “Ready Made Projects” – Infrared Proxy, using the Seeed Studio XIAO Smart IR Mate. Looks it’ll provide hardware to send codes --but you still need to get them from somewhere.
And interesting that you mention that about BL sensors. That’s the one piece of their hardware that’s been less than rock solid for me. I thought it was a pretty cool idea to pay an extra $5 to get a power cord (USB) that included temp./humid. sensors in a place where I was already putting an IOT device and a cord anyway.
But those have occasionally been dropping offline, & needing power cycle to get sensor readings back.
And to correct my use of incorrect terminology earlier- The “Broadlink Manager v2 Beta” is not a HACS integration but is indeed an HA Add-on (or now known as an HA App).
As I suspected, I’m not a huge help here for what youre doing I think, but I had an Aqara M2 hub sitting around I wasn’t using, and I hate useless hardware, so I took it to the garage and used a different device to verify codes for almost every IR system I have out there (Minisplit, Denon Reciever, Cieling Fan controller (now switched to lutron temporarily) and a couple of others) and that little otherwise useless box has performed perfectly. It doesn’t care which way it is facing (Aqara claims 360 IR broadcast, it’s definitely all around) or where the device is. When I send a command, I always hear the beep of consent. I haven’t tried reflashing it or anything exotic, as it worked out of the box for me.
Just food for thought, if what you’re doing doesn’t go anywhere, easy was best in my case.
