http://www.kotaku.com/gaming/top/halogen-lights-confuse-wiimote-says-nintendo-rep-175891.php
Wonder if this is true.
Wonder if this is true.
Wii and Halogen lights plus other minor tidbits
- Thread starter Ty
- Start date
ShootMyMonkey
Veteran
Sure halogens can probably cross over the same IR band, but that emission would be consistent rather than being some digital data transmission. I also doubt that the emissions of a 60-75W halogen bulb in a single tiny frequency band is really all that massive enough to significantly mask out the remote.
From all that we know, the signal goes FROM the sensor bar TO the wiimote, which would mean the halogen light would have to pretty much shine into the eyes of the player to be able to interfere to any significant digree, if this is true at all. Anyone who has halogen lights at home (especially one as powerful as 60W) know it's extremely uncomfortable to be in that situation.
This story sounds iffy. I have halogens and fluorescent lights all over my home. They don't screw with my remote controls, don't see why they would screw with the wiimote. I'm assuming Nintendo is conducting product tests under home conditions, so they would notice if such interference exists and correct it.
Besides, this was already mentioned in another Wii thread.
This story sounds iffy. I have halogens and fluorescent lights all over my home. They don't screw with my remote controls, don't see why they would screw with the wiimote. I'm assuming Nintendo is conducting product tests under home conditions, so they would notice if such interference exists and correct it.
Besides, this was already mentioned in another Wii thread.
Yep, let's wait for some real world testing first before pushing the discussion any further.Bobbler said:
Halogens can indeed interfer with the IR signal, now the question is how can a halogen lamp can be a problem to the Wii's remote. If the problem happens only in certain, impracticable, scenario, then it's a non issue.
Sounds like utter crap to me.
First off, wifi isn't IR - it's RF spectrum so forget interfering with that.
IR interference? Uh, no. IR data signals are frequency based and frequency content from a halogen is constant (and nomilly white to boot). Add to that the fact that IR transmissions have handshaking and parity bits and I think this is complete baloney.
First off, wifi isn't IR - it's RF spectrum so forget interfering with that.
IR interference? Uh, no. IR data signals are frequency based and frequency content from a halogen is constant (and nomilly white to boot). Add to that the fact that IR transmissions have handshaking and parity bits and I think this is complete baloney.
The idea of IR interfering is separate from Wifi and you shouldn't confuse them. The sensor bar system uses IR, whereas Wiimote<>console communication is wireless of some form (has it been disclosed yet?) likely in the public microwave band.
My guess is, if this story were true, which I doubt, but just considering how it might be possible, from the talk of the sensor bar it provides an IR zone which the Wiimote detects. This means IR transmissions from the sensor bar (silly name!), and thus other IR sources could be adding noise to that wavelength space.
If the transmissions are digital, the resultant noise could affect it like digital TV and radio transmissions with dropped packages etc. And if more just a signal of constant intensity which the Wiimote can detect and determine distance and position from the absolute and relative intensities of two different wavelengths or some other difference, other IR sources might also provide such a source.
So, if the two sensor bar transmitters output IR at 1000nm and 1050nm respectively, the Wiimote could be detecting strength/frequency of pulses of these two wavelengths. Another source could then give a false positive reading - if a halogen light to the right of the gamer is outputting IR at 1000nm, pointing the Wiimote to the right and away from the screen as you might in a baseball game would have the Wiimote detecting 1000nm wavelength and maybe interpret it as one of the sensor bar transmissions, wrongly orientating the Wiimote response towards that sensor.
Again, I don't think there'll be a problem, even if this interference exists, which I'm doubtful of, as no-one really games with halogen lights in their room! But I can see an argument as to how there could be a problem. Any system using any EM wavelength is going to have to contest with interference, and the IR space is no expection to that. BlueTooth gets round it with communications trickery. Without more info on what form exactly Wii's IR system works with, and no info on how they deal with interference, there's an unlikely, improbable, possibilty for problems.
My guess is, if this story were true, which I doubt, but just considering how it might be possible, from the talk of the sensor bar it provides an IR zone which the Wiimote detects. This means IR transmissions from the sensor bar (silly name!), and thus other IR sources could be adding noise to that wavelength space.
If the transmissions are digital, the resultant noise could affect it like digital TV and radio transmissions with dropped packages etc. And if more just a signal of constant intensity which the Wiimote can detect and determine distance and position from the absolute and relative intensities of two different wavelengths or some other difference, other IR sources might also provide such a source.
So, if the two sensor bar transmitters output IR at 1000nm and 1050nm respectively, the Wiimote could be detecting strength/frequency of pulses of these two wavelengths. Another source could then give a false positive reading - if a halogen light to the right of the gamer is outputting IR at 1000nm, pointing the Wiimote to the right and away from the screen as you might in a baseball game would have the Wiimote detecting 1000nm wavelength and maybe interpret it as one of the sensor bar transmissions, wrongly orientating the Wiimote response towards that sensor.
Again, I don't think there'll be a problem, even if this interference exists, which I'm doubtful of, as no-one really games with halogen lights in their room! But I can see an argument as to how there could be a problem. Any system using any EM wavelength is going to have to contest with interference, and the IR space is no expection to that. BlueTooth gets round it with communications trickery. Without more info on what form exactly Wii's IR system works with, and no info on how they deal with interference, there's an unlikely, improbable, possibilty for problems.
This sort of interference with some lights isn't total nonsense, but it only applies when the LEDs "look like" light bulbs to an IR detector, and the first prerequesite for that would be that they need to be ~constantly on. If it pulses, it's very unlikely to be a light bulb.
And LEDs can be pulsed quite rapidly, easily upwards of 200Hz if my memory doesn't betray me. If I had to call that shot, I'd say make them pulse and recognize them by the "clock speed".
And LEDs can be pulsed quite rapidly, easily upwards of 200Hz if my memory doesn't betray me. If I had to call that shot, I'd say make them pulse and recognize them by the "clock speed".
If the remote uses intensity to pinpoint location, then having a room flooded with the wavelength of light it uses would cause a problem. Say you could see only two colors (red and blue), and you located where on a wall you were looking by the intensity of both colors. Each color corresponds to an axis, so if you saw black, you'd be in the bottom left corner, purple, the top right. Now throw a red light in there and try to do the same, but only shine it on half the wall.
I think this might be how the pointer works. Each "sensor" on the bar emits a different IR wavelength. There are lenses that are directional and based on what angle they are to a light source.
Of course, with this you wouldn't really need a sensor bar. It would look more like a sensor globe. Maybe the bar is there just to make sure you get the thing level...
I think this might be how the pointer works. Each "sensor" on the bar emits a different IR wavelength. There are lenses that are directional and based on what angle they are to a light source.
Of course, with this you wouldn't really need a sensor bar. It would look more like a sensor globe. Maybe the bar is there just to make sure you get the thing level...
Tagrineth said:
WOAH.... Did u die and come back as Dark Phoenix?! Took u long enough!!
Sorry for bumping such an old thread, but this caught my eye....
http://www.maxconsole.net/?mode=news&newsid=8802
Could it be that this rumor is actually true?
http://www.maxconsole.net/?mode=news&newsid=8802
Could it be that this rumor is actually true?