Controlling Blinds.com RF Dooya Motors with Arduino and Vera

[tjay4x4]

@petewill Thank you! Actually I dont trying my code just on arduino. You mean it could be different high and low time for 1 and 0 on my code. Well, then I went to check.

[tjay4x4]

@Dwalt said:

How did you determine what your codes were? Did you use a RF library or did you 'sniff' them directly?

I used Audacity. As written in the instructions. For each button sequentially rewriting the code. Comparing them with Blinds.com it became clear that the differences in the combinations of digits. If in the original, the first 28 are the same, I have to differ for each controller first 12 digits and last 12 digits. UP, DOWN, STOP bits are the same for all remotes. The question is how to write it to this code? But first I need to check High and Low time.

[petewill]

@tjay4x4

Based on this it looks like you have 5 sets of 8 digits:

Remote 1
1100 01111100 01001000 00110000 0011 01011110 up
1100 01111100 01001000 10100000 0011 01010111 stop
1100 01111100 01001000 10000000 0011 01010100 down
Remote2
0100 01110010 01001000 00110000 0011 01011110 up
0100 01110010 01001000 10100000 0011 01010111 stop
0100 01110010 01001000 10000000 0011 01010100 down
Remote3
1110 00100100 01001000 00110000 0011 11101000 up
1110 00100100 01001000 10100000 0011 11100001 stop
1110 00100100 01001000 10000000 0011 11100011 down

Here is some sample code that will allow you to test your sequence of 1s and 0s. It will run once each time the arduino is powered on. I haven't tested it but it should work ok.

Put your delay values that you are figuring out in the _HIGH defines (at the top). The RF sender should be connected to pin 3 on the arduino. Also, make sure to change the standardBits variables to what you have figured out from Audacity.

//Define Variables
#define SEND_DATA 3 //Data pin for RF Transmitter
#define ZERO_HIGH 376 //Delay for the high part of a 0 in microseconds
#define ZERO_LOW 653 //Delay for the low part of a 0 in microseconds
#define ONE_HIGH 713 //Delay for the high part of a 1 in microseconds
#define ONE_LOW 317 //Delay for the low part of a 1 in microseconds

int startUp = 1;

unsigned char standardBits1 = 0b00000111; //integer value of the 28 bit standard sequence referenced above. "0b" prefix is for *******
unsigned char standardBits2 = 0b01110000;
unsigned char standardBits3 = 0b01010101;
unsigned char standardBits4 = 0b11001011;
unsigned char standardBits5 = 0b11001011;


void setup() {
   
   Serial.begin(9600);
 
}

void loop() {
  if(startUp ==1){
  eightBits(standardBits1);
  eightBits(standardBits2);
  eightBits(standardBits3);
  eightBits(standardBits4);
  eightBits(standardBits5);
  startUp = 0;
  }

}

void eightBits(unsigned char bits){
    unsigned char k;
    int delayTime;
    for(k=0;k<8;k++) {
      int highTime;
      int lowTime;
      delayTime = ((bits>>(7-k)) & 1 ? 1 : 0); 
    
      if (delayTime == 1){
        highTime = ONE_HIGH;
        lowTime = ONE_LOW;
      }
      else {
        highTime = ZERO_HIGH;
        lowTime = ZERO_LOW;
      }
        digitalWrite(SEND_DATA, HIGH);
        delayMicroseconds(highTime);
        digitalWrite(SEND_DATA, LOW);    
        delayMicroseconds(lowTime);
    }
}

Also, when I was testing I recorded what was sent from my arduino (the above code) into Audacity so I could make sure my timings were correct.

[CalvinAndHobbes]

This has been very useful, and I have been trying to use the same technique to see if I can control a Hunter Pacific fan that came with a Neoteric remote.

However, if anyone else is looking to sniff RF signals, you might find the discussions here very interesting:
http://www.princetronics.com/how-to-read-433-mhz-codes-w-arduino-433-mhz-receiver/

Basically, you can use a 433 MHz receiver to sniff the signal without having to use a sound card etc. Would have saved me a bunch of time (but I did have fun trying to figure it out).

