ESP32 Bit Pirate

ESP32-S3 infrared remote debugging

Infrared remote capture and replay

ESP32 Bit Pirate turns a compatible ESP32-S3 board into an infrared remote capture and replay workbench. Use it to capture IR signals, decode protocols, record .ir files, replay frames and test USB IR Toy or LIRC workflows.

Start with an IR capture recipe Flash ESP32 Bit Pirate
Infrared remote debugging visual with an ESP32 board, IR receiver, IR LED transmitter and remote-control signal frames

Quick infrared workflow

Start with receive-only checks, confirm the protocol or raw timing, then move to record, load or replay workflows only when the IR hardware is stable.

  1. 01

    Wire a demodulated IR receiver to the selected RX GPIO, correct supply and common ground.

  2. 02

    Start Infrared mode and configure TX/RX pins if the board does not use the default mapping.

  3. 03

    Capture a remote button with receive before trying replay or file-based workflows.

  4. 04

    If the signal should be reused, record it to LittleFS or load a known Flipper-style .ir file.

  5. 05

    Use the USB IR Toy / LIRC adapter when desktop timing tools are better than the interactive firmware shell.

mode infrared
config
receive
record
load
replay 1
remote

Example CLI flow. See the Infrared wiki for exact syntax, pin prompts, supported protocols and firmware-specific behavior.

Infrared workflows covered by ESP32 Bit Pirate

Use this overview to choose the right infrared workflow before opening a detailed recipe.

Capture

IR remote signal capture

Listen for incoming remote-control frames, decode known protocols and use raw timing when the decoder is not enough.

Record

Flipper-style .ir files

Record remote frames into LittleFS so a working signal can become a reusable file-backed remote profile.

Load

Saved IR remote profiles

Load compatible .ir files from storage and send selected frames without manually entering each protocol value.

Replay

Controlled replay checks

Replay recorded frames with original timing during authorized lab tests, after capture quality and hardware setup are confirmed.

Remote

Universal remote shell

Use the built-in remote shell for common keys such as power, volume and mute across known remote-control protocols.

LIRC

USB IR Toy adapter

Expose IR TX/RX through USB CDC for mature desktop tools such as mode2, xmode2 and irrecord.

When an ESP32-S3 infrared workbench helps

Infrared debugging is often about confirming the receiver, carrier frequency, decoded protocol and transmit strength before building a custom remote workflow.

Remote capture

Before cloning a command

Use receive or record first to identify what the original remote sends instead of guessing protocol, address and command values.

File workflow

Before repeating manual sends

Use LittleFS and .ir files when the same remote profile needs to be tested, shared or reused across sessions.

Desktop tooling

Before writing custom parsers

Switch to USB IR Toy / LIRC mode when raw timing visualization, irrecord or existing desktop workflows are the better fit.

Infrared hardware reminders

These notes stay short. The detailed command references live in the project documentation and firmware repository.

IR receiver

Use a demodulated IR receiver module for common remote controls. Wire receiver OUT to the configured RX GPIO, not the TX pin.

IR transmitter

Use a proper LED driver when range matters. A bare GPIO may be too weak and can exceed safe current limits if wired incorrectly.

Carrier frequency

Many remotes use receiver modules around 38 kHz, but not all protocols or appliances use the same carrier behavior.

Storage

Record and load workflows use LittleFS for .ir files, so confirm the file path and storage upload flow before testing transmit.

Common infrared problems

Most IR failures come from wrong receiver type, TX/RX pin confusion, weak transmit current, noisy lighting, carrier mismatch or files saved in the wrong place.

No capture

Check receiver power, common ground, OUT-to-RX wiring, carrier frequency and whether the remote battery or button is working.

Decode unreliable

Try raw capture or recording, reduce ambient IR noise, avoid strong sunlight and press the remote directly at the receiver.

Replay too weak

Use a proper IR LED driver, confirm TX pin configuration and keep the target close during first tests.

.ir file not found

Upload the file to the expected LittleFS location, then run load from Infrared mode and pick from the listed files.

LIRC sees nothing

Confirm the board rebooted into USB IR Toy adapter mode, select the new serial port and test with mode2 before irrecord.

Detailed infrared recipes

These pages are the task-level infrared workflows. This overview keeps the protocol-level guidance here, while each recipe covers setup, commands and troubleshooting in detail.

Useful infrared references

This page is a protocol overview. Use the site index for the full web experience, or GitHub for source code, firmware documentation and the Infrared command reference.

Flash ESP32 Bit Pirate

Flash a supported ESP32-S3 board before testing Infrared mode from the browser.

Open Web Flasher

Infrared command reference

Open the maintained firmware wiki for Infrared mode commands, .ir files, replay, remote shell and pin configuration.

Open Infrared command reference

ESP32 Bit Pirate GitHub

Check firmware source, issues and releases that affect Infrared support.

Open GitHub repository

Infrared debugging FAQ

Short answers for common questions before moving into a detailed workflow.

Can ESP32 Bit Pirate capture an infrared remote signal?

Yes. Infrared mode can receive remote-control signals and display decoded protocol data when the signal is recognized.

Can ESP32 Bit Pirate use Flipper-style .ir files?

Yes. Infrared mode can record frames to LittleFS in Flipper-style .ir format and load compatible .ir files for reusable remote workflows.

Can ESP32 Bit Pirate work with LIRC tools?

Yes. The USB IR Toy adapter mode exposes IR TX and RX through USB CDC for LIRC-compatible tools such as mode2, xmode2 and irrecord.