Testing a 38KHz IR Sensor

Thanks to the tutorial on the AdaFruit Learning System, testing a new 38KHz IR sensor was a 5 minute exercise.  The parts used for this test were:

• 1 x TSOP38238 38KHz IR Sensor [AdaFruit-157]
• 1 x T 1 3/4 Blue LED [Mouser 604-WP7113QBC/G]
• 1 x 220ohm 1/4 watt resistor [Mouser 291-220-RC]

and were connected as follows:

In order to test the sensor, an LED was connected between Vcc and the Vout pin (via a current limiting resistor).  If the IR sensor detects a 38KHz modulated pulse wave (PWM), it pulls the Vout pin low, thereby completing the circuit and lighting the LED.
 

After powering the circuit, the closest TV remote control was used to test the sensor.