Skip to content
  • MySensors
  • OpenHardware.io
  • Categories
  • Recent
  • Tags
  • Popular
Skins
  • Light
  • Brite
  • Cerulean
  • Cosmo
  • Flatly
  • Journal
  • Litera
  • Lumen
  • Lux
  • Materia
  • Minty
  • Morph
  • Pulse
  • Sandstone
  • Simplex
  • Sketchy
  • Spacelab
  • United
  • Yeti
  • Zephyr
  • Dark
  • Cyborg
  • Darkly
  • Quartz
  • Slate
  • Solar
  • Superhero
  • Vapor

  • Default (No Skin)
  • No Skin
Collapse
Brand Logo
  1. Home
  2. OpenHardware.io
  3. 💬 Ikea Molgan Hack

💬 Ikea Molgan Hack

Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved OpenHardware.io
motionmolganhackpirmysensorsikea
90 Posts 16 Posters 27.4k Views 15 Watching
  • Oldest to Newest
  • Newest to Oldest
  • Most Votes
Reply
  • Reply as topic
Log in to reply
This topic has been deleted. Only users with topic management privileges can see it.
  • GertSandersG Offline
    GertSandersG Offline
    GertSanders
    Hardware Contributor
    wrote on last edited by
    #4

    hi Ivo, very nice to see this on OpenHardware.io
    Any chance you find the time to reverse engineer the Molgan board, or did someone already do that ? I would like to see a schematic of the original board, to recreate it with some additions.

    YveauxY 1 Reply Last reply
    0
    • GertSandersG GertSanders

      hi Ivo, very nice to see this on OpenHardware.io
      Any chance you find the time to reverse engineer the Molgan board, or did someone already do that ? I would like to see a schematic of the original board, to recreate it with some additions.

      YveauxY Offline
      YveauxY Offline
      Yveaux
      Mod
      wrote on last edited by
      #5

      @GertSanders I made a start with it but didn't finish it. It is quite a standard design.

      http://yveaux.blogspot.nl

      1 Reply Last reply
      0
      • Cliff KarlssonC Offline
        Cliff KarlssonC Offline
        Cliff Karlsson
        wrote on last edited by
        #6

        Are the components in the top right corner not needed?

        YveauxY 1 Reply Last reply
        0
        • Cliff KarlssonC Cliff Karlsson

          Are the components in the top right corner not needed?

          YveauxY Offline
          YveauxY Offline
          Yveaux
          Mod
          wrote on last edited by
          #7

          @Cliff-Karlsson it's for a sha204. Only needed if you use hardware signing.

          http://yveaux.blogspot.nl

          1 Reply Last reply
          0
          • YveauxY Offline
            YveauxY Offline
            Yveaux
            Mod
            wrote on last edited by
            #8

            Added a basic sketch to the repo. Enjoy!

            http://yveaux.blogspot.nl

            1 Reply Last reply
            2
            • openhardware.ioO openhardware.io

              https://www.mysensors.org/view/274/Ikea-Molgan-Hack

              david fagotinD Offline
              david fagotinD Offline
              david fagotin
              wrote on last edited by
              #9

              @openhardware.io

              Hello
              I would like to know if the pcb sold its virgin or mount.
              Thank you in advance and congratulations for the work done...

              YveauxY 1 Reply Last reply
              0
              • david fagotinD david fagotin

                @openhardware.io

                Hello
                I would like to know if the pcb sold its virgin or mount.
                Thank you in advance and congratulations for the work done...

                YveauxY Offline
                YveauxY Offline
                Yveaux
                Mod
                wrote on last edited by
                #10

                @david-fagotin From what I understand the 10xPCB order is for bare PCB's.
                A kit is in preparation from one of out suppliers, but I don't think it'll have the SMD parts mounted.
                And ofcourse you can always make a donation to me :+1:

                http://yveaux.blogspot.nl

                david fagotinD 1 Reply Last reply
                0
                • YveauxY Yveaux

                  @david-fagotin From what I understand the 10xPCB order is for bare PCB's.
                  A kit is in preparation from one of out suppliers, but I don't think it'll have the SMD parts mounted.
                  And ofcourse you can always make a donation to me :+1:

                  david fagotinD Offline
                  david fagotinD Offline
                  david fagotin
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #11

                  @Yveaux said:

                  From what I understand the 10xPCB order is for bare PCB's.
                  A kit is in preparation from one of out suppliers, but I don't think it'll have the SMD parts mounted.
                  And ofcourse you can always make a donation to me

                  If your kit goes out soon I will wait and I would give you a donation at that time !:stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

                  1 Reply Last reply
                  0
                  • L Offline
                    L Offline
                    LastSamurai
                    Hardware Contributor
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #12

                    Some short questions as I will start to assemble one of these very soon. Great work @Yveaux !

