/**********************************
 * MySensors node configuration
 */

// General settings
#define SKETCH_NAME "Irrigation"
#define SKETCH_VERSION "3.2"
//#define MY_DEBUG
#define MY_NODE_ID 6

// RFM69 radio settings
#define MY_RADIO_RFM69
#define MY_IS_RFM69HW
#define MY_RFM69_NEW_DRIVER
#define MY_RFM69_ATC_MODE_DISABLED
#define MY_RFM69_TX_POWER_DBM (10)
#define MY_RFM69_MAX_POWER_LEVEL_DBM (10)

// Advanced settings
#define MY_BAUD_RATE 9600
#define MY_SMART_SLEEP_WAIT_DURATION_MS 1000
#define MY_SPLASH_SCREEN_DISABLED
#define MY_SIGNAL_REPORT_ENABLED

/***********************************
 * NodeManager configuration
 */

#define NODEMANAGER_DEBUG ON
#define NODEMANAGER_INTERRUPTS ON
#define NODEMANAGER_SLEEP ON
#define NODEMANAGER_RECEIVE ON
#define NODEMANAGER_DEBUG_VERBOSE OFF
#define NODEMANAGER_POWER_MANAGER OFF
#define NODEMANAGER_CONDITIONAL_REPORT OFF
#define NODEMANAGER_EEPROM OFF
#define NODEMANAGER_TIME OFF
#define NODEMANAGER_RTC OFF
#define NODEMANAGER_SD OFF
#define NODEMANAGER_HOOKING ON
#define NODEMANAGER_OTA_CONFIGURATION OFF
#define NODEMANAGER_SERIAL_INPUT OFF

// import NodeManager library (a nodeManager object will be then made available)
#include <MySensors_NodeManager.h>

/***********************************
 * Add your sensors
 */

//PowerManager power(5,6);
 
#include <sensors/SensorBattery.h>
SensorBattery battery;

#include <sensors/SensorSignal.h>
SensorSignal signal;

#include <sensors/SensorInterrupt.h>
SensorInterrupt button(3);

#include <sensors/SensorLatchingRelay2Pins.h>
SensorLatchingRelay2Pins valve(5,6);

/***********************************
 * Main Sketch
 */

void toggleValve(Sensor* sensor) {
  valve.toggleStatus();
}

// before
void before() {
	
  /***********************************
   * Configure your sensors
   */

  // battery sensor
  battery.setMinVoltage(3.2);
  battery.setMaxVoltage(4.6);
  battery.setBatteryInternalVcc(false);
  battery.setBatteryPin(A0);
  battery.setBatteryVoltsPerBit(0.00459433);
  battery.setReportIntervalMinutes(30);

  //signal sensor
  signal.setReportIntervalMinutes(30);

  // button
  button.setInterruptHook(&toggleValve);
  button.setInterruptMode(FALLING);
  button.setInvertValueToReport(true);
  nodeManager.setInterruptDebounce(1000);

  // valve
  valve.setSafeguard(120);
  valve.setWaitAfterSet(2000);
  valve.setLegacyMode(true);
  valve.children.get(1)->setChildId(4);

  // node configuration
  nodeManager.setSleepBetweenSendSleepOrWait(true);
  nodeManager.setSleepSeconds(60*5);
   
  // call NodeManager before routine
  nodeManager.before();
}

// presentation
void presentation() {
  // call NodeManager presentation routine
  nodeManager.presentation();
}

// setup
void setup() {
  // call NodeManager setup routine
  nodeManager.setup();
}

// loop
void loop() {
  // call NodeManager loop routine
  nodeManager.loop();
}

#if NODEMANAGER_RECEIVE == ON
// receive
void receive(const MyMessage &message) {
  // call NodeManager receive routine
  nodeManager.receive(message);
}
#endif

#if NODEMANAGER_TIME == ON
// receiveTime
void receiveTime(unsigned long ts) {
  // call NodeManager receiveTime routine
  nodeManager.receiveTime(ts);
}
#endif

@user2684 I am also planning to build latching valve controller. But my valve is 2" to 4" and Its coil specifications are as follow:
V: 6-20Volt DC (optimal is above 9volt)
Capacitance Required: 4700uF
Coil inductance: 90mH
Pulse duration: 20 to 200mili seconds.

Do you think h-bridge will work or do you have a better suggestion for this? My goal is also to run the controller on battery and place in farm so it must be waterproof.

HI,
I'm doing quite the same project at the moment; I ordered H bridge and also some flow detectors to check if the bistable valve is really in the desired position ( open not to see a desert, closed not to flood everything)
Powered by 1 solar panel + 9v batteries + load controler + step down converters for Arduino and radio.

