Mailbox/Postbox Alert

[n3ro]

Just finished my new project.

I have added two magnetic switches to the front and the back of my postbox. Now i get a Mail if the postman was here :)

You need:
1x Arduino Mini Pro 3,3
1x Battery Holder (2xaaa)
1x NRF
2x Reed switches (http://www.reichelt.de/KSK-1A663-2025/3/index.html?&ACTION=3&LA=446&ARTICLE=151700&artnr=KSK+1A663+2025&SEARCH=magnet+schlie�er)
2x magnets (http://www.reichelt.de/MAGNET-M4/3/index.html?&ACTION=3&LA=446&ARTICLE=12483&artnr=MAGNET+M4&SEARCH=magnet)

And this or a similar sketch: https://github.com/n3roGit/MySensors_n3ro/tree/master/Mailbox_Alert

It works great =)

[RJ_Make]

@n3ro No pictures, it didn't happen.. :eyes:

[n3ro]

Okay :D But at the moment its fixed only freestyle ;)

[Didi]

@n3ro said:

2x Reedschalter (http://www.reichelt.de/KSK-1A663-2025/3/index.html?&ACTION=3&LA=446&ARTICLE=151700&artnr=KSK+1A663+2025&SEARCH=magnet+schlie�er)

Hast du gut gemacht mit dem Reedschalter.:stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:

I mean nice denglish :grin:

[n3ro]

@Didi und wie heißt das verdammte teil auf englisch? :D

[Didi]

@n3ro said:

@Didi und wie heißt das verdammte teil auf englisch? :D

Reed switch :heart:

[n3ro]

@Didi fixed ;)

[Didi]

@n3ro said:

@Didi fixed ;)

:thumbsup:

[Moshe Livne]

@n3ro I wish mine had a flap... still trying to figure out a way to do that

[n3ro]

hmm after some days testing it works very fine, but:

the battery drains very fast and in dont know why. The Arduino sleeps the whole time and wakes up when the postman is coming (maybe 2 times a week).

The battery drains 11% in 7 Days :(

Any Ideas?

The power LED and regulator is cutted and the fuses are modified.

Regards
n3ro

[RJ_Make]

@n3ro Are you using an interrupt to wake everything up?

[BulldogLowell]

@n3ro

I'm guessing that your repeat() function is wearing out the battery.

By the way you can take advantage of the return of sleep( ) here:

gw.sleep(MAILBOX_FRONT_PIN - 2, CHANGE, MAILBOX_BACK_PIN - 2, CHANGE, 0);

like this (untested):

#include <MySensor.h>
#include <SPI.h>
#include <readVcc.h>


#define NODE_ID 21                      // ID of node
#define CHILD_ID 1                      // Id of the sensor child

#define MAILBOX_FRONT_PIN 2             // Arduino Digital I/O pin for button/reed switch
#define MAILBOX_BACK_PIN 3              // Arduino Digital I/O pin for button/reed switch

#define MIN_V 1900 // empty voltage (0%)
#define MAX_V 3200 // full voltage (100%)


MySensor gw;

MyMessage msg(CHILD_ID, V_TRIPPED);

boolean post = false;
boolean lastpost = false;
int oldBatteryPcnt;
int repeat = 20;

int trigger = -1;
unsigned long goToSleepTime;

void setup()
{
  gw.begin(NULL, NODE_ID, false);
  pinMode(MAILBOX_FRONT_PIN, INPUT);
  pinMode(MAILBOX_BACK_PIN, INPUT);
  digitalWrite(MAILBOX_FRONT_PIN, HIGH);
  digitalWrite(MAILBOX_BACK_PIN, HIGH);
  gw.sendSketchInfo("Mailbox Alert", "1.0");
  gw.present(CHILD_ID, S_MOTION);
  Serial.println("---------- set Mailbox empty");
  msg.set(0);
}

void loop()
{
  if (millis() - goToSleepTime > 10UL) //debounce
  {
    switch (trigger) {
      case 0:
        post = true;
        Serial.println("---------- New Mail");
        break;
      case 1:
        post = false;
        Serial.println("---------- Mailbox emptied"); 
        break;
      default:
        Serial.println("---------- I just woke up");
    }
  }
  trigger = -1;
  if (post != lastpost)
  {
    Serial.print("---------- Send Mailboxstate ");
    Serial.println(post ? "full" : "empty");
    msg.set(post);
    lastpost = post;
    sendBattery();
  }
  // Sleep until something happens with the sensor
  goToSleepTime = millis();
  trigger = gw.sleep(MAILBOX_FRONT_PIN - 2, CHANGE, MAILBOX_BACK_PIN - 2, CHANGE, 0);
}

void sendBattery() // Measure battery
{
  int batteryPcnt = min(map(readVcc(), MIN_V, MAX_V, 0, 100), 100);
  if (batteryPcnt != oldBatteryPcnt) 
  {
    gw.sendBatteryLevel(batteryPcnt); // Send battery percentage
    oldBatteryPcnt = batteryPcnt;
  }
  Serial.print("---------- Battery: ");
  Serial.println(batteryPcnt);
}

[n3ro]

Thx for the tips. I will try it.

I have just measured the current:

32uA in sleep and both opened
when one reen switch is closed: 171uA
when both closed: 309uA

i use a internal pullup and dont know why the current is so high when switch is closed :(

[n3ro]

it is fixed :) changed internal pullup to an external with 680k. now its 32uA with both opened and 47uA with both closed :)

[Moshe Livne]

@n3ro how do you do that?

[f1dev]

Hi!
I+m trying to do a similar mailbox sensor, but I get different power consumptions hen I ground (pulling down) input pin 2 and 3.

I´m using a pro mini, 3.3v standard boot loader with removed LED and 470k resistors as external pull-ups.

In sleep mode with it draws about 65uA
Roughly the same with input pin 3 -grounded (state 0)
But when I ground pin 2 it draws 7mA

Any ideas whats wrong?

[n3ro]

@Moshe-Livne just deactivate the this lines:
//digitalWrite(MAILBOX_FRONT_PIN, HIGH);
//digitalWrite(MAILBOX_BACK_PIN, HIGH);

and solder two resistor from 3.3v to pin 2 and 3.

[f1dev]

Ok, so I found that it is the radio that draws about 7mA when I ground input pin 2, it is connected to IRQ-pin on the radio.
@n3ro Have you connected the radio as described on the build-page? [http://www.mysensors.org/build/connect_radio](link url)

[n3ro]

@f1dev yes. But you don't need irq on a node :)

[n3ro]

@BulldogLowell could you please explain your changes? I don't understand everything of this :sweat: