Nikon Hacks

Part I 

Modify Nikon IR remote

 Apologies - I've been away for a while from the Blog due to some family issues. But now I'm BACK with a HACK :) 

Introduction

I'm adapting a Nikon IR remote so I can control it using an Arduino. You can find these IR remotes for a few pounds on Amazon - mine was £3.39 inc. delivery, so it wasn't worth me making and encoding my own IR unit. By incorporating Arduino I will be able to use an Android tablet or smart-phone to control the triggering of the camera over bluetooth. I can also incorporate sensors which can trigger the camera eg detect movement, take photo / video etc...

Geekery Recipe

Wires soldered to trigger pins of IR remote encoder

1. Remove the battery and open up the front of the unit. I used fine nosed pliers to peel off the front as it was thin and glued on. U1 is the encoder integrated circuit and probably incorporates a 555 style timer.

2. Locate the control surface under the push button. Then mark where the PCB tracks from the encoder chip (U1) connect to the control surface. This was on the other side on my unit. 

3. You may need to scratch away the PCB coating to expose the copper tracks. Clean and flux these to aid soldering. Solder on wires as in the picture above. 

4. Replace the battery and tape in place, for testing. 

5. Set up your camera for IR control. Test by making electrical contact between the two wires. It should trigger the camera shutter and take a picture. Success !