Arduino Home automation

This is a relatively simple controller for controlling equipment in your home.

At the moment I control my central heating, security and lighting.
By sending commands from my home computer.

My homeeasy central heating controller hack.
http://www.instructables.com/id/BampQ_homeeasy_home_automation_central_heating_c/

I am also able to login remotely from the internet to control the equipment at home connected to this controller.

This project is built around an Arduino board.

http://www.arduino.cc/

The arduino board is a hardware interface allowing you to control and monitor hardware devices with your computer.

And the homeeasy home automation controllers available from B&Q.

http://www.homeeasy.eu/home.php

These are basically plug-in module which allows you to switch devices on and off using a remote control.

The idea behind this project was. I wanted to be able to login to my home computer and send commands that would allow me to turn lights on remotely.
Or have the computer do it automatically at a set time or when it gets dark.

Step 1 Parts needed

1 arduino board.
1 homeeasy controller - part number HE300
1 prototype board - Vero board
10 resistors - 47 ohm
10 led's
4 opto isolators - RS part 308-613
Some ribbon cable.
a strip of pins to connect to the headers on the arduino board.
1 box - to put it all in.
some HE302S - remote control socket


Tools

Soldering iron
Solder
Cutters

Comments

[Matrixis]

 Doing a home automation project myself using these sockets and an arduino.

The main differences are that my project uses the ethernet shield and is controllable via some custom software on my mobile phone over the internet
Plus that I use a 433Mhz AM transmitter and a library I created by researching other peoples work that reverse-engineered the protocol.
I can transmit the code for the old simple protocol(sockets  have dial on back) and the advanced protocol (socket have small button on front).  So i can actually control millions of sockets all from 1 pin on my arduino.

I have timers for turning on and off electric heating, water and even my electric blanket on my bed , plus I have an output for controlling my electric door lock so I can actually let in a friend when I'm not there if they call me.

Code is getting rather big now as I keep adding things and might have to upgrade to a mega just for the extra space :p

Who knew such a small device could take up most of my free time. ( I own 2 and probably more soon).

With regards to your own project, great work and if ya want to upgrade your project to using a dedicated 433Mhz transmitter, just give me a shout and can send you my library with instruction on how to use it.

[gsalerni]

Hi Matrixis,
I'd love to extend the home easy setup using Arduino to create a low cost main controller and low cost input devices which seem to be missing from the range (temp sensors, light sensors etc.)
Would you mind sharing your library and transmitter design?
many thanks
Guy

[mojud]

Hi Matrixis,

Do u mind sharing the library with me too?

Thanks,
Mojud

[Teknopuppy]

Hi,

Matrixis,

i insterested in your project , can u share it with me.



thanks,

jimmy

[squirrelsnuts]

Holy crap! This is awesome! I've been researching X10, Insteon, misterhouse, arduino, thermostats, lights ad naseum to start doing something like this. I was focused on the Insteon PowerLinc modem to hook up to my computer, but I never thought of hooking into a remote... genius! Opens all kinds of possibilities!

Question though.... why the opto isolators? I don't know electronics very well (but I'm learning!)

[mbainrot]

Opto Isolator (aka opto coupler) provide optical isolation from the mains circuit. The idea behind it is if something goes wrong your micro doesn't get fried and protects the micro from EMF noise.

When you working with noisy loads (such as heavy mains switching via relays) the opto will usually prevent the micro from spazzing out (due to it switching, copping an emf whack, crashing, then rinse and repeating)

[jimmer22]

This is amazing in terms of smart home products. I came across http://sabinessmarthome.com the other day and saw some cool and useful products for home automation as well

[Teknopuppy]

hi,

simon,

can i use different remote control.


Thanks,

Jimmy

[TOCO]

Where can I get the block of 10 leds? I have looked for them but I cant find them anywhere. Can you post a link or something?

[mman1506]

thank you !! i was looking for months to find a alternative to transitors and power hungry relays i never thought of using opto-isolators

[Yakumo]

Thank You for this wonderful idea. I'm using a different remote system but everything works fine thanks to you :)


i seriously need to add some flat cables to my next project...its works but it looks very ugly ^^'

[purpulhaze]

Can  you explain in a lil more detail of how to communicate via SSH. I have freeSSH server running on my windows xp machine. I can connect but none of the commands are recognized. Am I missing something here?

[purpulhaze]

I think I'm missing something here but I'm not sure. I don't think it can be done without something else.

[purpulhaze]

Kinda new to scripts just want to make sure. I add this script somewhere in my arduino sketch?

[flemron]

if( val == 'B' ) // if '9' was received
if( val == '9' ) // if '9' was received
if( val == '0' ) // if '9' was received

is this correct?

[killersquirel11]

Technically, no, but it will work since its just the comments that are screwed up.  Should read
if( val == 'B' ) // if 'B ' was received
if( val == '9' ) // if '9 ' was received
if( val == '0' ) // if '0 ' was received
but the code will still compile the same either way

[rk24]

 Thanks a lot!!!!!


look this: "instructables.com/id/we-controlled-valentine"

Can you make more digital outputs for that?

T_T please I need  a web controlled pcb with 8 outputs...

I've tried but ....fail...

[simon72post]

 Hi the server software I used was webmin. www.webmin.com/

[rk24]

can you post your web server? please

[WillTheRescue]

Why does your Arduino programing interface have a space to input a letter and mine doesn't?

[simon72post]

in the arduino software click the button on the right to open the serial terminal.

[get to da parakeet]

Hey! i got somthing for you. the cheaper,quicker way is to use relays :P

[andrew101]

haha, this i would like to see. some guy just randomly re-wiring his house using relays. that is a fire wating to happen. plus the fact this is already wireless, if you were to use relays you would need to either 1. run wires across your house or 2. find a wireless alternative. if you use wireless, it will either be cheap and unreliable or really expensive. either way this method here seems like a better choice to me really.

[simon72post]

Hi I was going to use relays originally. But I had these bits laying around. This is all powered from the arduino board. running relays from the arduino board could overload it if there are a few on at the same time.

[get to da parakeet]

Well, That REALLY all sepends on where you get them.
in the USA, theres this thing called a hamfest for/and computer show where you can get alot of cheep stuff.

i controll my relays with the dc controller shield found on arduino's website =P

[ReCreate]

Or you can control the relays with another low power relay...

[raathi2009]

Sir! I need the detailed schematic. please help me sir. Or any other ways to get it. [e-mail]

[i0scan]

Where did you get the project box that you used!?

[simon72post]

I just used an old box I had laying around. I think it came from maplins originally

[i0scan]

Thanks!

[thrhymes]

thank you for the inspiring instructable i will try this....

[westfw]

I really like the idea of putting the LEDs in series with the optoisolator inputs so you can see what's going on!