CHQ1838 but for visible red light

Question

I like to detect the reflection or the red dot of a laser which sends a RC5 protocol command on a 38 kHz carrier. Basically it’s exactly what the above mentioned receiver does for IR signals. But it’s a red laser. If I exactly hit the receiver with a laser beam it works. The reflective white surface is around 10 cm from the intended position of the sensor. The distance is not fixed so it can be adjusted depending on possible solutions.

I work mostly with ESP32 boards and want the visible laser. Buying a similar laser with IR is not an option. From my understanding the IR receiver is basically an IC with photo element filter, gain control etc. In case the photo element would be sensitive to red light instead of IR it would perfectly solve my problem.

Does something like this exist?

Answer 1

Have a look at some of the chips designed for IrDA communication, which usually don't have an integrated photosensor; thus you can feed it from a red photosensor rather than an infrared sensor. One chip is the Maxim 1328, whose datasheet says it's also designed for TV remote control.

Also, consider an "analogue repeater": a red photosensor followed by op-amp and IR LED placed adjacent to your existing device.