IR Receiver - gives out data only while disconnecting/connecting it to ground

Question

I am following a guide to setup my IR ( rev + transmitter ) program on my RPI 3

IR receiver : TSOP1738 38Khz Infrared Receiver 8051

Problem: After configuring the GPIO perfectly, I am not able to get any output while using below command

sudo mode2 -d /dev/lirc0

But when I try unplugging the ground and plugging it again - I get random output like this.

Is it because the IR receiver is not getting enough power? Do I need to add something else to power it rightly..Please help!

michaelkellett · Accepted Answer

The data sheet for the TSOP1738 says that its working supply voltage range is 4.5- 5.5V - there is no reason it should be expected to work from a 3.3V supply.

A quick Googling shows that other people have used this part on 3.3V but they don't make it clear how many (if any) they tested.

The other things to look out for is that there should be a decoupling capacitor and that you need to use the correct frequency of TSOP17XX to match the transmitter.

If you can get hold of a TSOP382XX or TSOP384XX, very similar but designed to work with 2.5 - 5.5V supplies and likely to work with the pi. (Google 'Vishay TSOP382' for data sheet)

Unfortunately you need to be very careful with "guides" from the internet - it is a good idea to check all the component data sheets before building anything.

MK