In wall light switch node - Custom PCB

scalz

@jeylites, i was going to make a thread on these exact switches soon to discuss the possibility of interfacing them as they run on RF. Keep your eyes open for the thread asap ;).

I would like to make my own switch front with pressure capacitance at some point but thats for another day.

I didn't read this. interesting..one of my current project in progress is exactly this! Designing a special shield for glass plate etc :) the same for controlling one switch or more ;)
I have few Livolo that I have disassembled and looked how it works inside. but I'm not fan of 433mhz radio (or that would need some rflink). I'm actually trying to decidde the best way, if I want to hack it, or if I will do my own switch with glass plate I found. because I would like dimming, rfm69, authentication and my shield...

Samuel235

@scalz, If i'm honest I would like to see both. I love to see hacks being perfected, especially in products with such a clean finish as these but then again i also love seeing brand news products being brought to life. Either one you do, i'll be sure to support your ideas!

Samuel235

Having some very intermittent issues regarding uploading to this board using an FTDI adapter, 2 in fact. I have tried two adapters now and neither are giving me solid results. I have checked all solder joints and all seems fine. Time to start troubleshooting further. I'm uploading to this board using fuse settings of Low: E2 and High: DE, with a brownout detection point of 1v8. The error that i get 9/10 times is just that the programmer is out of sync. I will report back with my findings.

Samuel235

UPDATE

We have a working node. We're now able to serial upload and monitor the module with thanks to @GertSanders and his bootloader.

So the node currently has 2 switch inputs and that would be the maximum for the hardware interrupt, i may do some investigating to get another port for interrupt to enable us to have 3 switches on the one node.

GertSanders

@Samuel235

Well, lets all thank the lead designer of the Optiboot boot loader: Bill Westfield !
Without his code and repository my compilations would not give any results.

Samuel235

@GertSanders, get him here and lets all buy him cake and beer!

Xander

For more than two switches see: http://www.gammon.com.au/forum/?id=11091
I would add a hardware debouncing (R/C) to avoid the problems mentioned in the article.

Samuel235

@Xander Thank you. I may try implimenting this into Rev 3

Koresh

@Xander said:

For more than two switches see: http://www.gammon.com.au/forum/?id=11091
I would add a hardware debouncing (R/C) to avoid the problems mentioned in the article.

It's very good trick, but this circuit allows use of only tact switches. If you are interested - check my schematic (https://www.openhardware.io/view/102/Wall-Switch-Insertable-Node). It allows use of on\off switches too. I've drawn it after a little brainstorm :) I'm not sure it is optimal, but it works very nice.

Samuel235

@Koresh I had a quick look earlier, i will study it in more depth later. Thank you!

Samuel235

@Koresh, thank you for linking me your module, i'm finally getting around to looking into some depth in this. First of all, i would like to ask something regarding the Exclusive-OR Gates;

I know how the gates work, in this case it uses Exclusive-OR (XOR) Gates, in simple terms, if the inputs are different the output will be HIGH, if the inputs are the same it will be LOW. The input you have connected to GND, could you tell me why that has to be connected to VCC with a resistor, could you not just connect that to GND?

I really like your use of the Schmitt Triggers here, makes the signal nice and sharp on the falling edges for the logic gates to work with.

Thanks!

Samuel235

We're currently working on locating the issue that we have with the light switch not being synced with OpenHab correctly. It works as intended but you have to double click to get the light on. We have located the issue lying within OpenHab's item configuration issues. Will post the resulting configuration needed to get this node working 100% perfectly.

artipi

Hi Samuel,

thanks for your great work.

I'm currently starting with my first steps in Home Automation.
I'm trying to control our lights in our flat. Our light switches are push switches with 12V. (dont know the right Translation to English. In German its called "Taster" - with no ON/OFF state, just a Push)

Is this board useable for my switches? So can i connect the 12V to your board somehow and send the 12V "press button" to the main Fuse Box?

Thank you,

Arthur.

Samuel235

@artipi - As I'm not completely sure about the German wiring system I can't give you a answer that would be strictly abiding your rules. However, I will attempt to answer from my own personal opinion:

I'm not sure what you're sending the 12v back to the main fuse box for, this will simply send a 1/on or 0/off to your MySensors gateway. What you do with that signal is completely up to you. You could have a relay connected to mysensors gateway and then switch that relay with this light switch node. So, i suppose you could actually get a line on your fuse box switch with this but it would have to be sending signals to the gateway first, not directly to the fuse box.

Sorry if I haven't understood your intent correctly.

artipi

@Samuel235 - Thanks for the fast reaction:).
Ok, now i understand your switch node.
I think i need something with a 12V Relay. So i can send a command (ON/OFF) to a relay node that will act like my light switch.

Samuel235

@artipi - That sounds very likely what you need. A double relay situation. However, if it was me, i would question what you need to switch it at the fuse box for. I would run the line to the lights from the fuse box and then switch it behind the like using a relay like i do (and will be releasing my relay node tonight on here and openhardware.io). Then that is switched using this wireless switch node.

However, the regulations in german wiring may be so that you have to do all switching inside of the fuse box.

artipi

Nice, will be waiting for your relay node! :)

DavidZH

@Samuel235

In Germany and also in Belgium a lot of house installations have been built with pulse relays and 0-10V dimmers in a central switch box and only 12V controls to the switches. Makes for a bit more work when building the home (conduit from the fusebox to all seperate switch boxes) but changes during the lifetime are a breeze.

Samuel235

@DavidZH - I have to be honest here. I would love it if we did this in the UK. I wouldn't be scratching my head about how to fit a double relay board behind a light switch. I really do wish we had low voltage at human accessible point through-out the house, rather than switch 240V inside of a light switch.

Out of interest, is this 12V in your switches DC or AC?

Also, this is the relay board that i have just published. Development work to be done a little further though. https://www.openhardware.io/view/345/Homini-AC-Powered-Relay-2-Module

DavidZH

@Samuel235
As far as I know the power to the switches is AC. Only a simple transformer, and Bob your uncle. They do also work on DC, as they only use a short pulse to change state.
Here in NL only a handful have an installation like that. I am most certainly not opposed to it, but most houses over here do not have room for a huge switch box needed for such an installation. And another plus is that those relays can stay and you only have to add your domotica controls to the panel. Only difficult thing is the feedback to the controller of the state. You'd have to add auxilary contacts, or measure the live wire.

I do not have a system like this but was just explaining what Artipi has.

And I think there are some other things in the UK electrical system that need te be dead and buried in a hurry. Like the 32A ring circuit.... 😣

In wall light switch node - Custom PCB

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