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Note: to see everything on one page, please go to: www.tweetingcatdoor.com
After receiving many emails requesting Instructions and Kits for building the "Tweeting Cat Door ", I decided to make a version that is stand-alone and doesn't need a computer to be run and that is easy to be put together by anyone with a soldering iron and a little time on hand. All the software is available to download, but feel free to modify it to make it better or to better suit your needs.
The Tweeting Cat Door works as follows:
When a pet tries to enter the pet door, a RFID reader will read the RFID tag that your pet has on the collar. If the tag is authorized , the latch of the pet door will open, a picture is taken of the pet, and uploaded to Twitter along with a funny random message, for example: "Penny is in playing with a ball of yarn."
The pet door works in the same way when the pet tries to go out. A picture is taken and uploaded to Twitter along with a message, for example: "Gus is out to play poker with the fellas."
The messages are chosen at random from a list of possible messages.
Here are some examples:
http://twitpic.com/2a7q32
http://twitpic.com/2uehbs
http://twitpic.com/2uc1ry
http://twitpic.com/29jcd2
Here is @GusAndPenny Sadly, there are no recent updates @gusandpenny. Gus died a while back (probably a fight with a raccoon or other cats?) and not long after, Penny followed.
Note: The twitter part of the project is optional. You can just build the Arduino controller, the latch to lock/unlock the pet door, mount the RFID reader and the latch on the door and you are ready to go. Your pets would be "sorted" by the RFID tag they are waring.
Here you'll find detailed step by step instructions and kits with all the components (you can buy kits, PCB, preprogrammed Arduino chip, etc, by contacting me). By following the instructions on this page, you will have - in no time - your own RFID enabled, twitting pet door, just like the original Tweeting Cat Door.
How does the RFID (Radio-frequency identification) enabled pet door works?
Each pet will have a small RFID tag on the collar and the pet door will open ONLY for your pet for entering the house.
The RFID enabled pet door has 3 settings that can be controlled by pressing a button. For each setting a LED will light in a different color:
GREEN - Open, your pet is allowed to exit the door and to enter the door.
BLUE - In-only, your pet is allowed to only enter the door (for example at night when you want your pet inside)
RED - Locked, the door will stay locked and no exit or entering is allowed.
Note: The entering through the door is controlled by RFID, exiting is controlled by a infrared beam.
After receiving many emails requesting Instructions and Kits for building the "Tweeting Cat Door ", I decided to make a version that is stand-alone and doesn't need a computer to be run and that is easy to be put together by anyone with a soldering iron and a little time on hand. All the software is available to download, but feel free to modify it to make it better or to better suit your needs.
The Tweeting Cat Door works as follows:
When a pet tries to enter the pet door, a RFID reader will read the RFID tag that your pet has on the collar. If the tag is authorized , the latch of the pet door will open, a picture is taken of the pet, and uploaded to Twitter along with a funny random message, for example: "Penny is in playing with a ball of yarn."
The pet door works in the same way when the pet tries to go out. A picture is taken and uploaded to Twitter along with a message, for example: "Gus is out to play poker with the fellas."
The messages are chosen at random from a list of possible messages.
Here are some examples:
http://twitpic.com/2a7q32
http://twitpic.com/2uehbs
http://twitpic.com/2uc1ry
http://twitpic.com/29jcd2
Here is @GusAndPenny Sadly, there are no recent updates @gusandpenny. Gus died a while back (probably a fight with a raccoon or other cats?) and not long after, Penny followed.
Note: The twitter part of the project is optional. You can just build the Arduino controller, the latch to lock/unlock the pet door, mount the RFID reader and the latch on the door and you are ready to go. Your pets would be "sorted" by the RFID tag they are waring.
Here you'll find detailed step by step instructions and kits with all the components (you can buy kits, PCB, preprogrammed Arduino chip, etc, by contacting me). By following the instructions on this page, you will have - in no time - your own RFID enabled, twitting pet door, just like the original Tweeting Cat Door.
How does the RFID (Radio-frequency identification) enabled pet door works?
Each pet will have a small RFID tag on the collar and the pet door will open ONLY for your pet for entering the house.
The RFID enabled pet door has 3 settings that can be controlled by pressing a button. For each setting a LED will light in a different color:
GREEN - Open, your pet is allowed to exit the door and to enter the door.
BLUE - In-only, your pet is allowed to only enter the door (for example at night when you want your pet inside)
RED - Locked, the door will stay locked and no exit or entering is allowed.
Note: The entering through the door is controlled by RFID, exiting is controlled by a infrared beam.
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The pet door controller is based on ATmege328 chip with Arduino bootloader. In this tutorial we won't use an already made Arduino board, we will build our own customized one to fit just our needs.
Note: You are welcome to use your own Arduino board. If you look at the schematic it would be very easy to build it around a standard Arduino board, but we won't cover it in this article.
Here is the schematic for the pet door controller we will use (click on the image to zoom in).