                    • What are the SJ1 and 2 parts on the pcb?Just some measurement points where I can cut the trace?
                    • Why did you put in the pullup for the CS line on the NRF? Never saw that one before
                    • The wire to the batterie spring is need to be able to use only 2 batteries for the addon pcb, right?
                    • But you use 3 batteries and both connection points to the main pcb still?
                    • Any particular reason why you did not make your pcb bigger so that it reaches the + from the main pcb too?
                    YveauxY 1 Reply Last reply
                    0
                    • L LastSamurai

                      Some short questions as I will start to assemble one of these very soon. Great work @Yveaux !

                      • What are the SJ1 and 2 parts on the pcb?Just some measurement points where I can cut the trace?
                      • Why did you put in the pullup for the CS line on the NRF? Never saw that one before
                      • The wire to the batterie spring is need to be able to use only 2 batteries for the addon pcb, right?
                      • But you use 3 batteries and both connection points to the main pcb still?
                      • Any particular reason why you did not make your pcb bigger so that it reaches the + from the main pcb too?
                      YveauxY Offline
                      YveauxY Offline
                      Yveaux
                      Mod
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #13

                      @LastSamurai

                      • What are the SJ1 and 2 parts on the pcb?Just some measurement points where I can cut the trace?

                      The solder jumpers are to support ATmega328PB. You need to open them when mounting an PB version.

                      • Why did you put in the pullup for the CS line on the NRF? Never saw that one before

                      Habit ;-) With multiple SPI devices on a bus it's good practise to have a pullup on all of the CS lines. Here it isn't really required though.

                      • The wire to the batterie spring is need to be able to use only 2 batteries for the addon pcb, right?

                      Yes, the addon runs on 2xAAA, the PIR on 3xAAA
                      By powering the addon with 2xAAA it can be powered directly without an extra voltage regulator.

                      • But you use 3 batteries and both connection points to the main pcb still?

                      The original connection points are still required to power the bottom PIR PCB. Both PCB's share a common ground.

                      • Any particular reason why you did not make your pcb bigger so that it reaches the + from the main pcb too?

                      This size I could fit more sub-PCB's in a panelized design for the board house. And, as said, the addon PCB doesn't require the + on the main PCB.

                      http://yveaux.blogspot.nl

                      1 Reply Last reply
                      2
                      • GertSandersG Offline
                        GertSandersG Offline
                        GertSanders
                        Hardware Contributor
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #14

                        This one made it on the Adafruit blog:

                        https://blog.adafruit.com/2016/11/30/add-nrf2401-arduino-functionality-to-hacked-ikea-molgan-led-lamp-ikeausa/

                        Great Success Yveaux !!!

                        YveauxY 1 Reply Last reply
                        1
                        • GertSandersG GertSanders

                          This one made it on the Adafruit blog:

                          https://blog.adafruit.com/2016/11/30/add-nrf2401-arduino-functionality-to-hacked-ikea-molgan-led-lamp-ikeausa/

                          Great Success Yveaux !!!

                          YveauxY Offline
                          YveauxY Offline
                          Yveaux
                          Mod
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #15

                          @GertSanders Awesome! Thanks for the tip man!

                          http://yveaux.blogspot.nl

                          S 1 Reply Last reply
                          0
                          • L Offline
                            L Offline
                            LastSamurai
                            Hardware Contributor
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #16

                            I finished my first hacked molgan 2 days ago and it's detecting motion really well (and looks so much better than my custom builds).
                            So overall I love it but it also seems to have one problem: batteries...

                            I started it about 48h ago and the first reading was 2.119V but within some hours it dropped to 2.072V, though today it climbed back up to 2.096V. Thats still 23mV in ~2 days though.
                            Is this just the discharge curve and some imprecise readings? @Yveaux Whats the consumption of your modules?

                            YveauxY 1 Reply Last reply
                            0
                            • L LastSamurai

                              I finished my first hacked molgan 2 days ago and it's detecting motion really well (and looks so much better than my custom builds).
                              So overall I love it but it also seems to have one problem: batteries...

                              I started it about 48h ago and the first reading was 2.119V but within some hours it dropped to 2.072V, though today it climbed back up to 2.096V. Thats still 23mV in ~2 days though.
                              Is this just the discharge curve and some imprecise readings? @Yveaux Whats the consumption of your modules?

                              YveauxY Offline
                              YveauxY Offline
                              Yveaux
                              Mod
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #17

                              @LastSamurai I don't have the exact figures at hand, but I had a look at the reported battery consumption of one of them. It dropped from 81% in August to 70% today.
                              I'd just let it run for a while and see how it goes.

