LED and TV Remote Controls
The invention of the TV remote control became a couch potato's dream.
Fifty years ago television sets didn't have any.
This was a dedicated couch potato's nightmare because every time he or she wanted to change the channel, raise the volume, or lower the volume, he or she would have to get up from the cozy sofa and walk up to the TV and do it manually.
But how does the TV remote control work exactly? The front of the TV itself has a small infrared light detector.
On top of the TV remote there is an LED (Light Emitting Diode) through which the infrared light is produced.
When a diode is switched on in a typical LED, electrons recombine and move in one direction and the light emitting diode releases energy in the form of photons of light.
This effect is also called electroluminescence.
Most LED's produce visible light but LED's in remotes produce infrared light that is invisible to the human eye.
However, select animals like snakes are capable of detecting infrared.
In fact, snakes catch their pray by detecting infrared heat from pray, even at night.
Once you press any button on your remote control, a signal is transmitted by way of LED infrared radiation to the television set.
The infrared light detector in front of the television set recognizes the infrared signal and activates the appropriate function, whether it be lowering the volume or changing the channel, for example.
Fifty years ago people didn't have TV remotes for their television sets and had to get up and change the channel manually.
Fortunately, before the advent of cable and satellite TV, only 4 channels existed.
Today, any truly dedicated couch potato can sit back, relax and press the buttons on the TV remote control without having to get up each time to do so.
Fifty years ago television sets didn't have any.
This was a dedicated couch potato's nightmare because every time he or she wanted to change the channel, raise the volume, or lower the volume, he or she would have to get up from the cozy sofa and walk up to the TV and do it manually.
But how does the TV remote control work exactly? The front of the TV itself has a small infrared light detector.
On top of the TV remote there is an LED (Light Emitting Diode) through which the infrared light is produced.
When a diode is switched on in a typical LED, electrons recombine and move in one direction and the light emitting diode releases energy in the form of photons of light.
This effect is also called electroluminescence.
Most LED's produce visible light but LED's in remotes produce infrared light that is invisible to the human eye.
However, select animals like snakes are capable of detecting infrared.
In fact, snakes catch their pray by detecting infrared heat from pray, even at night.
Once you press any button on your remote control, a signal is transmitted by way of LED infrared radiation to the television set.
The infrared light detector in front of the television set recognizes the infrared signal and activates the appropriate function, whether it be lowering the volume or changing the channel, for example.
Fifty years ago people didn't have TV remotes for their television sets and had to get up and change the channel manually.
Fortunately, before the advent of cable and satellite TV, only 4 channels existed.
Today, any truly dedicated couch potato can sit back, relax and press the buttons on the TV remote control without having to get up each time to do so.