And if you want to see the PCB board design, click on following links:
The schematic
Top Layer with Silkscreen
Top Layer
Bottom Layer
(if you want to make your own PCB board, check out this)
You can also download the Eagle files at the bottom of this page.
On the schematic, you will see a bunch of header connectors, here is the description for each of them:
VCC1 : connect the power supply here
ICSP : you will use this for uploading your software to the Arduino chip.
IRT : the Infrared transmiter LED goes here
IRD : the infrared detector
WIFI : serial connection that goes to the OpenWrt router
RFID : your RFID reader (the software supports both ID12 and Parallax readers, selectable from RJP)
BTN : button to control the way the door operates (open, in only, locked)
RGB : RGB LED (common anode, common cathode, both work, selectable from JP1)
SERVO : the servo that will open/close the pet door latch
SETSERVO button : when pressed you are going to be able to set the max values the servo goes to right or left. The settings are made using the trimpots TPR (max right) and TPL (max left).
PROGTAG button : when pressed, arduino will switch in "learning mode" and you can program new RFID tags. The tags are "learned" by passing them in front of the reader.
JP2: disconnects the RFID reader from the serial, and this way the ICSP can be used to reprogram arduino chip.
Note: You are welcome to use your own Arduino board. If you look at the schematic it would be very easy to build it around a standard Arduino board, but we won't cover it in this article.
Here is the schematic for the pet door controller we will use (click on the image to zoom in).
And if you want to see the PCB board design, click on following links:
The schematic
Top Layer with Silkscreen
Top Layer
Bottom Layer
(if you want to make your own PCB board, check out this)
You can also download the Eagle files at the bottom of this page.
On the schematic, you will see a bunch of header connectors, here is the description for each of them:
VCC1 : connect the power supply here
ICSP : you will use this for uploading your software to the Arduino chip.
IRT : the Infrared transmiter LED goes here
IRD : the infrared detector
WIFI : serial connection that goes to the OpenWrt router
RFID : your RFID reader (the software supports both ID12 and Parallax readers, selectable from RJP)
BTN : button to control the way the door operates (open, in only, locked)
RGB : RGB LED (common anode, common cathode, both work, selectable from JP1)
SERVO : the servo that will open/close the pet door latch
SETSERVO button : when pressed you are going to be able to set the max values the servo goes to right or left. The settings are made using the trimpots TPR (max right) and TPL (max left).
PROGTAG button : when pressed, arduino will switch in "learning mode" and you can program new RFID tags. The tags are "learned" by passing them in front of the reader.
JP2: disconnects the RFID reader from the serial, and this way the ICSP can be used to reprogram arduino chip.
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I better explain briefly (bear with me): You have given your lovely moggy a way of communicating with the whole world, without even realising it herself. AI is of no use socially if it does not interact with us or animals. Now, I'm not too sure where this is going, however I do know that I have lots of ideas for this concept that could make your moggy talk to the world in a more expressive and articulate way. Drop me a message with your mail address, It would be fun to talk.
ps without doubt, an all time best instructable with potential that could blow your mind!
-‡ `ý  -‡„QË
I've been waiting for a manufacturer to make an RFID cat door. (mind boggles as to why it still does not exist). And here you have just handed it to us, thank you.
One million percent awesome!
What I am waiting for is a RFID door I can easily program to scan the RFID chip already imbedded in the dog's skin in case it gets lost/found. I bet e1loan can figure it out...? :)
I suppose to redeem myself I should hack in to the flap I've bought to add tweeting and data logging of entry/exit times :)
That said, here is a picture of the stray we took in last winter. He was in very bad shape, but just the nicest. Sadly, he didn't make it; I wish he had come to me earlier. R.I.P Skinny Jim.
I let my cats out and they often don't even come back at night. Don't mind others keeping cats indoors, just their choice.
I'm not one of those people who sees this issue in black and white, either- I just decided to keep my cats in because my neighborhood is not cat-friendly, they don't seem to mind mostly staying inside, and they get tons of exercise playing with their humans & each other.
To the original poster sorry about all the OT chatter :D
Besides, there's nothing worse than waking up to find that your neighbour's good-for-nothing cat has urinated all over your front door mat. That says 'Welcome to my house' in a distinctly unpleasant manner.
With all that in mind, I am thinking of making one of these for my neighbour, only instead of a switch controlling the lock, it would be time based to prevent the cat from getting out at night.
So cat owners, PLEASE, keep your cats under control! Us dog owners manage it, so can you. Besides, death by being torn apart by a coyote or a raccoon would be horrifying, can you imagine dying that way? I can't, and I sure wouldn't want it for my pets either.
But otherwise, this is a pretty awesome 'ible!
1. Many cats come equiped with an RFID chip installed by the Vet. How about designing your invention to work on these chips?
2. Enable different in-out settings for 2 or more cats.
3. Logging ability: Produce a log of when kitter goes in and out.
Thanks for this project!
Outstanding job friend!!!
You'll just need to know how to do the clever stuff with the Arundo & put in practise what I suggest. What'ya say, an instructable partnership? If your interested mail me.
* I'm a little practically lacking and a goldfish attention span!