What's inside a smart universal remote control?
The AnyMote Home and companion app
Physical Power Switch
The hard on/off slide switch
A rarity on many modern electronics, the AnyMote uses a physical power switch to disconnect the two AA batteries from the rest of the electronics. This is a small SPDT toggle switch that is held in place with two self-tapping/plastic screws. Stamped into the metal body of the switch is “TOY”.
Voltage Regulator
The block diagram of the TI SOC with the voltage regulator circled
This product doesn’t employ a typical discrete voltage regulator that is found on many electronics. Instead, the remote uses the 1.8-V on-chip voltage regulator that is found on the TI SOC. The voltage to the SOC is directly Vbat that is filtered through several capacitors. The SOC can run from 2V to 3.6V which is in the range that two alkaline batteries can provide. To increase the voltage stability to the SOC there is a 16V 220uf electrolytic capacitor on the supply line.
The 220uF 16V capacitor to stabilize the battery voltage
IR Receiver
The Vishay IR receiver on the remote control
The AnyMote app has many IR commands pre-installed, but if it does not have your device, this remote control has the ability to learn the IR codes of other remotes. To obtain this ability, the AnyMote Home uses a Vishay IR Receiver Module (PDF). Inside of this epoxy package, there is a visible light filter, pin diode, and preamplifier. This receiver is available in several options, including preset carrier frequencies. This IR receiver is compatible with most remote control schemes.
Bluetooth Module
The TI CC2541 Bluetooth-enabled SOC
The sole IC located in this AnyMote Home is a TI Bluetooth SOC. The TI CC2541 controls all of the operations of this product. This SOC handles the voltage regulation internally, all Bluetooth functionality, manages the low-power mode, and indirectly runs the IR LEDs.
The Bluetooth trace antenna
Mounted in one of the corners of the circuit board is a small trace antenna. This antenna is used to send and receive the 2.4GHz signal. This antenna allows the AnyMote to have a Bluetooth range of 200 feet.
IR Emitters
All four IR emitters on the smart remote's PCB
The AnyMote uses four IR LEDs to transmit the remote commands to a TV or other IR receivers. These 3mm IR LEDs are laid out 90 degrees apart on the circuit board.
The IR emitter and MOSFET on the AnyMote
Since the SOC can not directly drive the high-power IR LEDs that are used for transmitting IR light, four MOSFETs are used to control the LEDs. The AnyMote uses four IRLML2502 (PDF) from International Rectifier. These are N-Channel MOSFET with an SOT-23-3 footprint.
Logo Illuminator
The AnyMote Home with its back-lit logo
The AnyMote has a logo on the top of it that emits a cool white light in an elegant fashion when the remote is turned on, during pairing, or when it's in use. This light module uses two surface-mount LEDs and an etched piece of clear plastic to diffuse the light.
The LED backlight module for the AnyMote
Conclusion
The AnyMote is a powerful remote that can be used in place of many others. The companion app has many remote controls pre-programmed and the ability to learn other IR commands. The design of the AnyMote Home is a relatively simple and efficient one that achieves what it is was designed for.A big thank you to Color Tiger for sending us this remote and making this teardown possible!
Thanks for looking at this week's Teardown Tuesday!
Stop by next Tuesday for another teardown! We're always looking for new things to teardown, so if you have any suggestions or would like to contribute an item for a future Teardown Tuesday, click here for my email address.
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