What did you build/automated today (with pictures)?

chrode · July 28, 2019, 6:35pm

I used Profiles vom IsoLicht.com: Midi 12mm for the ceiling. Good price value… I think.

I did not use a KNX module for dimming. I used an 24 Channel DMX Module. I needed a solution for a complete house. The DMX Modules have been much cheaper as KNX. The modules are placed inside a large switch cabinet with 24v Trafos and all other electronic stuff.

OpenHAB handles the translation between the KNX Switch and the 4 DMX modules with 24 channels each.

One risk in my set up: if openHAB is not running, the light Switches will not work. I am aware of that. But openHAB has been pretty reliable in past 7 years I was using it at my flat.

Fa_Bien · July 29, 2019, 9:37am

Thanks a lot for the details.
Concerning the KNX dimming there is now a fair priced (but not as cheap as the DMX you used) solution for constant current LEDs, the Meanwell LCM-40KNX. It was released in April and I found it just today…

Vitchling · July 29, 2019, 10:08am

Burglar Alarms are so boring…

I use Text to Voice over my Sonos speakers at full volume in each room. Scares the Bejasus out of me when it goes off and may be more effective than “Awooga! Awooga!”

Sadly, I can’t upload the .WAV file but it goes like this in Google’s pleasant female voice…

"Hello burglar. Nichola here. I hope you didn’t injure yourself breaking into my house.

You’ve triggered my alarm system, so I’ve contacted the ADT alarm monitoring company and they have notified the police. A patrol car is nearby and will arrive shortly.

I suggest you exit through the landing window, onto the garage roof as the front and back doors are deadlocked and will not open from the inside.

Better to turn your tail and run away and live to burgle another day, don’t you think?"

MDAR · July 29, 2019, 10:15am

Are you using a Google device that supports the Play & Say commands in DSL rules?

If so, you can put an MP3 file in the Sounds folder and use the Play command (just put the filename into the play command, without a path, or you can use the PlayURL channel and use the full internal network address)

It’s how I play bespoke announcements

Vitchling · July 29, 2019, 10:18am

Hi MDAR

Thanks for your reply. I do use a .wav file on my OH system, I just can’t upload it to this community forum for you all to hear as it’s not an acceptable file type. It really is funnier to hear it than read it!

Kim_Andersen · July 29, 2019, 10:19am

Compress is using zip or something simular. After compression, rename the file to xxxxx.zip.txt
Then you can upload the file.

dakipro · July 29, 2019, 10:20am

I was considering something similar, however I do not think any regular (non-violent) burglar would listen to more then “Hello…”. They would usually try escaping trought their entrance, or nearest doors (usually not front doors).
Not sure if this guy is real, but if it is he gives some insight about braking in and mindset of a 'professional" burglar https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtwD-c9hn58

Kim_Andersen · July 29, 2019, 10:26am

I use openhab to send audio files to one of my Google Home devices I place on the attic at Halloween to scare the children when they enter our frontdoor, triggered by a motionsensor… Also have the spotlights fast blinking/flashing

This year I plan to make it even better…

Vitchling · July 29, 2019, 10:29am

Thanks for the link Dakipro. Interesting and useful…

Kim, that’s just evil! Brilliant idea! Lol! Finally I can get even with my kid for all the times she’s gone “Boo!”

Kim_Andersen · July 29, 2019, 1:14pm

Exactly…

broconne · August 5, 2019, 1:45am

Added UPB lighting automation to two outside lights, the dining room, the guest room and the attic. I have an ebay alert and have been gradually building my collection - 95% of my house now has fully automated lights.

Now for the pictures? I FINALLY discovered Lever Nuts! I have been struggling with wire nuts connecting stranded wire from my switch to solid core wire. The worst was the neutrals - trying to get stranded wire on top of 4 other twisted solid core was always difficult. Sometimes I would think it was good, push everything in the box and then something would come loose.

