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Yes—an Arduino-compatible board can control many air conditioners by transmitting infrared commands that imitate the unit’s factory remote. The key challenge is matching the exact air-conditioner and remote protocol: a brand name alone does not guarantee compatibility, and some air-conditioner signals are long or model-specific. A practical build identifies the unit and remote first, then uses a compatible protocol library or captures and replays the remote’s IR signal.
How Arduino control works
In the common DIY arrangement, the board acts as a remote control rather than connecting to the air conditioner’s internal electronics. An IR LED sends encoded commands for settings such as power, operating mode, temperature and fan speed. The unit’s own receiver accepts those commands just as it accepts them from the factory remote.
This approach does not, by itself, give the Arduino feedback about the air conditioner’s actual operating state or room temperature. A controller can send a requested setting without knowing whether the unit received it, whether someone changed settings with another remote, or what temperature the unit senses internally.
Choose an implementation approach
| Approach | Best suited to | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Protocol-specific library | A supported air-conditioner protocol and a board architecture supported by the library. | A matching brand is not proof that a library supports the exact model or remote. Arduino Project Hub’s example uses an ESP32 and DaikinHeatpumpIR; Arduino-IRremote also documents a dedicated LG implementation. |
| Capture and replay raw IR | A remote signal that can be captured but is not handled by a suitable protocol implementation. | The captured timing sequence must be preserved and sent correctly. Arduino-IRremote documents raw transmission with sendRaw() and sendRaw_P(); the method can be specific to the remote and unit. |
| Smart IR thermostat/module | A project that needs IR learning, mode and status mapping, and app synchronization as part of its workflow. | This uses a separate module architecture. Tuya describes cloud code libraries and serial communication between its module and an MCU, so it is a different integration choice from a basic Arduino IR sender. |
Compare the exact AC and remote models, library support for the board architecture, whether raw capture is feasible, and whether Wi-Fi or state synchronization is required. The examples available do not establish one best board for every air conditioner.
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#1 Best Overall
- The infrared transmitter module is directly transmitted by a single tube, and the waveform needs to be modulated by the program.
- Adopt 1838 remote control receiver with high sensitivity.
- with the emission signal indicator LED, easy to observe and debug.
- Can be used for remoter control,Can be compatible with wrobot digital 38KHz IR transmitter sensor.
- Widely used in infrared communication, infrared remote control, apply to a variety of platforms including for Raspberry pi/51/AVR/ARM.
Parts and model checks
A documented Arduino Uno build lists an LM35 temperature sensor, an IR LED with a transistor driver and resistors, an IR receiver module for temporary capture, breadboard, jumper wires and the factory remote. The Arduino Project Hub example instead uses an ESP32 with an IR sender. These are examples of different architectures, not interchangeable guarantees of compatibility.
- Identify the equipment: record the air-conditioner model and the remote model before selecting a library. A community Uno project reports a working configuration for Mitsubishi Heavy Industries SRK25ZS-W with remote RLA502A704A; that report applies to that specified setup, not all Mitsubishi units.
- Check the board and library: verify the library supports the board architecture you intend to use. A project working on an ESP32 does not establish that the same library or code will work on an Uno.
- Plan for signal capture: an IR receiver module can help capture commands from the original remote when the protocol is unknown. It may be temporary build equipment rather than part of the final transmitter.
- Use a suitable transmitter circuit: the cited Uno build includes a transistor driver and resistors with its IR LED. Follow the circuit requirements for the chosen board and LED rather than assuming a bare LED should be driven directly.
- Add a temperature sensor only if needed: the Uno example lists an LM35. A room sensor can inform automation logic, but it does not automatically reveal the AC’s internal sensor reading or confirm the unit’s state.
For a component-category search, “Arduino IR LED transmitter receiver kit” may help locate transmitter and receiver parts. Kit contents and compatibility vary; check the parts against the chosen board and the AC protocol.
