Noisy inputs..

[shabba]

Hi all,
I built a gate controller for myself (https://www.openhardware.io/view/458/Gate-Controller). The relay pins are wrong (N/O and N/C) but that is not relevant here.

The issue is that when I stop or start the relays when AC is connected my inputs trigger changes. This does not happen when I disconnect the AC. The relays are driving gate motors using starter capacitors.

#include "PinChangeInterrupt.h"
#define TINY_GSM_MODEM_A6
#define RF69_IRQ_NUM          2
#define MY_NODE_ID 2
#define MY_DEBUG 
#define MY_RADIO_RFM69
#define MY_RFM69_FREQUENCY   RF69_868MHZ
#include <SPI.h>
#include <MySensors.h>
#include <TinyGsmClient.h>
#define SerialAT Serial1
#define DELAY 2000
/////////////////// Gates ///////////////////////
#define RGC  14
#define LGO  15
#define RGO  12 
#define LGC  18
//////////////////// Buttons ///////////////////
#define KEYPAD      20
#define INTERCOM    19
#define PHOTOCELLS  23
#define KEYFOB      21
#define WALLSWITCH  A7
#define REEDSWITCH  22

TinyGsm modem(SerialAT);

MyMessage msg(1,V_TRIPPED);
MyMessage msg2(2,V_TEXT);
unsigned long const gatesTimeOpenClose = 29000;
unsigned long const gatesStayOpen = 80000;
unsigned long movingTime = 0, openTime = 0;

volatile bool keyPad = false, interCom = false, keyFob = false;
bool gatesOpening = false, gatesClosing = false, gatesOpen = false, stringComplete = false, domoTrigger = false;
String inputString = "";
String reason = "";
int oldsec=0;
volatile bool startup = true, changeDetected = false;

void openGates() {
  if (gatesOpening) {
    return;
  }
  if (gatesClosing) {
    unsigned long temp = millis() - movingTime; // temp is ms since gate was closing
    movingTime = millis() - (gatesTimeOpenClose - temp) + 1000;
    values();
    Serial.print("OpenGates() :: Reopening:");
    Serial.println(temp/1000);
    stopGates();
  } else {
    movingTime = millis();
  }
  if (gatesOpen) { // Reset open timer
    openTime = millis();
    values();
    Serial.println("OpenGates() : Resetting open timer");
    return;
  }
  gatesOpening = true;
  send(msg2.set(reason.c_str()));
  reason="";
  send(msg.set(0));
  digitalWrite(RGO,LOW);
  values();
  Serial.println("OpenGates() : Right");
  delay(2000);
  digitalWrite(LGO,LOW);
  values();
  Serial.println("OpenGates : Left");
}
void stopGates() {
  digitalWrite(LGC,HIGH);
  digitalWrite(LGO,HIGH);
  values();
  Serial.println("StopGates : Stopping Left gate");
  if (gatesClosing) {
    delay(1000);
  }
  digitalWrite(RGC,HIGH);
  digitalWrite(RGO,HIGH);
  Serial.println("StopGates : Stopping Right gate");
  gatesOpen = gatesOpening?true:false;
  if (gatesOpen) {
    values();
    Serial.println("StopGates() : Gates are open");
    openTime = millis();
  }
  gatesOpening = false;
  gatesClosing = false;
}

void closeGates() {
  while(analogRead(WALLSWITCH) < 615) {
    unsigned long wallOpen = millis();
    if(millis() % 10000 == 0) {
      int sec = (millis() - wallOpen)/1000;
      if (sec != oldsec) {
        values();
        Serial.print("CloseGates() : Wall switch: ");
        Serial.print(sec);
        Serial.println('s');
        oldsec = sec;
      }
    }
  }   
  if (gatesClosing) {
    return;
  }
  movingTime = millis();
  gatesClosing = true;
  gatesOpen = false;
  values();
  keyPad = false, interCom = false, keyFob = false;
  Serial.println("CloseGates() : Closing Left gate");
  digitalWrite(LGC,LOW);
  values();
  delay(2000);
  Serial.println("CloseGates() : Closing Right gate");
  digitalWrite(RGC,LOW);
  values();
}