                              http://yveaux.blogspot.nl

                              1 Reply Last reply
                              1
                              • L Offline
                                L Offline
                                LastSamurai
                                Hardware Contributor
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #18

                                So yesterday my molgan started to constantly trigger, which I think might indicate that the voltage is too low. It has dropped down to 1950mV. I will try it with new batteries later today, but the power consumption still seems to be way too high compared to yours @Yveaux.
                                I have removed R17 to disable all leds and I have changed the fuses and used your sketch. Any idea what might have gone wrong?

                                YveauxY 1 Reply Last reply
                                0
                                • L LastSamurai

                                  So yesterday my molgan started to constantly trigger, which I think might indicate that the voltage is too low. It has dropped down to 1950mV. I will try it with new batteries later today, but the power consumption still seems to be way too high compared to yours @Yveaux.
                                  I have removed R17 to disable all leds and I have changed the fuses and used your sketch. Any idea what might have gone wrong?

                                  YveauxY Offline
                                  YveauxY Offline
                                  Yveaux
                                  Mod
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #19

                                  @LastSamurai can you measure the consumption of individual parts? E.g. The Molgan hardware, the arduino and the radio?

                                  http://yveaux.blogspot.nl

                                  L 1 Reply Last reply
                                  0
                                  • YveauxY Yveaux

                                    @LastSamurai can you measure the consumption of individual parts? E.g. The Molgan hardware, the arduino and the radio?

                                    L Offline
                                    L Offline
                                    LastSamurai
                                    Hardware Contributor
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #20

                                    @Yveaux Ok I will try to do that. I did try other (new) batteries though and got the same values (about 2V strangely). Then it started to continuously trigger. I described the problem here.
                                    It's so frustrating, but something seems to be wrong with my whole network I guess....

                                    YveauxY 1 Reply Last reply
                                    0
                                    • L LastSamurai

                                      @Yveaux Ok I will try to do that. I did try other (new) batteries though and got the same values (about 2V strangely). Then it started to continuously trigger. I described the problem here.
                                      It's so frustrating, but something seems to be wrong with my whole network I guess....

                                      YveauxY Offline
                                      YveauxY Offline
                                      Yveaux
                                      Mod
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #21

                                      @LastSamurai how did you measure 2V? Measured with a DMM 2XAAA fresh alkaline batteries should be more in the 3V range. This makes a big difference, as at around 2V the Pir starts to behave weird, as you already experienced.

                                      http://yveaux.blogspot.nl

                                      L 1 Reply Last reply
                                      0
                                      • YveauxY Yveaux

                                        @LastSamurai how did you measure 2V? Measured with a DMM 2XAAA fresh alkaline batteries should be more in the 3V range. This makes a big difference, as at around 2V the Pir starts to behave weird, as you already experienced.

                                        L Offline
                                        L Offline
                                        LastSamurai
                                        Hardware Contributor
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #22

                                        @Yveaux I used the vcc library to let the atmega328 measure the voltage and send it as a sensor value to my controller. I guess I will have to investigate that too. Measuring the batteries outside the case with a multimeter I got 1.5V for each one (without any load though).

                                        1 Reply Last reply
                                        0
                                        • L Offline
                                          L Offline
                                          LastSamurai
                                          Hardware Contributor
                                          wrote on last edited by LastSamurai
                                          #23

                                          PS I just measured with the multimeter and the measurements are strange. The board voltage is at about 2.9V (so more like expected) and reaches the atmega as well as the NRF. Overall voltage is at about 4.8V.
                                          The trigger pad seems to be constantly high though (~2.7V) and the node doesn't seem to show up at the gateway anymore. I guess some serial debugging is needed now. Perhaps some component has died... falsy NRF modules would perhaps explain the errors with my nodes :(

                                          PPS now the sensor is sending again (strange). The trigger pad is still constantly high though. I guess I will have to desolder the pcb again to have a look at the PIR pcb. Perhaps somethings wrong there...

                                          1 Reply Last reply
                                          0
                                          Reply
                                          • Reply as topic
                                          Log in to reply
                                          • Oldest to Newest
                                          • Newest to Oldest
                                          • Most Votes


                                          17

                                          Online

                                          11.7k

                                          Users

                                          11.2k

                                          Topics

                                          113.1k

                                          Posts


                                          Copyright 2025 TBD   |   Forum Guidelines   |   Privacy Policy   |   Terms of Service
                                          • Login

                                          • Don't have an account? Register

                                          • Login or register to search.
                                          • First post
                                            Last post
                                          0
                                          • MySensors
                                          • OpenHardware.io
                                          • Categories
                                          • Recent
                                          • Tags
                                          • Popular