Do you think h-bridge will work or do you have a better suggestion for this? My goal is also to run the controller on battery and place in farm so it must be waterproof.

You could also add a flow sensor or pressure switch to alert you if the water does not turn off.

I have a question regarding safety problem. In case the battery drops after opening below the voltage needed to close it again the water would not stop. Do you have an idea how to solve this problem?
Or do you just replace the batteries "early" enough?

My project has evolved over the time, let me share a picture below:

• 1: is the amazing EasyPCB from @sundberg84 RFM69 version
• 2: since the valve works at 3.7v I'm powering the project with 3 AA batteries. I've noticed the valve works just fine with 4.5v when full, till down to around 3v
• 3: this is a step down regulator for providing 3.3v to the arduino and the radio. I've soldered it there on the EasyPCB (where a booster is supposed to be soldered) since I needed to use the voltage divider which is not available when using the voltage regulator spot. For this reason the battery is connected to the "<=3.3" plug
• 4: this is the voltage divider for measuring the battery, since we have 4.5v I've coupled the 1M with a 300k
• 5: this is the bi-stable valve. Can be found on amazon for 5 euros. Ships from china of course
• 6: this is a 2200uF capacitor placed between the + and the - of the H bridge controlling the valve. Without it, the huge current drain would destroy the battery shortly
• 7: this is an analog rain sensor. It is powered on by an arduino pin so to save battery while sleeping
• 8: this is an analog soil moisture. It is powered on by an arduino pin so to save battery while sleeping
• 9: this is a button to manually turn the valve on or off. It is connected to the arduino pin 3
• 10: this is the H-bridge capable of controlling the valve since rated at 2A

The code I'm using, based on NodeManager, is the following:

/**********************************
 * MySensors node configuration
 */

// General settings
#define SKETCH_NAME "Irrigation"
#define SKETCH_VERSION "2.0"
#define MY_NODE_ID 6

// RFM69 radio settings
#define MY_RADIO_RFM69
#define MY_IS_RFM69HW
#define MY_RFM69_NEW_DRIVER

// Advanced settings
#define MY_BAUD_RATE 9600
#define MY_SMART_SLEEP_WAIT_DURATION_MS 1000
#define MY_SPLASH_SCREEN_DISABLED

/***********************************
 * NodeManager modules for supported sensors
 */

#define USE_BATTERY
#define USE_SIGNAL
#define USE_CONFIGURATION
#define USE_ANALOG_INPUT
#define USE_DIGITAL_OUTPUT
#define USE_INTERRUPT

/***********************************
 * NodeManager built-in features
 */

// Enable/disable NodeManager's features
#define FEATURE_DEBUG ON
#define FEATURE_POWER_MANAGER ON
#define FEATURE_INTERRUPTS ON
#define FEATURE_CONDITIONAL_REPORT OFF
#define FEATURE_EEPROM OFF
#define FEATURE_SLEEP ON
#define FEATURE_RECEIVE ON
#define FEATURE_TIME OFF
#define FEATURE_RTC OFF
#define FEATURE_SD OFF
#define FEATURE_HOOKING ON

/***********************************
 * Load NodeManager Library
 */

#include "NodeManagerLibrary.h"
NodeManager node;

/***********************************
 * Add your sensors below
 */

// built-in sensors
SensorBattery battery(node);
SensorConfiguration configuration(node);
SensorSignal signal(node);
PowerManager power(-1,A1,300);

// Attached sensors
SensorRain rain(node,A4);
SensorSoilMoisture soil(node,A5);
SensorInterrupt button(node,3);
SensorLatchingRelay2Pins valve(node,5,6);

/***********************************
 * Main Sketch
 */

void toggleValve(Sensor* sensor) {
  valve.toggleStatus();
}

// before
void before() {
  // setup the serial port baud rate
  Serial.begin(MY_BAUD_RATE);
  /*
  * Configure your sensors below
  */

  // battery sensor
  battery.setMinVoltage(3.2);
  battery.setMaxVoltage(4.6);
  battery.setBatteryInternalVcc(false);
  battery.setBatteryPin(A0);
  battery.setBatteryVoltsPerBit(0.00459433);
  battery.setReportIntervalMinutes(30);

  //signal sensor
  signal.setReportIntervalMinutes(30);

  // valve
  valve.setSafeguard(60);
  valve.setWaitAfterSet(2000);
  valve.setLegacyMode(true);

  // button
  button.setInterruptHook(&toggleValve);
  button.setInitialValue(HIGH);
  button.setInterruptMode(FALLING);
  button.setInvertValueToReport(true);
  node.setInterruptDebounce(1000);
  
