Hi everybody! I'm trying to hook up a Paralax Infrared Remote Kit to my PICAXE 28X2 board, but I get conflicting information about how to hook it up. The Paralax data sheet shows the V+ going directly to the 5V power source, the V- going directly to the ground, with the "message" wire going to a "pin" via a resistor. But if I look into the PICAXE board's various manuals looking at the "infrain" command information, they show the V+ wire splitting off to a 4.7uF capacitor and the "message" wire connected to the 5V source via a 4k7 resistor.
Hmm. Is the PICAXE manual just overdoing it? Or is the Paralax manual simply providing how to wire things up if connecting to their own BASIC Stamp board?
Finally, could you also help me out with regards to which type of pin I should connect the "message" wire to? Is it an Analogue input? A digital input? I know this board has seperate connections availible specifically for IR remote signals, but I don't know how to identify them in the code.
Anything you can do to help me out in the most straight forward way would be very much appreciated.
Cheers.
Ian
I see your conundrum after looking at the two schematics.
I believe, I would follow the schematics that are shown in the PICAXE manual 2. I am only guessing here, based on what I have read elsewhere, that the Parallax schematic is only reducing current, whereas, the PICAXE schematic is actually pulling the line high when nothing is being received.
Re: what kind of pin. That one I can answer without guessing. 
You should connect to a digital input. The input is a pulse train and not some kind of linear/logarithmic voltage.
Hello again Birdmun and
Hello again Birdmun and Jinx,
First, thanks for the advice about which schematic to follow. I think I will indeed follow PICAXE Manual 2’s suggested set up with the 4.7uF capacitor and the resistor, etc.
I have received a 4.7uF solid-state capacitor from digikey. The only issue is, I have no idea how one would solder such a small component. It resembles a tiny, tiny bean. Brown in the middle, with silver ( I assume contacts?) on either end. I have tried with limited success to solder jumper wires to either end, but the connection is always a bit flimsy and does not stand up to the wire flexing at all. If I try to lather on a bit more solder, the thing starts melting right before my eyes.
Any tips?
Thanks again folks. You have no idea how much this helps!
Ian
Why did you purchase a surface mount component?
A standard electrolytic would have been easier to deal with. I would suggest you get an electrolytic and try again.
You should connect to a digital input. The input is a pulse train and not some kind of linear/logarithmic voltage.