How to store IR data needed for AC controll in less space?

Question

I'm trying to controll an AC unit but the issue is space - right now, I store the data like this:

consts PROGMEM unsigned int Signal_Heat_Fan0_Temp30[] = {233,636,17884,3032,8944,500,496,492,1496,524,472,548,452,544,448,552,444,552,444,548,444,552,444,552,1436,556,444,552,444,548,1440,552,472,524,472,520,1472,492,1496,520,1468,556,1436,552,1440,552,444,548,448,548,444,552,448,548,448,548,448,548,472,524,468,524,472,524,476,520,472,520,476,520,476,520,472,524,472,552,444,548,452,548,444,552,444,548,448,548,444,552,448,544,452,544,448,552,472,524,468,524,472,524,472,524,472,520,476,520,476,520,472,524,1468,552,1436,556,1436,556,1436,552,2944,3028,8920,548,1440,552,448,548,472,524,468,524,472,524,472,472,524,516,476,552,444,548,1444,552,444,548,448,552,440,556,440,556,1432,556,1440,548,452,544,1444,552,1464,524,1464,472,1520,524,1464,556,1436,552,1440,552,1436,556,440,552,448,548,444,552,1440,552,1440,552,1464,524,472,496,496,472,524,520,476,548,444,552,448,552,1440,548,1440,556,1432,556,1440,548,448,548,444,552,448,548,472,524,472,524,1464,472,524,472,524,516,476,552,444,552,444,552,1440,552,1440,552,1436,556,1436,552};
consts PROGMEM unsigned int Signal_Heat_Fan0_Temp29[] = {233,636,17896,3032,8916,552,468,524,1468,524,468,500,496,472,528,520,476,544,448,552,444,552,444,548,1440,556,440,552,448,548,1440,552,444,548,452,544,1444,548,1468,524,1464,472,1520,520,1468,552,444,552,448,548,444,552,444,548,448,548,444,552,444,556,444,548,448,548,444,552,448,544,472,524,472,524,472,524,472,468,528,520,476,544,448,552,444,552,444,548,444,556,440,556,444,548,448,548,444,552,444,552,444,548,452,544,476,524,472,524,468,524,472,492,1496,520,1472,548,1440,556,1440,548,2944,3032,8916,552,1436,552,444,552,444,548,452,544,448,548,476,524,468,524,472,524,472,492,1496,520,476,524,472,548,448,552,444,552,1440,548,1440,548,448,548,1440,556,1440,548,1440,552,1464,524,1464,500,1496,520,1468,552,1440,548,444,556,444,552,444,548,1440,552,1440,548,1444,544,476,524,472,524,472,524,468,524,472,492,1496,524,476,548,1444,548,1440,548,1444,552,444,552,444,548,448,548,444,552,448,544,1448,544,476,524,468,524,472,524,472,492,504,516,1472,548,1444,552,1440,548,1440,548};
consts PROGMEM unsigned int Signal_Heat_Fan0_Temp28[] = {233,636,17880,3056,8912,524,476,544,1444,552,444,548,448,552,440,556,440,556,444,552,444,548,444,552,1440,552,444,552,468,524,1468,524,468,472,524,520,1476,544,1444,548,1440,556,1432,556,1440,548,448,548,444,552,448,548,448,548,472,524,472,520,472,524,472,496,500,472,524,492,504,544,452,548,444,552,444,552,444,548,448,552,440,556,444,548,448,548,444,552,448,544,452,544,476,524,472,524,468,524,472,524,472,492,500,520,476,548,452,544,448,552,444,552,1440,548,1440,552,1440,552,1440,548,2944,3028,8924,544,1444,552,468,524,472,496,500,492,504,516,476,552,444,548,452,548,444,552,1440,548,444,552,444,552,1444,548,444,552,1440,548,1444,544,476,520,1472,492,1496,520,1468,552,1444,548,1440,552,1436,552,1440,552,1440,552,444,548,452,544,476,520,1468,524,1468,492,1496,520,480,544,448,548,448,552,444,548,444,552,444,548,452,548,1440,552,1436,552,1444,544,476,520,476,524,468,524,472,496,500,492,1496,524,476,544,452,548,444,552,444,548,448,548,1444,548,1440,552,1440,548,1444,520};
