I would like to trigger a PIR sensor using an infrared LED. Is that possible? My goal is to simulate motion in front of the PIR, when there otherwise is none. I tried using a handheld remote control, but that didn't seem to work.
Answer
People often use imprecise terms to describe InfraRed and it is further complicated in that with respect to Infrared "that word infrared ... I don't think it means what you think it means" in a lot of cases.
PIR - AKA Passive infrared sensors are pryoelectric devices that are optimized to detect Mammalian body temperatures (around 300 K), these warm bodies emit light at around the 10µm to 14µm wavelength range. Some people call this the "mid Infrared" but the trend is towards using the term "Thermal InfraRed" or TIR.
The IR LED you are using emits probably around 900 nm -> 750 nm - so close to 1µm in wavelength. Some people call this "Near IR" but those people also tend to call 2 - 4 um wavelngth range the "Mid Infrared also". Confusing? yep. It comes from a different historical use. One from the military one from chemistry/astronomy.
So you are at least a factor of 10X away in wavelength terms. And a LED emits light in a very, very narrow band of energies (it is an electronic effect after all)
Also PIR's are "designed" to detect rather largish bodies, which means a fair amount of energy or photon flux.
A black body emitter will increase energy in all wavelengths with increasing temperature. So an emitter at 27 C (300 K) will emit less light at 10µm than a emitter that is at 100 C (373 K) in the same band of energies. So if you want to have an emitter that will trigger the PIR, make a temperature controlled emitter, run it at 100 C to be safe, and it will emit a lot more light in the 10 - 14µm band than a body temperature device.
On second thought make it 70 C just to be safe. 100 C is a little too hot. Read up about blackbody emitters for fun.
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