However, I have now come unstuck as the signal from the remote I have appears to be encrypted in some way as the signal changes every time - each button press results in a different signal being sent. I will continue to see if I can figure it out, but I don't have too much hope.

Thanks again for a very interesting project, and taking the time to write it up.

Regards,
CalvinAndHobbes

[petewill]

@CalvinAndHobbes Thanks for sharing! I had originally tried to use that library to decode my remotes but it did not work. That's why I had to use the sound card. I agree though, definitely try that option first! It would be much easier.

I didn't think Hunter fans communicated at 433MHz? I was trying to find a fan control last year that would allow me to integrate with MySensors but they all looked to be communicating at other frequencies (fans were down near 419MHz if memory serves correct). That's exciting that you were able to decode it though! What remote are you using?

[BulldogLowell]

Just a note that the Hunter remotes are relatively cheap and hackable if you just want to wire your arduino's outputs to the switches on the (cracked open) remote. you may even be able to fit a pro-miny and an RF radio into your existing remote and use it manually or via HA apps...

[CalvinAndHobbes]

@BulldogLowell I started out by opening the remote to see if I could find any useful information, and you are correct - they are very simple and should be very easy to wire up a pro-mini inside it. What I don't know is whether I can have 2 remotes on the same fan, as I don't think I will get away (by the rest of the family :-)) with hacking the one we have. It was also an interesting exercise to see if I could figure out what the remote was doing.
@petewill I am using the Neoteric remote from Hunter Pacific. Unfortunately they don't have any controllers that you can integrate in to any home automation system. I am going to contact the manufacturer to see if they will help, but I doubt it.

[petewill]

@BulldogLowell I may have to go that route. It will probably be easier and cheaper for me anyway! First I need to finish the rain gauge :)

@CalvinAndHobbes Yes, that would be nice if they had some integration but doubtful. There is a z-wave controller from Leviton (Leviton VRF01-1LZ Vizia RF) but it's over $100 normally. Too much for me.

[CalvinAndHobbes]

@petewill I looked at the Leviton controller - but I am in Australia, and they don't make an Australian version (for some reason, Z-Wave in Australia is on a different frequency).
And the fans I am using are Hunter Pacific fans made by an Australian company, and that is probably why the remote works on a different frequency. I believe Hunter and Hunter Pacific are different companies - just in case anyone gets them confused.

[petewill]

@CalvinAndHobbes said:

I believe Hunter and Hunter Pacific are different companies

Yes, thanks for clarifying. I was thinking they were the same.

Too many frequencies to worry about... I wish z-wave was all the same. It would simpler...

[CalvinAndHobbes]

I contacted the manufacturer, and they confirmed the protocol is a proprietary one, but they suggested I hack the remote directly, and even offered to send me some remotes to play with, so I am going to go down that route. The remote is very easy to hack too.

[petewill]

@CalvinAndHobbes said:

but they suggested I hack the remote directly, and even offered to send me some remotes to play with

Wow, that is awesome! Good work!

[rvendrame]

@CalvinAndHobbes, @petewill ,

I have a similar challenge, to automate some fans that I have in my house. I didn't have the same luck when contacting the manufacturer. I tried to hack the radio messages using both 433Mhz and 315Mhz sniffers, but they must use a different radio, or I did something wrong.

It is relatively easy to hack my remotes and insert an Arduino + radio, however I'm thinking in other aspects before start --- Such as replacing the battery of the remote (currently a single CR2032 cell) , as it will have to be "always on" in order to listen to the gateway.

I'm also think in do a 'bi-way' interface, so instead only listem gw and 'press buttons' in the remote, the inserted arduino would also sense if any button is pressed in the remote and report it back to GW.

And my remotes uses the same key for on AND off. So unless I put another sensor nearby (or in) the fans, the gw will never 'be sure' if the fan is on or off...

