The Wiimote is a wireless Bluetooth device and can therefore be easily integrated into Windows XP or Vista via this interface. All you need is a newer Class 2 Bluetooth adapter that needs to support Bluetooth 2.1 EDR. Such adapters are available from approx. 10 Euro in the electronics market of trust or on the Internet. The next image shows a Bluetooth stick on the HTPC for the Wiimote connection.
However, a small downside remains: even if the OS recognizes the connected device immediately and correctly, the Bluetooth stack of Windows is somehow limited. We have not always succeeded in establishing a stable and lasting connection to the Wiimote. If you still want to try to use the Windows variant, you should take a look at a small program that you can find on the already mentioned homepage of the Wiimote project.
In the end, however, we decided on the Bluesoleil stack. On the one hand, this software is stable and mature and on the other hand it can almost always be used for other Bluetooth devices without conflict. Our following tests and instructions are therefore all based on a connection via Bluesoleil. Other stacks, e.g. have unfortunately failed miserably in conjunction with Bluetooth devices, so we limit ourselves to this one stack. The free trial version of Bluesoleil from version 6 onwards is sufficient for this. The user's drive and curiosity should no longer stand in the way of major barriers. Therefore, in the next section, read how the Wiimote learns to see.
After a while of stumbling, what is actually in the sensor bar of the Wii, the hobbyist can be given a warning. As already described, this part of the controller is based on the detection of defined infrared sources. The Wiimote processes two to four sources, although for the time being two sources are completely sufficient for our concerns. The next picture shows the candle romance at the local HTPC. The Wiimote replaces the mouse and controls, among other things, also the media player.
In the simplest case, even two candles are enough, which can be used at a distance of approx. 20 cm from each other. So if you want to test before you take a soldering iron in your hand, you can already do quite interesting experiments with this admittedly quite trivial solution. At least the 2D mouse control works surprisingly well. Simple tea lights are well suited, which are placed on a non-combustible coaster, while normal candles on the one hand disturb the image and on the other hand can lead to falsifications due to usually long wicks. Tea lights are also a little less sensitive to possible draughts.
In addition, it must be noted that the flames can develop quite high temperatures on the surfaces in the surrounding area in the long run – so it is important to pay attention to the necessary distance. A use on the desk is not recommended and this variant presented here is of course only a temporary solution.
It is also reported that even two glowing cigarettes kept at the right distance would suffice. But firstly, we are actually non-smokers and, secondly, the mica stems do not last too long. And it's also expensive. However, a separate experiment on the balcony showed that with the Wiimote thanks to the rather sensitive IR sensor, you can also use it on approx. 15 meters can locate a smoker (neighbor) in the garden if the cigarette is not completely covered. Nice gimmick, but unfortunately more or less useless.
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