---
id: infrared-protocols
version: "9.0.0"
license: MIT
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: active
---

# infrared-protocols — Library to decode and encode infrared signals.

License: permissive · Maintenance: active · Downloads: 136.9K/mo

## What it is and what it does

infrared-protocols is a Python library designed specifically to support Home Assistant integrations by providing shared types and utilities for decoding and encoding infrared signals. It is not a general-purpose IR library; its API is driven by the concrete needs of Home Assistant Core rather than broad IR protocol coverage. The library serves as a foundational layer that Home Assistant integrations can depend on, allowing them to either use the protocols implemented here or wrap their own dedicated IR libraries while still benefiting from the shared types.

The package has no runtime dependencies and is actively maintained. It requires Python 3.14 or later, reflecting a modern Python baseline. With low install friction and a permissive MIT license, it integrates cleanly into Home Assistant's ecosystem. The library is explicitly scoped to Home Assistant's use cases, so its feature set and API will evolve based on integration needs rather than general IR protocol completeness.

Use it for:

- Building Home Assistant integrations that send or receive infrared commands from smart home devices
- Decoding IR signals from remote controls for use in Home Assistant automation rules
- Encoding IR commands to control air conditioners, TVs, or other IR-based appliances via Home Assistant
- Providing shared IR type definitions for multiple Home Assistant integrations to depend on

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

Decodes and encodes infrared signals for use in Home Assistant integrations, providing foundational types for the Home Assistant ecosystem to build infrared protocol support on.

Yes, if you are building a Home Assistant integration that needs to work with infrared signals. The library is actively maintained, has no dependencies, and uses a permissive MIT license. However, it is explicitly scoped to Home Assistant's needs; if you need general-purpose IR protocol support outside that ecosystem, a different library may be more suitable. The Python 3.14 requirement is a hard constraint for older environments.

## Install

pip install infrared-protocols
uv add infrared-protocols
poetry add infrared-protocols

## Installing infrared-protocols

Before you install: Low install friction with a pure Python wheel. Actively maintained with a recent commit on 2026-08-14 and a release from 2026-08-03. No runtime dependencies to manage.

License in practice: MIT license permits free use, modification, and distribution with minimal restrictions, making it suitable for both open-source and commercial Home Assistant integrations.

Quickstart:

pip install infrared-protocols==9.0.0

import infrared_protocols
# Use the library's types and functions to decode/encode IR signals

Requires Python 3.14 or later; older Python versions are not supported.

Verify before relying:

- Whether the library supports decoding/encoding for specific IR protocols beyond what Home Assistant Core currently requires
- Performance characteristics when processing high-volume or complex infrared signal streams
- API stability guarantees or deprecation policy for integrations depending on this library

## Package facts

- License: MIT (permissive)
- Python support: capped_below_current
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: active
- Downloads: 136.9K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

infrared signal decoding, IR protocol encoding, home assistant IR library, infrared signal processing, IR remote control, infrared protocol support, home-assistant, infrared-protocols, iot

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