2.4 GHz remote control analyzer

@frankdh

He has done that with this link:  Wireless Joystick Arduino Car with nRFL01+

The nRF24L01 modules are 2.4GHz transceivers.  If this is not what you are referring to, could you be a little more specific in what you are requesting?

@codecage Actually, I need to decode the remote control I have for the shutters on our front door. It works only from the inside of the house, which is only half of the desired functionality. We would like to be able to control it from the outside as well. Already asked for a solution from the company that installed the system, but to no avail. So I thought maybe I could use an ESP32 or the like to steer an nRF24L01 via WiFi/internet to control it from the outside.

@frankdh

Probably a much more complex undertaking than decoding IR remotes.

You mentioned shutters on a door that work from the inside, but if you are outside, just on the other side of the door they don't work?  Even if you are close to the door?

Since the vendor won't help have you considered asking that they uninstall the system and then consider a different vendor.

@codecage Yes, I've tried from just outside, and through the glass window of the door. The RX is built in behind the doorframe. Maybe the extra interference of the door/glass is too much for the RX to pick up the signal.

I'm not sure a different vendor would solve the problem. But I could consider it.

Hi,

Guess you have several options.  Do you have a central controller - for all shutters?  If so, you may be able to hack it and expose the antenna so it will get signals from outside.  Alternately, there is usually some sort of relay to control and enable motors.  Might be able to hack into that part of the system and have your OWN IR or RF signal to enable the system? 

Ron 

@ronj Hi. There is no central controller. For the moment the only shutter controlled by a remote is the one at the door (the rest of the shutters is "a work in progress"). The RX is built into the housing of the shutter, so I'm not sure there is a possibility to hack that. Plus, this would mean at least breaking open the casing of the door (the wife will be really "impressed" by that!). So I'd rather not do that. Is there really no "easy" way to decode the controller signals? 

@frankdh

Wow!  I have no remote control blinds, so don't have any experience with them, but have 20+ years of experience in the wireless arena.  That TX must just have a very miniscule amount of output power that just from the other side of the glass it doesn't work, or the antenna on the RX is not even hooked up.

You said the vendor was no help, so I'd be sure to give him a thumbs down on a review.  And I'll remember the fact to ask about the range from the TX to the RX if I ever get in the market for remote shutters.

Good luck, maybe others on here can offer assistance.

Hi,

Yes, there are RF analyzers that you can purchase - USB.  I think I paid about $25.00.   I used it to analyze key fob to lock/unlock car doors.  Able to find correct signal with 2nd fob and use that to get 1st fob going.  Bought it on E Bay - have it in my drawer ready for next project!  I doubt that they are doing anything tricky with the signal such as encoding or frequency hopping.  

Ron

@ronj Nowadays the cheapest RF analyzer for USB on ebay goes for just under 92$ (RF analyzer). That will involve customs duties which will put it out of my reach for only, probably, a single use... 

I must qualify that: the cheapest I would probably know how to use. The cheapest overall comes in at just shy of 43$ (cheapest RF analyzer), still subject to customs fees though. But the latter one I wouldn't know how to use.

Posted by: @frankdh

Is there really no "easy" way to decode the controller signals? 

To "decode" the signals, you would need to know something about the protocol being used, this is how we decode all of those IR remote controls and the same would apply for 2.4GHz.

If you did know the protocols (ie. start bits, stop bits, and what each byte represented), you could probably do it with any 2.4GHz receiver. The receiver in an ESP32 or similar device probably would have advantages over the nRF24L01, as it is more broadband.

But a more useful device would be an RF analyzer, and that's a much bigger project. A little too big for me to undertake right now, plus it's doubtful that I could home-brew one that is better or cheaper than the 92 dollar one you spotted on eBay.

And the only 2.4GHz remotes I have right now are for the new video lights I just installed in the workshop, and two of my air conditioner remotes also are 2.4GHz. So I don't really have a large sample to test with.

So as a suggestion for new content I'll have to pass on this one. However, I still want to keep this thread open, as I suspect some of the geniuses here on the forum will have a simple idea for decoding your 2.4GHz signals that t hadn't considered.  So I'll just move this post to the "Help Wanted" section to keep the discussion going.

😎

Bill

This may sound like a real kluge but I recently saw where a person used a microcontroller to operate servos to push the buttons on a duplicate remote control. This is a very low tech solution but it might solve a number of your complicated problems.

@ruplicator That's a solution I've been pondering about for a while now. And maybe I'll end up doing that. I had hoped, though, for a more "elegant" solution.