Rank #2
- 2Pcs Digital 38khz Ir Receiver Sensor Module + 2Pcs Ir Transmitter Sensor Module Kit for Arduino Electronic Building Block
- Working voltage 5V
Build and test the IR command path
- Record the exact models. Note the AC model and the remote model. Do this before choosing a protocol library or relying on another builder’s code.
- Try a matching protocol implementation. If the protocol is supported and the library supports your board architecture, use its protocol-specific sender. Confirm that its command format corresponds to the intended unit.
- Capture the factory remote if necessary. For an unrecognized protocol, use an IR receiver to capture the remote’s signal timings. Arduino-IRremote documents storing captured timings and transmitting unknown protocols with
sendRaw()orsendRaw_P(). - Transmit and verify one command at a time. Test a known setting while the original remote and unit are available. Air-conditioner messages can be long rather than short button codes, and Arduino-IRremote notes that some devices accept commands only when they are repeated.
- Add automation logic after transmission works. A sensor-driven controller needs a sensor reading, decision logic and a command to transmit. For example, an LM35 may supply room-temperature input while the IR sender transmits a selected AC setting; the cited projects do not establish an accuracy figure or a universal control algorithm.
Plan for factory-remote use and state drift
If people continue using the factory remote, an Arduino that only sends commands can become out of sync with the unit. For example, its software may retain one mode or temperature while a person changes the setting from the original remote. A controller that needs reliable shared operation must account for this rather than treating its last transmitted command as confirmed current state.
Tuya’s infrared thermostat documentation describes an architecture that decodes remote inputs and synchronizes parsed mode, temperature and fan-speed state to an MCU and app. That illustrates the extra learning and state-mapping work involved; it is not a feature automatically provided by a basic IR LED and Arduino.
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- ❃❃Dynamic current: 3-5mA
- ❃❃Note： not included battery (you can use the CR2025 )
- ❃❃Product detailed size: remote control 85 x 40mm line length about 175mm
- ❃❃Effective life: 20,000 times
- ❃❃ for Arduino suite by ultrathin Mini infrared wireless remote control infrared remote control and 38 KHZ infrared receiving module.
What the project examples demonstrate
Arduino Project Hub published “Control your air conditioner remotely” on 2023-07-07. Its example uses an ESP32, an IR sender and DaikinHeatpumpIR, with commands for heat, cool, dry and off and a temperature variable. It demonstrates one Wi-Fi-capable project configuration, not universal Daikin or air-conditioner compatibility.
The Arduino Uno automatic-controller example is a community project using captured raw IR for a specified Mitsubishi Heavy Industries unit and remote, with an LM35 sensor among its listed parts. Its model and board-specific report should not be generalized to every Uno, library or air conditioner. Taken together, the projects show two viable patterns—protocol-library sending and model-specific raw capture—while leaving compatibility to be checked for the reader’s own equipment.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- 1PCS 5V IR Infrared Remote Decoder Encoding Transmitter&Receiver Wireless Module For Arduino
- supply voltage: 5V
- Communication: Serial communication (TTL level)
- firing distance: 6-10 meters (OUR actual environmental testing eight meters Stability Control)
- With the infrared emission features,infrared encoding,
Rank #4
- Transmitter sensor:This ir transmitter sensor module is directly launched by a single tube, it requires waveform modulation through the program.
- Receive sensor:Adopt 1838 remote control receiver with high sensitivity, with this IR receiver, the for Arduino project is able to receive command from any IR remoter controller if you have the right decoder.
- Pin Definitions:(1) Output (2) Vcc (3) GND; With signal indicating LED, easy to observe and debug.
- Note:The white smudge is not corrosion damage, it's flux, can wipe it off with a rag, does not affect the use of the module.
- Application:Widely used in infrared communication, infrared remote control, apply to a variety of platforms including for Arduino/for Raspberry pi/for 51/for AVR/for ARM.
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