  // rain sensor
  rain.setPowerManager(power);
  rain.setReportIntervalMinutes(10);
  rain.setRangeMin(300);
  rain.setReverse(true);

  // soil moisture sensor
  soil.setPowerManager(power);
  soil.setReportIntervalMinutes(10);
  soil.setRangeMin(500);

  // node configuration
  node.setSleepSeconds(60);
 
  /*
  * Configure your sensors above
  */
  node.before();
}

// presentation
void presentation() {
  // call NodeManager presentation routine
  node.presentation();
}

// setup
void setup() {
  // call NodeManager setup routine
  node.setup();
}

// loop
void loop() {
  // call NodeManager loop routine
  node.loop();
}

#if FEATURE_RECEIVE == ON
// receive
void receive(const MyMessage &message) {
  // call NodeManager receive routine
  node.receive(message);
}
#endif

#if FEATURE_TIME == ON
// receiveTime
void receiveTime(unsigned long ts) {
  // call NodeManager receiveTime routine
  node.receiveTime(ts);
}
#endif

Rain and soil moisture are connected to A4 and A5, reports every 10 minutes and are powered on just before taking the measure through pin A1. The button through the hooking function toggles the valve, when pressed. The valve (or better the H-bridge) is connected through pin 5 and 6 (off and on). The node wakes up every minute to pick up from the controller new orders (using smart sleep). There is also a safeguard of 60 minutes (if something goes wrong with the communication, irrigation is turned off regardless after 60 minutes).

Am i right in saying that if I connect the power leads of the valve to a + source (Li 18650 4.1v 2500ma) it should open the valve and the if I reverse the the leads it should close the valve?

1. simple circuit (relay, capacitor, L293 IC and additional capacitor for power supply filtering)
2. simple interface (use it like normal relay)
3. safe - bi-stable solenoids have maximum pulse with, with this circuit there is no possibility to cross that requirement (the pulse width is defined by the RC constant of the capacitor and solenoid)

Cons are:

1. the capacitor between relay and the ground has to be quite large about 1-2mF so its size is significant
2. the l293 ic maybe not very cheap

Regarding the abnormal battery consumption, I placed two 330uF capacitor between gnd and Vcc of the H-bridge powering the valve and they seem to help. After a few on and off the battery went from 4.70V to 4.68V so it was not affected at all. Not sure if it is a good idea or not but I thought could help the valve to be more gentle against the battery. I've also added a sleep of two seconds just after the digitalOutput pulse so to allow the board not to suffer of the voltage drop before sending the ack back to the controller (it was sometimes lost before).

AA bateries can't handle much current. You are feeding an solenoid (coil) that probably requires 1A for switch state and it drains too much from aa battery. Buy a 12v /7a battery from chinese brand for 10€ and use a voltage regulator from ebay and you have you problems gone.

• Regarding the abnormal battery consumption, I placed two 330uF capacitor between gnd and Vcc of the H-bridge powering the valve and they seem to help. After a few on and off the battery went from 4.70V to 4.68V so it was not affected at all. Not sure if it is a good idea or not but I thought could help the valve to be more gentle against the battery. I've also added a sleep of two seconds just after the digitalOutput pulse so to allow the board not to suffer of the voltage drop before sending the ack back to the controller (it was sometimes lost before).
• Regarding the pressure lost at the valve, I was able to gain this pressure somewhere else. First of all I bought new, high quality irrigation sprinklers and they cover with exactly the same pressure almost 50% more ground than the old one. Then I removed a few junctions which were losing additional pressure. Now at least it is usable since I have full coverage of the garden (about 100 square meters) with a single sprinkler.
• Regarding the safeguard, I've added a very simple timer to my sketch. When a valve is turned on, the time starts (it just counts the number of cycles to make it simple). If too many cycles have passed by and the valve is still on, turns it off automatically.

Bottom line, I was about to give up with this but now I'm back on track :)

Changing valve and stepping up to 24v seems too complex for my requirements but adding a big capacitor could be something worth trying also here.

what i did is: call time from GW , store it on irrigation node ,and then after time out(2 hours) it shuts off alone .in fact i don't have any code to control valves from gw . Gw only receive status for domotics. all time for valves On and Off its on the node.
See the timeaware sensor example to know how get time from gw and how handle it
you can just use for ex:
if(hour()==09) { //if its 9 hour AM TURN ON
digitalwrite (valve, HIGH)
}
if(hour()==10) { //if its 10 hour AM TURN OFF
digitalwrite (valve,LOW)
}

Or on shutdown implement a "time out"timer (if millis have been passed turn off) like on "blink without delay" example

https://github.com/mysensors/MySensorsArduinoExamples/blob/master/examples/TimeAwareSensor/TimeAwareSensor.ino