Hi all, this is my first post here. After searching on google with no success, I came across this place.

I work in hospital TVs, What I need is a box that can be programmed with some simple IR codes, IE, power on/off Vol up/down and channels. The box would output to an IR emmiter and then have discreet connections that could be connected to the patients handset, and pulled low or high to make the box transmit. So, one input for each command.. I have been dealing with a small company that custom made such a device, but they are really not very helpful anymore.

If anyone knows of a solution, I would love to hear from you.

Thanks everyone.

Ev.

What do you mean by "working in hospital TVs"? There are nationwide businesses that do hospital TVs, so, to begin with, how have they not done what's needed? It sounds like this in 1965 and you're proposing an advance in hospital TVs that already happened forty years ago.

Back up a couple of steps, please, and outline, generally,
*what you want the thing to do
*why this isn't already being done by existing hospital equipment
*what level of involvement are you? -- if a control needs to be molded out of plastic, are you going to pay for the tooling charge?

Seems like there are way easier ways to do this.

Budget?

What exactly is this "Patients handset"?

The key to this is what the "Handset" is and what terms "pulled low or high to make the box transmit" mean.
I'm envisioning someone stuck in a bed with limited motor functions, pushing up & down on a bar like thing, to turn the TV up & down.
Right now, no one has any clue what you are talking about.

Guessing = This maybe what you are looking for:
[Link: garrett-smarthome.com]

Try to describe to someone who doesn't know what you're talking about (that's all of us, so far), what you're thinking of doing. Give enough detail that we can imagine the thing.

We're likely to first cast about in our mental files for a product that already does what we think you're talking about, so be plain and complete.

Hi guys thanks for the relpies.

My apololgies, I thought that this thing would be very commonplace and everyone would know what they were, and you are right, it really is like something from the 60's. But that is where the jokes end. I work for one of these large companies that service hospital tvs, yes like 40000 tvs nationally. But guess what, they do NOT have a better solution being used mainstream yet. Im sure plenty of you will flame and tell me that there are better solutions, and I am aware of them, but what is still widely used is this:

A patient (to be clear, that could be you or me who has ended up in a general hospital with whatever injury.) will be in bed, and they have a 'handset' this is a thing that is hardwired into the wall behind the bed. It has certain functions on it like:

Bed light
nurse call
tv controls.

This handset has nothing smart about it. It is just momentary switches with dry contacts.

The switches which relate to the TV (power off/on, vol up down, chan up.down)are connected to a small box which is usually stuck to the back of the TV set which may be mounted on the wall. This box then has a an IR emitter which is stuck over the IR receiver of the TV set.
When the patient presses a button on the handset, the box sends the appropriate command to the tv.

That's it.

And please, Im not looking for a different solution, this is extremely widely used and Im not looking for it for free. The reason I need this is that the current company is pretty much winding up and we need a replacement unit.

It could be field programmable by an OEM remote or maybe via a PC which has the correct codes stored on it.

There are both variants in circulation, but they are getting hard to get.

Surely we are not the only people who have something like this?

If we are, then there is an opening for someone because we use them a LOT.

Thanks everyone.

Is this "winding down" technology worth saving? Might this be an opening for your company to purchase the technology and become the "go to" company for this sort of application? Likely, the technology used is ancient and impractical in a modern context and this is why the original company wants to fade away.

This is not part of my business, but one point to keep in mind is that, since the wired controller will be touched by the patient, this is really a medical instrument and there are leakage requirements that likely will not be satisfied by off the shelf consumer grade stuff.

The handsets are already established. I was not clear again. I only need an interface box. These things are winding down yes. there is an ip replacement system around the corner yes. BUT, the company I work for alone has around 40000 TV sets in hospitals that use this tech. So its going to be a while before this winding down tech is redundant. Anyways. I guess its not something that anyone has seen, but thanks anyways everyone.

Ev.

EV351:

This sounds like something that would need to be made in the US (China will not be interested for a mere 4000 units).
However that does not mean that this cannot be done.

Please give me a cal with a complete list of requirements (can a handset interface be gotten?) and I will see what can be accomplished in the US.

Brent, he said 40,000 not 4,000, unless you already did the probability plot and figured 10% replacement/refresh cycle.

Ev, won't this Xantech 590-00 work?
[Link: xantech.com]

Credit to Brad -- see 4th post.

I know this have more function than what the OP discribed. But what's wrong with this unit? Personally I would think it's a better choice. As A it's not mounted on the wall, B it has a built in speaker, C it has a call button and whatever.


Of course there's always the mini tv. Back in 87 when I spent a few days in children's Hartford hospital. I had my personal 13" tv that was on a 2 or 3 joint arm.

KOT

EV351- where are you located?

Looks like this is exactly what he needs.

Is the 590-00 still current? I though that it was discontinued.

While I have used these units, I don't think that it would be a good production solution.