consts PROGMEM unsigned int Signal_Heat_Fan0_Temp27[] = {233,640,17892,3032,8916,552,448,548,1464,528,468,528,468,468,528,468,528,520,472,552,444,552,444,552,1440,548,448,548,444,556,1436,552,444,552,444,552,1436,552,1444,548,1468,492,1496,472,1516,552,448,548,448,548,448,548,444,552,444,552,444,552,440,556,444,552,444,548,444,552,448,548,448,548,472,524,472,524,468,468,528,472,524,520,472,524,472,552,448,548,448,548,444,552,444,548,448,548,444,556,440,552,448,548,444,552,444,552,448,544,472,524,472,528,1464,468,1520,520,1472,552,1436,556,2944,3028,8912,556,1440,548,448,548,444,552,448,548,448,548,444,552,472,520,472,524,472,524,1464,472,528,488,508,544,448,552,444,552,1436,556,1436,552,448,548,1440,548,1440,556,1440,548,1440,552,1464,524,1464,472,1524,544,1444,552,444,552,448,548,444,552,1440,548,1440,552,1444,548,444,552,448,544,472,524,472,524,468,500,1492,492,1500,548,452,544,1440,556,1436,552,444,552,444,552,444,548,448,548,448,548,1444,548,472,524,468,524,472,524,472,472,528,468,1520,520,1468,552,1440,552,1436,552};
consts PROGMEM unsigned int Signal_Heat_Fan0_Temp26[] = {233,640,17884,2980,8992,528,472,524,1464,472,524,520,476,548,444,556,440,556,444,548,444,552,444,552,1440,552,440,556,444,548,1440,552,444,552,468,524,1468,528,1460,472,1520,548,1444,548,1440,556,444,548,448,548,444,552,444,552,444,552,444,552,444,552,444,548,448,548,472,524,468,524,472,472,528,468,528,488,504,548,448,552,444,548,444,556,440,556,444,548,444,552,444,552,444,548,448,548,448,552,444,548,448,548,472,524,472,520,472,524,472,472,524,520,1468,548,1444,552,1440,552,1436,556,2944,3024,8920,552,1440,552,444,548,444,552,448,548,468,524,472,528,472,468,524,468,528,520,1472,548,444,556,444,548,1440,552,444,548,1440,556,1440,548,444,552,1440,548,1444,552,1464,492,1496,520,1472,548,1440,556,1440,548,1440,552,444,552,444,552,444,548,1440,552,1444,548,1440,548,472,524,472,472,524,472,520,520,480,544,452,548,1440,548,448,548,1440,552,1440,552,444,548,448,548,448,552,444,552,468,524,1464,524,472,472,528,468,524,468,528,544,452,548,1440,556,1436,552,1440,548,1440,556};
consts PROGMEM unsigned int Signal_Heat_Fan0_Temp25[] = {233,644,17892,3028,8916,552,444,548,1440,556,440,552,448,548,444,552,444,548,448,548,448,548,472,528,1464,468,528,520,472,548,1448,544,444,556,440,556,1440,548,1440,548,1440,556,1440,548,1440,552,448,544,472,528,472,524,468,468,528,468,528,544,448,552,444,552,444,552,444,552,444,552,444,552,444,548,444,552,444,552,444,552,448,548,444,552,468,524,472,524,472,524,468,472,524,472,528,520,476,544,448,552,444,548,448,548,444,556,440,556,444,548,444,552,1440,548,1440,556,1440,548,1468,548,2920,3052,8920,472,1516,548,452,548,444,552,444,548,448,548,444,556,440,556,444,548,448,548,1440,548,452,544,448,552,1440,548,472,524,1464,472,1516,552,448,544,1444,552,1444,548,1440,552,1436,552,1440,552,1440,552,1440,548,1464,528,472,496,500,468,524,520,1472,548,1440,556,1436,552,444,552,444,556,440,552,444,552,444,552,1436,552,448,544,452,548,1468,524,1464,468,528,520,472,552,448,548,448,548,448,548,1440,548,448,548,444,552,444,556,444,548,444,552,1440,548,1440,552,1464,500,1496,548};

