110v-230v AC to Mysensors PCB board

[m26872]

@korttoma Good questions. As always a trade-off of risk, cost, space, taste, etc. They should already be answered in the varistor case though. Personally I think it's overkill with additional overvoltage protection at the low volt secondary side of a good quality PSU and an inexpensive load - fuse, capacitors and regulators should be more than enough. Focus should be the primary side protections.

Edit: Btw. Found some reading. See p.44

[bjornhallberg]

Just a quick post to confirm I got the relays working as well (with Domoticz). I didn't read the schematic at first and just assumed how the mains and relay external wiring should be done. Still no idea about the smoking varistor.

[shabba]

I thought all my relays were shot as I was not getting continuity on the load pins when I applied 5V. I checked resistance and there is just over 2K when 5V applied and infinite when none. I am going to put back together assuming the 240V A/C will pass through just fine.

[shabba]

What would cause no power to VCC when connected to mains (even though there is 5V at end of HLK-PM01) - if I bring that 5V with a jumper to VCC it works. Also works fine when connected to the serial port - Bad DC varistor?

[korttoma]

@shabba

The only thing between the HLK-PM01 and VCC is Fuse2. Check the Schematic. But yes a shorted varistor will in the combination with the fuse bring VCC to 0V. I experienced this also since the 5.5V varistors I bought from the link in the documentation (Ali seller Unionup Electronic Mall) did not work.

Seems like there is quite many of us that are having problems with the 5.5V varistors. I measured a few from my batch and they all show 0.4ohm with a multimeter, should they not have something like infinite resistance unless they get more then the 5.5V? My multimeter gives 0.6V when it measures resistance.

[RJ_Make]

@korttoma Say what...? You measure .4 ohms on your Varistor? I think you found your problem. :angry:

I have only ever used Varistor protection on the primary side, so I've got no experience with low voltage Varistors, but I don't think it should ever read .4.. Should be infinite.

[BSoft]

Hello everyone,

Since we probably wanting this for multiple destinations, what if we used a centralized way at our home powerswitch.

We could stack multiple boards, and just use one arduino nano and one nRF on top of it. We just have to care about link each stack to a different arduino output.

Based in this idea we could create a second pcb for stack mounting, this board will just have the SSR and a deep switch for easy selectable arduino output. To make this ok we should connect each home powerswitch to each stack, another way exist if we use the main supply of the bottom board for all stacks, and place our circuit before our home power switch, but this is not recommendable.

For minimum stack size SSR should be horizontal mounted.

The advantages are obvious, just one arduino and nRF, one ac-dc and regulator for all home switches. Super low volume occupied and no more size constraints inside wall switches.

I don't have time to go forward and design this, so if someone wants it please go for it!! :smiley:

PS - Since we just use one arduino output per stack, we could avoid deep switch cost and configure by soldering selected track.

[sundberg84]

@BSoft I had this idea also and have been working on a pcb for some weeks now.
Its a 5x5 cm PCB you cut in halv so you get a 2 pcs which are 2.5x5cm - and they are stackable (like a shield).

This is how i plan to stack them: (Blue inwall socket behind).

On the bottom you have the high power and HK 240->5v converter.
Then in the middle between the pcbs you have the radio and arduino and on top whatever you wants.
I have made outputs for LCD screen, buttons and/or motion.

There are still much work in progress here but so far this is my thoughts... and it fits inside the typical wall hole.
This will not be ready for atleast some week, and the three weeks or so with order/deliver time.

I will create my own post to get input on this when im done and If someone else knows and want to improve the design i can send over the files.

[BSoft]

@sundberg84 Nice work with that sandwich!! :stuck_out_tongue:
Maybe you could move nrf24 to the other board to get away from ac-dc field and obtain better signal exposure.

My idea is to move this node to my home powerswitch and control all my home lights, but as size isn't a problem maybe i'll use this:
http://www.dx.com/p/8-channel-5v-solid-state-relay-module-blue-black-green-250v-2a-213880

[zebmina]

@aproxx I'm a complete newbie but am interested in exploring this! Do you have a tutorial on the steps to populate this circuit board? I am comfortable with soldering but new to electronic circuits. Is there a particular order in which components ought to be soldered? Would you recommend breadboarding to begin with? Any sample code that can be used to do a sanity test?

Your guidance is greatly appreciated!

[zebmina]

@aproxx Very nice! Just ordered.... But quite nervous - don't know much about electronic circuits, although I am quite good at following detailed instructions. You wouldn't happen to have a tutorial on how to populate the pcb?

[zebmina]

OK, this may be a really dumb question, but I need to ask, so please pardon my ignorance....

Clearly one main advantage of this is to control traditional light switches programatically and also through the standard light switch. How would I know whether someone flipped the light switch to turn on/off? How does the program "state" keep in sync with the "state" of the physical light switch?

Sorry again about what might be a rather dumb question.

[sundberg84]

You could connect the regular switch like a binary button, for example between D3 and Grd. The node could monitor both incoming messages from the controller and the state on D3.

[n3ro]

i hope i can buy this board in the near future =)

[zrom69]

Hello
I'm putting a home automation system I want to put in the cabinet
electric power supply to power pc wholes my Arduino pro mini cable this method and these can be well card she could withstand power pc. thank you in advance for aid

[korttoma]

@ServiceXp said:

@korttoma Say what...? You measure .4 ohms on your Varistor? I think you found your problem. :angry:

I have only ever used Varistor protection on the primary side, so I've got no experience with low voltage Varistors, but I don't think it should ever read .4.. Should be infinite.

I how received a new batch from another seller and these varistors show infinite resistance, unfortunately they are 0603 footprint so they are really tiny.

I bet the other seller (Unionup Electronic Mall) just sent me random crap because all of them show 0 resistance at first and then increase to 0.4 ohms, to bad it is too late to open dispute now. Just stay clear of Unionup Electronic Mall in the future.

[Cliff Karlsson]

is it the brown or blue varistors that is defective?

Edit: sorry the brown ones are fuses

[korttoma]

@Cliff-Karlsson the 5.5V SMD varistors I recieved from Aliexpress seller "Unionup Electronic Mall" do not work for me. Now running my circuit with out it instead.

[RJ_Make]

@korttoma Thanks for the heads up on Unionup.

[Cliff Karlsson]

I don't have any ceramic capacitors. Can I replace them with regualr ones?