void CheckGates() {
  if (gatesOpening || gatesClosing) {
    if((millis() - movingTime) > gatesTimeOpenClose) {
      stopGates();   
    } else {
      if (millis() % 2000 == 0)  {
        values();
        int secs = (millis() - movingTime) / 1000;
        if (secs != oldsec) {
          if (gatesOpening) {
            Serial.print("CheckGates() : Opening:");
          } else {
            Serial.print("CheckGates() : Closing:");
          }
          Serial.print((movingTime + gatesTimeOpenClose - millis()) / 1000);
          Serial.println("s");
          oldsec = secs;
        }
      }
    }
  }
  if (gatesClosing) {
    if (digitalRead(PHOTOCELLS) == HIGH) {
       Serial.println("CheckGates() : Photocells tripped - Reopening");
       openGates();
    }
    if (digitalRead(REEDSWITCH) == LOW) {
       Serial.println("CheckGates() : ReedSwitch tripped");
       send(msg.set(1));
       stopGates();
    }
  }
  if (gatesOpen) {
    if((millis() - openTime) > gatesStayOpen) {
      closeGates();
    } else {
      if (millis() % 5000 == 0)  {
        int secs = (millis() - openTime) / 1000;
        if (secs != oldsec) {
          values();
          Serial.print("CheckGates() : Open ");
          Serial.print(secs);
          Serial.print("s :: ");
          Serial.print((openTime + gatesStayOpen - millis()) / 1000);
          Serial.println("s");
          oldsec = secs;
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

void setup()  { 
  Serial.println("Setup() : Gate sketch started");
  inputString.reserve(200);
  SerialAT.begin(115200);
  delay(5000); // Give modem a chance.
  Serial.print("Setup() : Initialising Modem...");
  while(!modem.init()) {
    Serial.println("Setup() : ERR: Modem init");
    delay(10000);
  }
  Serial.println("Setup() : Waiting for network..");
  while(!modem.waitForNetwork()) {
    Serial.println("Setup() : ERR: GSM network");
    delay(10000);
  }
  Serial.println("Setup() : Modem ready");
  SerialAT.write("AT+CLIP=1\r\n");
  pinMode(WALLSWITCH, INPUT);
  pinMode(INTERCOM, INPUT_PULLUP);
  pinMode(KEYPAD, INPUT_PULLUP);
  pinMode(KEYFOB, INPUT_PULLUP);
  pinMode(REEDSWITCH, INPUT_PULLUP);
  pinMode(PHOTOCELLS, INPUT_PULLUP);
  attachPCINT(digitalPinToPCINT(INTERCOM), PBChangeIntercom, CHANGE);
  attachPCINT(digitalPinToPCINT(KEYFOB), PBChangeKeyFob, CHANGE);
  attachPCINT(digitalPinToPCINT(KEYPAD), PBChangeKeyPad, CHANGE);
  int gatePins[4] = {LGO,LGC, RGO, RGC};
  for (int x=0;x<4;x++) {
    pinMode(gatePins[x],OUTPUT);
    digitalWrite(gatePins[x],HIGH);
  }
  gatesOpen = (digitalRead(REEDSWITCH))==LOW?false:true;
  if (gatesOpen) {
    Serial.println("Setup() : Gates are open on startup");
    closeGates();  
  }
  values();
  startup = false;
}

