help with irsend AC commands convert String to unsigned char array

[jayantdyfo]

Hi,

I am getting IR data via MQTT and saving it as String. In most AC irsend commands the data / state variable is const unsigned char [].
Please let me know of a method to do this

what I am currently doing is

String str = doc["hex"];
String protocol = doc["protocol"];

eg if I want to send Fujitsu_AC protocol

  uint64_t hex = strtoul(string2char(str), NULL, 0);
  unsigned char hex_array[sizeof(hex)];
  memcpy(hex_array, &hex, sizeof(hex));
  
  irsend.sendFujitsuAC(hex_array, kFujitsuAcBits,kFujitsuAcMinRepeat);

When I use IRdump V3 to check the received code and protocol I get UNKNOWN and a random hex

while I am sending following in my mqtt message
{
"hex" = "0x1463001010FE0930810103000000202B",
"protocol" = "FUJITSU_AC"
}
Quick help would be appreciated.

[crankyoldgit]

That is certainly not how you convert a very long hex string into an array. Try looking in the IRMQTTServer source code for how it does it

This is not a library problem, this a "how you write code" problem.

[crankyoldgit]

Now what am I doing wrong??

Welcome to programming.

Part of your code's problem is:

uint16_t stateSize = 0;

It should be 16 in your use case.

Did you try transmitting (and was it successful) using the most simple cases in IRsendDemo.ino? e.g. Replacing the Samsung stuff with Fujitsu, and ignoring the "converting a string aspect".

There is a bunch of other wrong/bad/poor/etc parts of the way you are doing/using the code. I don't have time to explain all of them. i.e. I don't have the time & resources teach you to program, let alone program well. Sorry.
See: FAQ

e.g. It took me 20-30 minutes to find where some of the bugs were in your code, and another 10 to write this reply. I can't do this for everyone, it just doesn't scale.

[jayantdyfo]

Hi,
I did not want to reply but after testing for a couple of hours. I took your advice just ran the IRdemo code as it is. SamsunAC was being read as unknown.

I then added the code for fujistuAC with statesize as 16 still the same.

Please tell me what seems to be the issue.

I have added RGB led so as to know when each command is being sent.

I hope I am not wasting your time.

#include <Arduino.h>
#include <IRremoteESP8266.h>
#include <IRsend.h>

const uint16_t kIrLed = 5; // ESP8266 GPIO pin to use. Recommended: 4 (D2).

IRsend irsend(kIrLed); // Set the GPIO to be used to sending the message.

//uint16_t samsungState[kFujitsuAcStateLength] = {0x14, 0x63, 0x00, 0x10, 0x10, 0xFE, 0x09, 0x30, 0x91, 0x01, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x20, 0x1E};
//uint16_t FujiState[kFujitsuAcStateLength] = {0x14, 0x63, 0x00, 0x10, 0x10, 0xFE, 0x09, 0x30, 0x20, 0x01, 0x30, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x20, 0x8C};//

String str = "0x1463001010FE0930200103000000208C";
uint8_t strOffset = 0;
uint8_t state[16] = {0}; // All array elements are set to 0.
uint16_t stateSize = 16;

// Example of data captured by IRrecvDumpV2.ino
uint16_t rawData[67] = {9000, 4500, 650, 550, 650, 1650, 600, 550, 650, 550,
600, 1650, 650, 550, 600, 1650, 650, 1650, 650, 1650,
600, 550, 650, 1650, 650, 1650, 650, 550, 600, 1650,
650, 1650, 650, 550, 650, 550, 650, 1650, 650, 550,
650, 550, 650, 550, 600, 550, 650, 550, 650, 550,
650, 1650, 600, 550, 650, 1650, 650, 1650, 650, 1650,
650, 1650, 650, 1650, 650, 1650, 600};
// Example Samsung A/C state captured from IRrecvDumpV2.ino
uint8_t samsungState[kSamsungAcStateLength] = {
0x02, 0x92, 0x0F, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0xF0,
0x01, 0xE2, 0xFE, 0x71, 0x40, 0x11, 0xF0};
#define red_light_pin 14 //D5
#define green_light_pin 12 //D5
#define blue_light_pin 13 //D7
void RGB_init(void)
{
pinMode(red_light_pin, OUTPUT);
pinMode(green_light_pin, OUTPUT);
pinMode(blue_light_pin, OUTPUT);
}
void RGB_color(int red_light_value, int green_light_value, int blue_light_value)
{
analogWrite(red_light_pin, red_light_value);
analogWrite(green_light_pin, green_light_value);
analogWrite(blue_light_pin, blue_light_value);
delay(50);
analogWrite(red_light_pin, 255);
analogWrite(green_light_pin, 255);
analogWrite(blue_light_pin, 255);
}

