I already setup OpenHAB on a PI. Currently I am using EnOcean and ZWave devices in my home. Now I am looking foreward to integrate some analogue signals and relays.
I want to read one analogue voltage (0-10V) and ten contacts. Also at least two relays must be switchable. The Problem is, that the devices are located in my cellar and I cannot use any wireless system there. So I thought of a simple “sensor to IP” gateway that can be integrated.
What hardware would you suggest? It would be perfect, if the gateway could be powered by PoE. So maybe another Pi with PoE hat and some other board?
Thanks
[EDIT] I am able to solder and wire things together. So a DIY solution is possible.
MDAR
(Stuart Hanlon, UK importer of Velbus hardware)
2
They sell a great multi io device, which has everything you’ve asked for in a straight forward IP version, or a version with its own scripting language, if you want it to do things without external control, but with a remote control option via UDP.
The IP version can interface with openHAB2 quite easily using the TCP binding.
If you’re looking for an easy solution then the ETH484 will probably be best, but doesn’t have analog in. it has 4 analog inputs (I must be going blind).
Next easiest option would be a Pi, you could use my MQTTany software for digital I/O. The Pi doesn’t have any analog inputs, but you could use something like an ADS1115 (I think that’s the chip) which I’m sure someone sells as a hat and I can add support for that (I was planning to anyway).
No matter what device you use it won’t be able to handle 0-10V analog (or digital) so you will need to scale that down. You might be able to find a hat that has an ADS1115 on it and can scale the voltage down. Or build a circuit to drop the voltage.
@MDAR I wouldn’t say expertise, but I’m good with hardware
1 Like
MDAR
(Stuart Hanlon, UK importer of Velbus hardware)
5
Ahem…
It does
Digital Switching I/O channels - 8 Analogue Inputs - 4
See page 2 of the PDF.
Analogue inputs
5v = 5v dc output
A = Input (0-3.3v)
0v = 0v ground
So it’s definitely the ADS1115. I don’t see any Pi HATs out there with one though, but you could get something like this and build a board around it with voltage step-down on it.
Thanks for the detailed infos and options!
I will go with a DS3484 from Devantech. This board has an additionally RS485 port I can utilize to connect to my heating system via modbus. It seems like the reliable all-in-one solution I was looking for.
3 Likes
MDAR
(Stuart Hanlon, UK importer of Velbus hardware)
8
Good choice.
The Dscript language takes a bit to get your head around, but if you have ever had dealings with BASIC then you should be able to get started.
Anyone will tell you that I’m no programmer, but even I managed to get my head around DScript to create a bell chiming interface.
I’m not entirely sure how much you can do with the RS485 port, but I guess that depends on your programming skills
so GPIO pins 2, 3 and 4 trigger openhab items buttonpi_doorbell, buttonpi_call_lift and buttonpi_permit, and a command is sent every 60 seconds to buttonpi_heartbeat (so I can use the expire binding to notify me if the pi goes down)
I got my hands on the dS3484 and played a bit with it. Then I noticed, that the firmware was outdated (4.3) and so I tried to upload version 4.4 with the supplied dScript IDE. My problem now is, that flashing the firmware completed, but it will not run. The board does not blink the blue led when powered, only one solid green led is lid. The board is only recognized by the IDE when in bootloader mode, but that was already the case with 4.3. Any ideas how to fix this?
The output from the update:
[16:20:51.119] - Searching for module to upload to…
[16:20:53.413] - Updating system firmware.
[16:20:53.413] - Erasing Flash
[16:21:00.830] - Programming Flash
[16:21:00.831] - [****************************************] 100%
[16:21:07.053] - Done!
[16:21:07.054] - Rebooting Module
[16:21:10.136] - Could not find a module to upload code to, Build and run canceled
Flash it again. It has happened to me before where some of the data was not transferred correctly and reflashing does the trick most times.
MDAR
(Stuart Hanlon, UK importer of Velbus hardware)
15
It’s been a while since I did anything with the board, but I think you’ll find that the Green light is simply a power indicator, whereas the other LEDs are fully programmable.
For example, you can create a heartbeat.
It might be that it’s just waiting for a configuration to be loaded into it?
I already did this a couple of times. Now even tried to reflash 4.3, but with the same result.
I will give it a try tomorrow with another computer, as my laptop had some issues with usb connections to other devices in the past. Maybe that is also the problem here?
So I tried it with a Win10 laptop and that worked.
The log is similar to that on my Xubuntu notebook, but the device is recognized after the reboot and then the website and application get uploaded. I will dig further into this during the next couple of weeks, but now I am glad, the module is running again.