FAQ: Hacking Your Steering Wheel Buttons to Control Your PC

**MatrixPC** · 07-12-2005, 02:17 PM

Another possibility:
Some cars there is an option to buy one of the device sell at some audio places that convert those button to IR signal. The purpose of those device is when upgrading to after market HU, you are able to use those buttons to control the "new" HU like the factory one.
Now, with the IR signal available, you can wire up a simple IR sensor with Girder and you are good to go. There is also a hack to use Lilliput IR sensor to control PC (you just have to search for this thread)
What good about this compare to the one BugByte talking about? Well with this one, you can use other remote control you have laying around to control the PC at the same time as the sterring wheel buttons.

**Peoples** · 07-12-2005, 02:19 PM

link to one of these devices?

**MatrixPC** · 07-12-2005, 02:35 PM

Originally Posted by Peoples

link to one of these devices?

Hit

with "Steering Wheel Button IR" give this first link
Pac Audio
PIE is another one.

**Peoples** · 07-12-2005, 02:49 PM

so i guess this approach would be a little counter-intuitive, because you would need to find a device that IS NOT compatibile with your head unit. That way your headunit doesnt wig out when you are trying to control your PC. I guess if you dont have a head unit this is also a good solution. I notice the SWI-V has a list of headunits it is not compatible with, unfortunatly i think it is compatible with mine.

**Peoples** · 07-12-2005, 02:54 PM

i guess if you go with the SWI-X then its a learning IR so what i said above is not an issue. Good find matrix. .....no i have to many options on how to implement this....damn

**kamikaze2112** · 07-12-2005, 10:14 PM

Originally Posted by MatrixPC

Another possibility:
Some cars there is an option to buy one of the device sell at some audio places that convert those button to IR signal. The purpose of those device is when upgrading to after market HU, you are able to use those buttons to control the "new" HU like the factory one.
Now, with the IR signal available, you can wire up a simple IR sensor with Girder and you are good to go. There is also a hack to use Lilliput IR sensor to control PC (you just have to search for this thread)
What good about this compare to the one BugByte talking about? Well with this one, you can use other remote control you have laying around to control the PC at the same time as the sterring wheel buttons.

I've looked into that, but as far as i'm concerned, it's a little to much, especially if you can take that 1 wire from the resistor network and figure out how to wire that into the game or serial port. Then there's no need for extra hardware...

**Bugbyte** · 07-12-2005, 10:18 PM

Originally Posted by Peoples

link to one of these devices?

See option 2 in the first post. There's a link to one at Crutchfield.

**Pathos** · 07-13-2005, 09:17 AM

Ipac and Mame are my friends..... the Ipac is ideal since it doesnt require drivers and software setup

**Snootch** · 07-29-2005, 10:42 AM

Can the IPAC be used to send three-key commands? I looked at the ultimarc website, but couldn't find an answer. I am wondering whether it could control volume, ff, rw, stop, mute, play, skip using Centrafuse which requires three-button presses (Ctrl+Alt+R, etc.)

**RoyN** · 10-14-2005, 12:09 AM

Snootch cant u customize the sequences in Centrafuse????? I would think you could...

Has anyone hacked a SWI-X or similar to convert the button presses into triggers for an ipac? I bought their minipac (works with spinners, trackballs and buttons) but I'm afraid I need a Swi-x for my car, and I dont want to add an IR if I can avoid it....one more point of falure, and I prefer things connected so I can see if they are "on"