Just some thoughts about the topic...

[petewill]

@rvendrame said:

Just some thoughts about the topic...

Thanks. I agree, there doesn't seem to be a perfect solution. For my blinds we rarely use the remotes that came with them. That way we don't need to worry about the status being incorrect. I have modified phones placed around the house we use as control panels as well as apps on our phones. But, for the most part the blinds are all controlled automatically by the light level outside. A ceiling fan would be different though I'd imagine.

[frantona]

Hi to everyone! Im very (I mean VERY) new at this, and Im far to be a programer or an specialist, Im just an enthusiastic end user willing to do all of you experts do!

I have the same problem as Pete had, I have some dooya motors in my blinds and I want to integrate them to my smarthome system. This blinds are controlled by a remote control with 3 buttons, up – down – stop, and they are suppose to be RF, they have awesome range btw (see pics).

First I tried the RC-Switch to sniff the RF code, but the program return nothing, just blank, that’s why I came to this, wich I would like to thank Pete for giving a light at the end of the tunel! (which Im still in).

I did all the process to sniff the signal of the remotes, and this is what I got and traduced to binary:

Not the same wave structure (squared) but I hope it has nothing to do.

Now Im in the process of testing this code just with the Arduino, but it doesn’t work! I followed the code Pete uploaded and change the highlighted parts with my code, please let me know if I did ok, this are what I changed:

This first part, I used the first 28 bits of my signal, which is the same in the 3 comands:

Here, I used the last 8 bits for each comand:

Any clues what I might be doing wrong?

Just in case, Im using an Arduino UNO, and I connected it this way:

Thanks in advance!

[Dwalt]

@frantona Could you post your entire sketch? Did you measure the signal timing?

[frantona]

@Dwalt said:

@frantona Could you post your entire sketch? Did you measure the signal timing?

Hi! Thanks for your answer. Nope, I didnt measured the signal timing. I missed it. How should I do it?

I will paste the full code this night when I arrive home, Im using the same one Pete posted few messages back.

Thanks a lot!

[Dwalt]

@frantona Here is a tutorial on figuring out the timing. Pete's sketch uses the timing (length) for the high and low of both the ones and zeros (lines 35-38).

Have you tried this with the RCSwitch or Remoteswitch libraries? They take all the guesswork out of sniffing signals although they don't work for all transmitters. [Edit: nevermind, i reread your post where you did say you tried RCSwitch].

[Mike1082]

What a great thread, thanks @petewill for all of the info. I can't wait to give this a try.
After reading through all of this, am I correct in assuming that using the slider control (or programming a controller to open the shade to a certain %) has not been achieved?
I was thinking about this a bit, and thought about perhaps using a few cheap magnetic door sensors along the edge of the window at different positions. You could then attach a small neodymium magnet to the back of the bottom edge of the shade that passes by the door sensors. Each of those door sensors could report a value back to the controller, indicating its position (ie 0,25,50,75,100), and if the MySensors node receives a slider value from the controller, you could round to the closest value, and raise/lower the shade until that value is achieved.
I'm a complete MySensors/HA/Vera noob, so please excuse my ignorance if this is a ridiculous solution to a simple issue. :grin:

[petewill]

@Mike1082 You are correct. Slider control hasn't been achieved. I have thought about doing something like this but I haven't had too much of a need for it in the 1+ years I have had the blinds. Usually up or down is all I want. :)

The one problem I could see with doing this is you will need some sort of device placed at the blind. Currently all you need is power (battery or hard wired) and this works. If you want to report values back, you will need another sensor there. Not a deal breaker but not ideal. Also, you would need a way to confirm that it stopped (in case the signal didn't get received from the blind). If you are seriously considering doing this you may want to look into using a reed switch and mounting it on the spindle that turns when the blinds go up/down. That way you get a cleaner install with more frequent updates.

I'd love to see it if you end up doing it. It would be a fun project!