I have three kids, and one challenge I faced in my living room was that the TV remote was always missing. It could be under the sofa, inside the toy boxes, or, on one occasion, I even found it in my storeroom. In this article, I’ll show you how to place a Samsung Smart Tag inside your Google TV remote control.
First, I attempted to open the remote control by starting from the bottom part using a thin metal pry tool. Inside the remote, there is an space above the battery compartment that is empty. The goal is to place the Smart Tag into this space.
Next, I pried open the Samsung Smart Tag. It was held together by some kind of adhesive, which should be for the waterproofing purposes. Inside the Smart Tag, there is a main PCB and a piezo speaker that produces the sound. (the piezo is beneath the PCB)
Placing the Smart Tag PCB into the remote control casing shows that it is possible to position the PCB above the battery compartment. It just needed a little bit more space there.
For the remote control casing, I cut away some of the plastic to make space for the Smart Tag PCB.
I also cut part of the Smart Tag PCB. However, be aware that this is risky as it might damage the circuitry. The metal contact for the coin battery was also removed from the PCB. The plan is to use the same battery for both the remote control and the Smart Tag. Two AAA batteries and one CR2032 battery should produce similar voltage, around 3V.
On the Smart Tag, there is a button that can be used to trigger actions through the SmartThings app. For this button, I added a hole at the back of the remote control. Using a short cutout from a ferrule, I added a short piece of 3D-printed filament to act as a button pusher. It is important to ensure that the button pusher can accurately press the button on the PCB once it is placed inside the casing.
Afterward, the piezo speaker was taped onto the Smart Tag PCB, and the whole assembly was glued inside the remote control casing. It’s crucial to align the button pusher from the previous step with the button on the PCB, ensuring that the pusher can effectively press the button on the PCB.
You can refer to this diagram for the wiring to connect the battery to the Smart Tag.
Finally, after assembling everything, I tested the remote, and it worked. It now functions as a remote control with an additional button that allows for automation actions through the SmartThings app. I use it to control my living room fan and light.
From now on, I won’t need to spend too much time searching for the remote control. As long as the battery is intact, the remote can be located using the SmartThings app.