Questions tagged [home-automation]

Home automation is using electronic systems to control appliances and other electrical systems within a house. Examples include automatic switching of lights, air conditioning, security locks and cooking / entertainment appliances.

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42 votes
9 answers
77k views

What sensor to choose to track human presence indoors?

This is a hobby project about home automation. The idea is that of distributed system of cheap microcontrollers that take measurements, communicate, output data and control appliances. One important ...
Vorac's user avatar
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6 votes
3 answers
9k views

Using electric motor to adjust blinds?

So I'm trying to do some insane home DIY with my room blinds. I'm trying to make them adjust (go up and down) automatically. Now for this, obviously, I will need a motor. The blinds I'm working ...
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8 votes
5 answers
6k views

Water level detection, where water is somewhat polluted and has significant dissolved salts

Found this excellent QnA here which provides several options for measuring or detection water-level. For my case, it is enough to differentiate 4 levels of water (very low, low, middle, full), of the ...
bdutta74's user avatar
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2 votes
2 answers
9k views

Auto turn off switch during power outage

In my area power outages are a daily routine. And power surges, which occur when the electricity comes back, makes it even worse. To avoid damage of the electronic devices we try to unplug them ...
Mohamed Ouda's user avatar
17 votes
5 answers
25k views

Are relays reliable for long time use?

I am developing a home automation project in which I'm using relays to control appliances. I need to control devices with 220V and 6A rating. Should I use relays to control these appliances as a ...
Suraj Bhawal's user avatar
14 votes
1 answer
15k views

Any obvious problems with this DIY home automation?

I'd like to know if anyone can spot any serious electrical issues in what I'm trying to do from an electrical viewpoint. Youtube Demo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmsdXMbd2vo Short version: I ...
vlad b.'s user avatar
  • 323
10 votes
6 answers
16k views

Arduino Home Light Dimming

The drywall is just starting to go up in my family’s basement project. I’ve been looking into residential light control systems. Some of the ones I’ve seen have been an upwards of $2,000. I’m thinking ...
Kevin Mark's user avatar
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8 votes
2 answers
6k views

1-wire verses CAN-bus for home sensing network?

I'm trying to put together a home automation solution for my newly built house. I'm very new to this, specifically for hardware matters and asking this question to verify if my understanding of what I'...
abolotnov's user avatar
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6 votes
2 answers
16k views

direct ZigBee communication with Philips Hue smart light bulbs

Philips Hue light bulbs use a Bridge(transmitter) to connect between your network and their smart lights via a ZigBee protocol called Light Link. Can you control the lights directly with your own ...
hydronics's user avatar
4 votes
7 answers
16k views

How to design an AC current detection switch?

I am working on a home automation system and I need to detect if an appliance is getting power or not. I need a AC current detection switch which can be mounted on a power line and send a DC voltage ...
Ankit Kumar's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
5k views

12V relay circuit, converted to 5V relay, under uC control

Few questions about a little Home-Automation project I am trying. Below is the schematic which I found in an article, slightly modified to suit the parts I have in hand -- Original had, ...
bdutta74's user avatar
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3 votes
1 answer
1k views

Simple AC line state detection for digital controller input

Last year I moved into a house that has an old ('50s-'70s vintage) GE low voltage lighting control system. It uses 24VAC momentary wall switches to toggle solenoid/latch relays that feed 12 main ...
Peter's user avatar
  • 131
2 votes
1 answer
804 views

How to "push buttons" on voltage ladder?

I have a quite simple task I can't wrap my head around. I have an old home 5.1 sound system with optical input that plays sounds from my media center. Its remote broke, and while I tried to fix it, I ...
Alexander's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
858 views

How do external circuits in light switching units (such as Lightwave RF) use the mains wiring for power?

LightwaveRF is a simple switching unit that contains additional circuitry to enable automatic wireless switching. The additional circuit is powered by the mains light switching circuit. This is my ...
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2 votes
3 answers
843 views

Circuit to turn microcontroller on when reed switch state changes (to monitor door lock state)

I'd like to build a circuit that provides power to a microcontroller (ESP8266 in this instance) when a reed switch is changed from closed to open AND when changed from open to closed. This is to be ...
Thinqer77's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
958 views

Why don't LG RS232 commands work when the TV is on (only responds when off)?

I'm writing a new question after stumbling across this question which appeared to have similar symptoms: LG RS232 Commands partially working. As the other question noted, the power on command ...
tgpaul's user avatar
  • 49
1 vote
1 answer
223 views

Are there any problems with my circuit design?

I am new to designing circuits but I have spent a lot of time researching for this project. I have been designing an automated indoor garden for my home. To save space, there will be 3 gardens stacked ...
c1eave's user avatar
  • 13
0 votes
2 answers
414 views

Transistor not switching [closed]

I've got a 2N3904 hooked up to a pin on a NodeMCU Board (3.3V logic). I am trying to short the button contacts on a fan remote to trigger the speed and such, however, when I pull the base high (3.3V) ...
Owen's user avatar
  • 115
0 votes
3 answers
2k views

Splitting mains power into multiple relay-switched circuits

Summary Introduction My goal is to split a 1-gang mains power extension lead into three, have my Raspberry Pi plugged into one of the outputs, and have the Pi able to switch the other two outputs ...
daiscog's user avatar
  • 103