The Adafruit pIRkey is a tiny USB adapter that turns any infrared remote control into a keyboard, mouse, or serial input device. Plug it into a USB-A port and it appears as a standard USB keyboard — the onboard ATSAMD21 microcontroller listens for IR signals and converts them into keypresses, mouse movements, or USB serial output.

Powered by CircuitPython, the pIRkey is fully reprogrammable. When plugged in it shows up as three USB devices: a disk drive for storing your Python code, a serial port for debugging and the interactive REPL, and a HID keyboard/mouse for sending input. Works with any IR remote that uses a ~38 KHz carrier frequency, which covers the vast majority of remote controls.

Key Features

• ATSAMD21E Microcontroller – Runs CircuitPython for easy customisation and reprogramming
• IR Receiver – 38 KHz infrared receiver compatible with most household remote controls
• USB-A Plug – Slides directly into any USB-A port; no cables or adapters needed
• Triple USB Device – Appears as a USB disk drive, serial port, and HID keyboard/mouse simultaneously
• Default NEC Remote Support – Ships with example code for NEC protocol remotes; easily adaptable to other protocols
• Status LED – On-board indicator for IR signal reception

Ideal For

• Remotely controlling presentations, media players, or smart home dashboards
• Adding IR remote input to computers, tablets, or single-board computers
• Adaptive controls and accessibility projects
• Custom automation triggered by any IR remote

Package Contents

• 1× Adafruit pIRkey USB IR adapter (pre-loaded with CircuitPython and example code)

Resources

• Adafruit pIRkey Learning Guide