The Touchless iPod Remote

Once you´ve mastered the pause function with your â€touchless switch,â€
how about adding fast forward or reverse functions? As you've
probably guessed, adding more functionality, increases this project´s
complexity. Luckily, it´s just a wee bit tougher.

The construction steps are fairly straightforward:

1. Each additional control option will require a new Reed Relay.
   You will also need a new RFID tag for each additional control option.
2. Solder one electromagnet pin of the relay to ground (i.e.,
   Vss -). Connect the other electromagnet pin to another free port on
   the Parallax Super Carrier Board (e.g., P4).
3. Wire the two remaining relay poles to switch pads for your
   chosen remote control option (e.g., skip to next track; fast
   forward). Use the same technique that you used for the Pause/Play
   button.

That´s it; well almost. The more complex part of this â€advanced´ project involves the
programming of the microcontroller. Unlike our pause-only â€touchless
switch,†this added functionality project requires the reading and
interpreting of specific RFID tag IDs.

A specific tag ID is assigned to each of these additional functions.
When that tag ID is read, the code will send a trigger signal to the
appropriate microcontroller port and toggle the selected relay.Therefore, you will need to assign a specific tag ID to a specific
function. Don´t lose that tag, however. Only that tag can enable and
play its assigned function.

4. You have now physically wired a new iPod remote control
   function to a specific port on the BASIC Stamp microcontroller. In
   order to control this new iPod function, you must modify your
   original Pause/Play program.
5. Program the microcontroller for enabling specific BASIC Stamp
   ports based on reading different RFID tags. First you will need to
   read the unique ID number that is registered for each tag. You can
   download some sample code from the Parallax Web site that will allow you to read a tag's ID. Now that
   you have correlated a tag ID and Super Carrier Board port number with
   an iPod remote control function, you can modify the free Parallax
   code for activating a specific port based on the "reading" of a
   specific tag.
6. Stitch each RFID tag into a different location (e.g., left
   ski glove for Pause/Play and right ski glove for Fast Forward).
7. Plug the iPod remote control receive into the iPod's docking
   port and the advanced, multifunctional touchless switch is ready for
   use.

Now hit the slopes and keep on track-your iPod's track, that is.