I bought two sets of level nuts

Assorted set of 2,3 and 5 conductor
50 Pack of two conductor

This made it so much easier to connect the different wire types, once it was snapped in place, I could give each wire a firm tug and make sure it was solid. Additionally, when doing a multi-gang switchbox I would sometimes get wires twisted, if I had used wire nuts I just would have left it, but it was so simple to use the lever nuts to open up one site and detangle my wires.

Here is a simple 1 gang install:

Seaside · August 9, 2019, 8:48am

I’m hooking up my home alarm (433MHz) to a fibaro smart implant. Using a 2pole relay to trigger an external sirene as well as sensing when alarm is armed/disarmed.

using external alarm siren via relay
sense when alarm is armed / disarmed via smart implant
sense via relay and smart implant if alarm is triggered.
using a rflink to arm/disarm the alarm.

rsemmens · August 10, 2019, 11:44pm

Well its not much but here’s my build/rebuild.

I’ll apologise now, its messy and although i’m sure we know the risks don’t play with main’s voltage if your not sure about it.

3 Years ago i converted my manually controlled projector screen to WiFi using some arduino code, ESP8266 and relays.

This worked for a while but started resetting the ESP8266 randomly when told to do anything, i attempted to fix it (i believe it was some kind of surge from the relays or power supply issue) but ended up giving up and just leaving the screen down all the time.

Well times have changed and there’s just no need to code everything my hand these days. ESPHome is my goto at the moment. With ease you can have something working in minutes, in this case we have MQTT to interface with Openhab as well as the buttons on the device to override in the event of Openhab being down. The WiFi light works as a status led for warning of connectivity issues. The control of the relays is done by scripting within ESPHome itself. To polish it off we have a fall back to broadcast its on access point in the event it can’t connect and a nice little status web page. (Code below):

substitutions:
  plug_name: sonoff_4ch_pro

esphome:
  name: ${plug_name}
  platform: ESP8266
  board: esp01_1m

wifi:
  ssid: "Tell my WiFi I love her"
  password: "Password here"
  ap:
    ssid: "esphome"
    password: "001feb2005"

web_server:
  port: 80

# Enable logging
logger:

ota:
  password: Password here
  
mqtt:
  broker: MQTT.localdomain
  username: User here
  password: Password here
  birth_message:
    topic: ${plug_name}/LWT
    payload: "ON"
  will_message:
    topic: ${plug_name}/LWT
    payload: "OFF"
  on_message:
    - topic: ${plug_name}/control/UP
      then:
      - script.execute: raise_projector_screen
    - topic: ${plug_name}/control/DOWN
      then:
      - script.execute: lower_projector_screen
    
status_led:
  pin:
    number: GPIO13
    inverted: False
    
text_sensor:
  - platform: template
    name: "MAC Address"
    lambda: 'return {WiFi.macAddress().c_str()};'

binary_sensor:
- platform: gpio
  pin:
    number: GPIO0
    mode: INPUT_PULLUP
    inverted: True
  name: "Sonoff 4CH Button 1"
#  on_press:
#    - script.execute: raise_projector_screen
- platform: gpio
  pin:
    number: GPIO9
    mode: INPUT_PULLUP
    inverted: True
  name: "Sonoff 4CH Button 2"
#  on_press:
#    - script.execute: lower_projector_screen
- platform: gpio
  pin:
    number: GPIO10
    mode: INPUT_PULLUP
    inverted: True
  name: "Sonoff 4CH Button 3"
#  on_press:
#    - switch.toggle: relay_3
- platform: gpio
  pin:
    number: GPIO14
    mode: INPUT_PULLUP
    inverted: True
  name: "Sonoff 4CH Button 4"
#  on_press:
#    - switch.toggle: relay_4
- platform: status
  name: "Sonoff 4CH Status"