The first item is the length of the array and the rest is data I can send with IRemote library with the raw send libray. I've mapped most of the buttons and now I'm at

Sketch uses 95.286 bytes of program storage space

Is there a better encoding that could take less space? I'd like to add at least 3 times more commands to the Sketch, but I'm already at 37% on an Arduino Mega.

I know ideally I should generate the array, not store it, but I haven't gotten that far (yet, I'm working on it) and for me this is an interesting issue.

Thank you!

---

Edit 1: Code uploaded on GitHub - https://github.com/vladbabii/SamsungACIrControll/tree/master/AC_IrControll

Answer 1

I have analysed your codes with a small Lua script:

function pairsByKeys (t, f)
  local a = {}
  -- build temporary table of the keys
  for n in pairs (t) do
    table.insert (a, n)
  end
  table.sort (a, f)  -- sort using supplied function, if any
  local i = 0        -- iterator variable
  return function () -- iterator function
    i = i + 1
    return a[i], t[a[i]]
  end  -- iterator function
end -- pairsByKeys


nums = {233,636,17884,3032,8944,
-- and so on ... 
548,444,552,444,556,444,548,444,552,1440,548,1440,552,1464,500,1496,548}

uniq = { }

for k, v in ipairs (nums) do
  if uniq [v] then
    uniq [v] = uniq [v] + 1
  else
    uniq [v] = 1
  end -- else
end -- for

count = 0

for k, v in pairsByKeys (uniq) do
  print (string.format ("%8i = %3i", k, v))
  count = count + 1
end


print ("count = ", count)

---

Results:

     233 =   6
     440 =  18
     444 = 154
     448 =  86
     452 =  20
     468 =  42
     472 = 103
     476 =  27
     480 =   2
     488 =   2
     492 =  15
     496 =   8
     500 =  10
     504 =   4
     508 =   1
     516 =   4
     520 =  41
     524 =  97
     528 =  26
     544 =  39
     548 = 189
     552 = 196
     556 =  56
     636 =   3
     640 =   2
     644 =   1
    1432 =   3
    1436 =  24
    1440 =  91
    1444 =  26
    1448 =   2
    1460 =   1
    1464 =  21
    1468 =  16
    1472 =   8
    1476 =   1
    1492 =   1
    1496 =  12
    1500 =   1
    1516 =   3
    1520 =   5
    1524 =   1
    2920 =   1
    2944 =   5
    2980 =   1
    3024 =   1
    3028 =   4
    3032 =   4
    3052 =   1
    3056 =   1
    8912 =   2
    8916 =   4
    8920 =   3
    8924 =   1
    8944 =   1
    8992 =   1
   17880 =   1
   17884 =   2
   17892 =   2
   17896 =   1
count =     60

---

Assuming there is some jitter I rounded them to the nearest 50:

for k, v in ipairs (nums) do

  v = math.floor (v / 50)    -- <--- add this
  v = v * 50                 -- <--- add this
  if uniq [v] then
    uniq [v] = uniq [v] + 1
  else
    uniq [v] = 1
  end -- else
end -- for

---

Results:

     200 =   6
     400 = 258
     450 = 219
     500 = 411
     550 = 252
     600 =   6
    1400 = 146
    1450 =  60
    1500 =  10
    2900 =   6
    2950 =   1
    3000 =   9
    3050 =   2
    8900 =  11
    8950 =   1
   17850 =   6
count =     16

So, 16 different lengths.

---

So now you can use 4 bits per code (and a lookup table) rather than 16 bits.

Also see TV-B-Gone design notes for how they compressed the IR codes for lots of TV brands into a small table in an ATtiny85.

Answer 2

Do you need all of the data accessible at once? How about storing it on a file device or external memory? SDcards are slow but huge. FRAM devices a fast but not as huge and typically aren't formatted for a file system. They act more like an independent memory space accessed by a function. (The Adafruit product is one example; I'm sure there are more).

Answer 3

Another form of storage is the EEPROM. There are between 512 bytes and 4K of EEPROM per Arduino, depending on the model of Arduino - see https://www.arduino.cc/en/Reference/EEPROM

EEPROM is persistent when the power gets cut, and MAY or may not be overwritten when the program is changed - I have not tried. If it is not overwritten, you can write a sketch just to set it, then overwrite it with your IR sketch; otherwise, you may have to set up some way to "upload" the data into your sketch (e.g. if you press a special button, it will listen on the serial port, any bytes it reads it will write to the EEPROM.

If you have an ISP (aka ICSP) programmer such as the USBasp (see google), which are very inexpensive, then you can read/write the EEPROM directly - all you need is 6 pins exposed. You can also use the USBasp to reprogram an AtMega/AtTiny which is not on an Arduino board (this also gives you a little extra program space, since it no longer requires a bootloader).