Summary of Tic-Tac TV Remote Jammer
This article details a DIY TV remote jammer that emits a steady 40kHz IR signal to block commands. The project takes about three hours, costs roughly $10, and requires electronics experience, soldering, and programming skills. It uses an ATtiny microcontroller to generate the interference pulse, ensuring the TV receiver ignores legitimate remote inputs.
Parts used in the TV Remote Jammer:
- ATtiny13/45/85 chip
- IR LED
- Small Li-ion Battery (150-300mAh)
- Li-ion Battery recharge circuit
- General PCB
- PCB mountable switch
- Jumper wire
- TicTac box or similar enclosure
Pretty simple. Have a look at this picture above. The usual TV remote sends a pulsed IR signal which has some instruction encoded in it, like increase or lower the volume, or changing the channel. This remote jammer, however, sends a steady IR pulse at about 40kHz. This pulse has no data encoded in it. Hence the TV receiver receives no instruction, even if some one else is frantically pressing buttons on the remote.
Cost: ~$10
Difficult: Modertely Easy
Skills Required:
- Experience with electronics
- Soldering
- Programming
Materials:
- An ATtiny13/45/85 chip – Preferably an ATtiny45
- IR LED – chances of this working are better if you use an IR LED salvaged from an old remote.
- Small Li-ion Battery (about 150-300mAh) – small enough to fit in a TicTac box
- Li-ion Battery recharge circuit
- General PCB
- PCB mountable switch
- Jumper wire
- TicTac box – or any enclosure you like; even a mini Altoids box will look great!
Step 2: Program The ATtiny: The Circuit…
Step 3: Program The ATtiny: Upload The Code…
What is a bootloader? – If you’re using the ATtiny chip for the first time, you probably have to ‘burn the bootloader‘. Basically the bootloader is a small piece of code that lets you run Arduino code on any microcontroller. It has to be uploaded or “burned” to the microcontroller’s flash memory before uploading sketches.
For uploading the code to a different microcontroller, check out the following links:
- For ATtiny45
- For ATtiny85
- For ATtiny2313
- For ATmega8
Here’s the code (suitable for an ATtiny13):
void setup(){
pinMode(1, OUTPUT);
}
void loop(){
digitalWrite(1, HIGH);
delayMicroseconds(12);
digitalWrite(1, LOW);
delayMicroseconds(12);
}
If you have any other attiny with more than 2K of flash memory, the following code may work out better.
void setup(){
pinMode(1, OUTPUT);
}
void loop(){
tone(1, 38500); //adjust the frequency if it doesn't work for your TV
}
For more detail: Tic-Tac TV Remote Jammer
- How does this device stop a TV from receiving signals?
The device sends a steady IR pulse at about 40kHz with no data encoded, preventing the TV receiver from processing any instructions. - Can I use an Arduino board to program the ATtiny chip?
Yes, you can connect the wiring on a breadboard using an Arduino MEGA or UNO board to upload code. - What is the purpose of burning the bootloader?
Burning the bootloader uploads a small piece of code to the flash memory that allows you to run Arduino code on the microcontroller. - Does the IR LED need to be new for the project to work?
No, chances of success are better if you use an IR LED salvaged from an old remote. - What is the estimated cost for this project?
The estimated cost is approximately $10. - Can I use a different battery size for the power source?
You should use a small Li-ion battery about 150-300mAh that fits inside a TicTac box. - Is there specific code required for ATtiny chips with more than 2K of flash memory?
Yes, chips with more than 2K of flash memory may work better with code using the tone function set to 38500Hz. - What enclosure options are recommended for this build?
A TicTac box works well, but any enclosure like a mini Altoids box will also look great.