switch:
- platform: gpio
  name: "Sonoff 4CH Relay 1"
  pin: GPIO12
  id: relay_1
- platform: gpio
  name: "Sonoff 4CH Relay 2"
  pin: GPIO5
  id: relay_2
- platform: gpio
  name: "Sonoff 4CH Relay 3"
  pin: GPIO4
  id: relay_3
- platform: gpio
  name: "Sonoff 4CH Relay 4"
  pin: GPIO15
  id: relay_4

script:
  - id: raise_projector_screen
    then:
      - logger.log: "Start raising screen"
      - switch.turn_on: relay_1
      - switch.turn_on: relay_2
      - delay: 43s
      - switch.turn_off: relay_2
      - switch.turn_off: relay_1
      - logger.log: "Done raising screen"
  - id: lower_projector_screen
    then:
      - logger.log: "Start lowering screen"
      - switch.turn_on: relay_2
      - delay: 43s
      - switch.turn_off: relay_2
      - logger.log: "Done lowering screen"

Add in a Sonoff 4ch Pro (all the required hardware in 1 pre-made package) and that’s it!

Now yes it needs to be boxed but my current plan is to move the bulk of my equipment into a large Wall Mounted Electrical Enclosure which will protect us from it and it from us along with all the other things that go into having an automated flat.

GordanTrevis · August 14, 2019, 9:54am

Hey, leif! I’m just browsing through this thread and read you nice automation post.
Just wanted to mention from a security side aspect, it may be still could be possible to take screenshots with the cam without the sensor noticing a current change.
Taking Screenshots only takes a few milis. That’s how you get around hardwired cam status LEDs which are build-in Apple Devices for example.

leif · August 14, 2019, 10:29am

Nice one! I hadn’t thought about that. Thank you!

As it stands, the jarring automatic turning on of bright lights in front of me is generally enough to remind me to open and close the camera cover, but still good to know though.

broconne · August 19, 2019, 1:20pm

I automated 10 of my interior doors. When I built my house, I had it pre-wired at all the interior doors for door contacts. I have been holding off on wiring them because of the cost per input for my Security/Automation panel (HAI).

Following the lead of @sipvoip I purchased a Pokeys57E that has 57 digital input/outputs on it that can be read with modbus. The device costs about $55 - really hard to beat on a dollar per input basis.

I installed contacts in many of the closets and some of the bedroom doors. The contacts drive automated lighting.

One thing that I struggled with was how to get a combined ground for use across the digital inputs. @sipvoip used a wirenut - I was really worried about connections coming loose with wire nuts. I ended up buying some screw terminals with barrier strips. At first, I was going to use one screw terminal per ground, but I can get 3 or 4 securely.

Mhgglmmr · August 20, 2019, 11:24am

Just if someone is looking for a cheaper alternative: you can get PCF8574 modules with 8 DIO and I2C interface for less than $1. Adress set by DIM switch to combine up to 8 of those in a I2C network.
Connected to a host (e.g. Pi Zero W, ESP32/ESP8266 board or any Ethernet capable board) you come to a fraction of the $55 for 64 DIO channels (plus the DIO channels of the host controller).

broconne · August 20, 2019, 12:55pm

Can you share a link to a tutorial or any other material on that setup?

Mhgglmmr · August 20, 2019, 2:13pm

Sure, here you are for a Raspberry Pi example and here for an Arduino based one. This one describes the use in ESP Easy.
Connecting multiple nodes via I2C bus electrically is shown at Wikipedia.
If you get the following modules you can simply make a chain of them (each with a different jumper setting i.e. unique I2C address).

If you get another type with a different address space (PCF8574A) you can even add another 8 of them for another 64 DIO.
It works the same way for any other I2C capable host controller.
Searching for PCF8574 and your MCU of choice should give you plenty of results.

bulletprooffool · September 5, 2019, 7:00pm

Face recognition - have to do that!! The rest is near identical to mine.
Haven’t used nose red yet - do you have a tutorial somewhere? Nice work