void loop() {
  if (changeDetected) {
    Serial.println("Change detected");
    changeDetected = false;
  }
  if (keyFob) {
    values();
    Serial.println("loop() : Gate open request detected by Key Fob");
    reason="Opened by Key Fob";
    openGates();
    keyFob = false;
  }
  if (interCom) {
    values();
    Serial.println("loop() : Gate open request detected by Intercom");
    reason="Opened by Intercom";
    openGates();
    interCom = false;
  }
  if (keyPad) {
    values();
    Serial.println("loop() : Gate open request detected by key pad");
    reason="Opened by Key Pad";
    openGates();
    keyPad = false;
  } 
  if (stringComplete) {
    inputString.trim();
    if (inputString.length() > 0) {
      Serial.print("loop() : GSM:");
      Serial.println(inputString);
    }
    if(inputString.indexOf("1111111111") > 0 || inputString.indexOf("222222222222") > 0 || inputString.indexOf("333333333333") > 0) {
      String phoneNum = inputString.substring(inputString.indexOf("087"),inputString.indexOf("087")+10);
      Serial.print("loop() : GSM:");
      Serial.print(phoneNum);
      Serial.println(" CALL");
      SerialAT.write("ATH \n\r");
      reason="Opened by " + phoneNum;
      openGates();
    }  
    // clear the string:
    inputString = "";
    stringComplete = false;
  }
  CheckGates();
  reason = "";
}

void receive(const MyMessage &message) {
  if (message.type == V_STATUS && message.sensor == 1) {
     if (atoi(message.data) == 0) {
        Serial.println("receive() : Open req from domo");
        reason = "Opened from domoticz";
        openGates();
     }
  } 
}

void serialEvent1() {
  while (SerialAT.available()) {
    char inChar = (char)SerialAT.read();
    inputString += inChar;
    if (inChar == '\n') {
      stringComplete = true;
    }
  }
}                                                                      

void values() {
  Serial.print("KF: ");
  Serial.print(keyFob);
  Serial.print("| KP: ");
  Serial.print(keyPad);
  Serial.print("| IN: ");
  Serial.println(interCom);
}
void presentation() {
  sendSketchInfo("Front Gates", "3.4");
  present(1, S_DOOR, "Front Gates"); 
  present(2, S_INFO, "Gate Open Reason"); 
}

void PBChangeIntercom() {
  if (startup) return;
  volatile static unsigned long last_interrupt_time = 0;
  unsigned long interrupt_time = millis();
  if (interrupt_time - last_interrupt_time > 1000)  interCom = true;
  last_interrupt_time = interrupt_time;
  changeDetected = true;
}
void PBChangeKeyPad() {
  if (startup) return;
  volatile static unsigned long last_interrupt_time = 0;
  unsigned long interrupt_time = millis();
  if (interrupt_time - last_interrupt_time > 1000) keyPad = true;
  last_interrupt_time = interrupt_time;
  changeDetected = true;
}

void PBChangeKeyFob() {
  if (startup) return;
  volatile static unsigned long last_interrupt_time = 0;
  unsigned long interrupt_time = millis();
  if (interrupt_time - last_interrupt_time > 1000) keyFob = true;
  last_interrupt_time = interrupt_time;
  changeDetected = true;
}

The code is a bit verbose as I added some debug and extra vars to help me see what was going on. The inputs are:
Photocells : laser sensor that detects when laser path is broken.
Wallswitch: Switch inside house to keep gates open. Connected to analog A7 and gnd with a connection from A7 to +5 via a 220 resistor.
Intercom: Momentary switch in house to open gates.
Reed: A reed switch that triggers when the gates connect on close.
KeyFob: A Keyfob
KeyPad: Keypad switch.
Phone: A6 module.

The motors pull about 1.9 A IIRC. Do I need LPFs? Any other ideas?
Thanks!

[shabba]

Bump?

[gohan]

Are relays opto isolated?

[shabba]

@gohan said in Noisy inputs..:

Are relays opto isolated?

Yes.

[gohan]

did you try to power the relay with a separate power supply to totally isolate the arduino from the relays circuit?

[shabba]

No. I can try that but because I have already received the PCBs I would need to hack it a bit. It is worth mentioning that this does not happen when AC is not passed through the relays but relays are still connected.

[gohan]

That's why optocoupler are used, but also isolating the rest it could be beneficial as most of the relay boards allow it for a reason

[shabba]

I'm gonna see if I can grab a few ferrite cores and stick then on the AC lines to see if that suppresses the EMI.