void setup() {
irsend.begin();
RGB_init();
#if ESP8266
Serial.begin(115200, SERIAL_8N1, SERIAL_TX_ONLY);
#else // ESP8266
Serial.begin(115200, SERIAL_8N1);
#endif // ESP8266
if (str.startsWith(PSTR("0x")) || str.startsWith(PSTR("0X")))
strOffset = 2;
// Calculate how many hexadecimal characters there are.
uint16_t inputLength = str.length() - strOffset;
if (inputLength == 0) {
Serial.print("Zero length AirCon code encountered. Ignored.");
}
// Ptr to the least significant byte of the resulting state for this protocol.
uint8_t *statePtr = &state[stateSize - 1];

// Convert the string into a state array of the correct length.
for (uint16_t i = 0; i < inputLength; i++) {
// Grab the next least sigificant hexadecimal digit from the string.
uint8_t c = tolower(str[inputLength + strOffset - i - 1]);
if (isxdigit(c)) {
if (isdigit(c))
c -= '0';
else
c = c - 'a' + 10;
} else {
Serial.print("Aborting! Non-hexadecimal char found in AirCon state:");
Serial.print(str.c_str());
}
if (i % 2 == 1) { // Odd: Upper half of the byte.
*statePtr += (c << 4);
statePtr--; // Advance up to the next least significant byte of state.
} else { // Even: Lower half of the byte.
*statePtr = c;
}
}
}

void loop() {
Serial.println("NEC");
irsend.sendNEC(0x00FFE01FUL);
RGB_color(0,90,255);
delay(2000);
Serial.println("Sony");
irsend.sendSony(0xa90, 12, 2); // 12 bits & 2 repeats
RGB_color(0,90,255);
delay(2000);
Serial.println("a rawData capture from IRrecvDumpV2");
irsend.sendRaw(rawData, 67, 38); // Send a raw data capture at 38kHz.
RGB_color(0,90,255);
delay(2000);
Serial.println("a Samsung A/C state from IRrecvDumpV2");
irsend.sendSamsungAC(samsungState);
RGB_color(0,90,255);
delay(2000);
irsend.sendFujitsuAC(state,stateSize);
RGB_color(0,90,255);
delay(2000);
}

What I get on IRrecvdumpV3 is in attached file. The only change I have made in the IRrecvdumpV3 is I used
#if DECODE_AC
// Some A/C units have gaps in their protocols of ~40ms. e.g. Kelvinator
// A value this large may swallow repeats of some protocols
const uint8_t kTimeout = kMaxTimeoutMs;

irrecvdumpV3.txt

[crankyoldgit]

I suggest you follow the troubleshooting guide and get the simple examples working properly first, before modifying the code at all. The dump date you provided should work, but there is clearly something going on in your situation.

[jayantdyfo]

Ok let me give you a very clear picture of my IRblaster.

I have connected ULN 2003 input pins to GPIO 5 on my ESP 12 F. With a 2.2 ohm resistance I have connected 6 IR LEDs on -ve pin and +5V on +ve pin of LEDs. I have uploaded IRdemo code as is and still get unknown on SamsungAC. Please guide.

[crankyoldgit]

Did you try all the things in the suggestions in the troubleshooting guide. What demodulator are you using?
Do you have the correct wavelength IR Leds? e.g. 940nm. How far away is the LED from the demodulator?
Try it with just one IR Led?