# Automating bulk appliances

**URL:** <https://community.openhab.org/t/automating-bulk-appliances/33816>\
**Category:** Home Automation\
**Tags:** installation, hardware, homeautomation\
**Created:** [September 1, 2017, 9:14am UTC](https://community.openhab.org/t/automating-bulk-appliances/33816 "2017-09-01T09:14:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 9\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![praveen\_kumar](https://community.openhab.org/user_avatar/community.openhab.org/praveen_kumar/32/72003_2.png) [@praveen\_kumar](https://community.openhab.org/u/praveen_kumar)\
**Post date:** [September 1, 2017, 9:14am UTC](https://community.openhab.org/t/automating-bulk-appliances/33816/1 "2017-09-01T09:14:38Z")

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I have 50 bulbs and 50 ceiling fans,I want to automate using openhad bt which hardware is suitable for automating of huge number of appliances ! Can I use raspeberry pi or anyother hardware. Please help me out! Thank you in advance

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**Author:** ![george.erhan](https://community.openhab.org/user_avatar/community.openhab.org/george.erhan/32/71443_2.png) [@george.erhan](https://community.openhab.org/u/george.erhan)\
**Post date:** [September 1, 2017, 10:01am UTC](https://community.openhab.org/t/automating-bulk-appliances/33816/2 "2017-09-01T10:01:35Z")

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100 devices is not really a huge number!  
A raspberry pi will do just fine!

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**Author:** ![praveen\_kumar](https://community.openhab.org/user_avatar/community.openhab.org/praveen_kumar/32/72003_2.png) [@praveen\_kumar](https://community.openhab.org/u/praveen_kumar)\
**Post date:** [September 1, 2017, 10:14am UTC](https://community.openhab.org/t/automating-bulk-appliances/33816/3 "2017-09-01T10:14:27Z")

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but raspberry has just 40 pins right

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**Author:** ![george.erhan](https://community.openhab.org/user_avatar/community.openhab.org/george.erhan/32/71443_2.png) [@george.erhan](https://community.openhab.org/u/george.erhan)\
**Post date:** [September 1, 2017, 10:40am UTC](https://community.openhab.org/t/automating-bulk-appliances/33816/4 "2017-09-01T10:40:05Z")

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Yes, but you can expand using i2c bus

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![praveen\_kumar](https://community.openhab.org/user_avatar/community.openhab.org/praveen_kumar/32/72003_2.png) [@praveen\_kumar](https://community.openhab.org/u/praveen_kumar)\
**Post date:** [September 1, 2017, 11:07am UTC](https://community.openhab.org/t/automating-bulk-appliances/33816/5 "2017-09-01T11:07:44Z")

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but how many i2c buses can be connected to raspberry pi ?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![george.erhan](https://community.openhab.org/user_avatar/community.openhab.org/george.erhan/32/71443_2.png) [@george.erhan](https://community.openhab.org/u/george.erhan)\
**Post date:** [September 1, 2017, 11:23am UTC](https://community.openhab.org/t/automating-bulk-appliances/33816/6 "2017-09-01T11:23:41Z")

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An example can be [this one](https://www.abelectronics.co.uk/p/54/IO-Pi-Plus).

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![praveen\_kumar](https://community.openhab.org/user_avatar/community.openhab.org/praveen_kumar/32/72003_2.png) [@praveen\_kumar](https://community.openhab.org/u/praveen_kumar)\
**Post date:** [September 1, 2017, 11:27am UTC](https://community.openhab.org/t/automating-bulk-appliances/33816/7 "2017-09-01T11:27:48Z")

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so all the pins I can connect to relay board ri8?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![george.erhan](https://community.openhab.org/user_avatar/community.openhab.org/george.erhan/32/71443_2.png) [@george.erhan](https://community.openhab.org/u/george.erhan)\
**Post date:** [September 1, 2017, 11:41am UTC](https://community.openhab.org/t/automating-bulk-appliances/33816/8 "2017-09-01T11:41:57Z")

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You can have a maximum of 128 I/O ports using this type of board! Be careful, you will need extra parts for the relays, such as transistors, resistors, etc.  
Depending on the physical layout of your installation (cable routing), centralizing 100 circuits in one place can be tedious.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![praveen\_kumar](https://community.openhab.org/user_avatar/community.openhab.org/praveen_kumar/32/72003_2.png) [@praveen\_kumar](https://community.openhab.org/u/praveen_kumar)\
**Post date:** [September 1, 2017, 11:51am UTC](https://community.openhab.org/t/automating-bulk-appliances/33816/9 "2017-09-01T11:51:36Z")

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Okay I will be in touch with you till my project works! Thank you in advance