$8 Lamp (Outlet) "Smart Plug" Module

[petewill]

@Dean glad it could help! That is exactly why I made it like that. I know it will be too long for some people but I remember it was difficult for me to piece together all the steps when I was first starting.

[Francois]

@petewill Great video when are you planning in doing the power monitoring for this project?

[hek]

Excellent @petewill.

Your video has been added to relay build page and in the news section.

Great work!

[petewill]

@Francois great question! To be honest, it's on the list but not very high. I have a few other projects I wanted to do and hopefully create videos for.

@hek Thanks! You have created something awesome and I am excited to give back just a little when I can. Thanks for all you've done (and continue to do)!!

[johnr]

Nice project.

I will build some plugs myself, but I would like to exclude the charger, we should be able to power the arduino directly from the ac plug.

I am thinking to use something like this

https://www.elfa.se/elfa3~tr_en/elfa/init.do?item=69-065-19&toc=19413

What do you think about it?

[tbowmo]

@johnr said:

Nice project.

I will build some plugs myself, but I would like to exclude the charger, we should be able to power the arduino directly from the ac plug.

I am thinking to use something like this

https://www.elfa.se/elfa3~tr_en/elfa/init.do?item=69-065-19&toc=19413

What do you think about it?

That looks like an "charger" just in another package :) in my opinion it's a bit over the top, with a 10W power supply, to a device that uses arround 0,5W (0.1mA @ 5V) in peaks.

/ Thomas

[johnr]

Hi,

Sorry I Think I expressed myself to short and incorrect on my way to work.

I really like this Project. My personal problem is that when you have many sensors, sooner or later you run out of old chargers ;)

Therefore for the relay (wallplug) it would be nice to find a small ac/dc power supply, which is easy to integrate into the breadboard/pcb.

The Meanwell that I linked to i also availible in 5w, but personally I had some problems in the past, with the current consumption of the relays, using sub wall-warts. This is why I am thinking 10w.

Mean well have nice quality but pricing is quite high. Would be nice to find an alternative with enough quality that you can trust that it wont burst into flames.

Edit: Mybe this tread is the correct one to discuss ac/dc converters. http://forum.mysensors.org/topic/687/230v-power-supply-to-arduino

[RJ_Make]

@johnr It doesn't look like that series has any temperature protection??

[johnr]

servicexp, no I guess it have only over current protection.

I am going to test a smaller 5w converter. MW irm-05-5 which I was able to get for a ok price through work. It has also smaller physical dimensions.

[petewill]

@johnr said:

servicexp, no I guess it have only over current protection.

I am going to test a smaller 5w converter. MW irm-05-5 which I was able to get for a ok price through work. It has also smaller physical dimensions.

Nice, let us know how it works! I also find I run out of chargers. Thankfully I can get them from work occasionally when people recycle their old phone chargers.

[BulldogLowell]

@petewill

Or hotel lost and found...

[petewill]

@BulldogLowell yeah, good idea! I wonder if electronics stores may have them too. I know Best Buy has a electronics recycling program. Maybe they get them there too? I just got a fresh supply from work so I should be good for a little while :)

[Mohsin Hassan]

Hey Hi. Awesome project.
Just a quick though, could i just a Pro mini 5V and skip the whole voltage regulator part? or would that need some additional changes to the project?

Thank :+1:

[petewill]

@Mohsin-Hassan Do you mean a 3.3v pro mini? If so, then you should be able to. The radio requires 3.3v to work. You would need to take the 5v from the phone charger to power the relay.

[DanielD]

@petewill

Hello, how are you?
Man, I understood how you do this project, but Have one thing I doesn't understand, How you sync the plug with your cellphone?
Because intro the plug have a Arduino and RF Module.
Could you explain me?
Thx :)

[petewill]

@DanielD said:

How you sync the plug with your cellphone?

I use a Vera for my home automation controller. MySensors has a plugin for Vera so the cellphone app is actually for Vera. I can issue a command through my phone to Vera which will then send the command to the MySensors device.

Hopefully that makes sense.

Pete

[DanielD]

@petewill

Okay, I thought that you create a device smilar to Vera.
Because I thinking do this.
Do you have any ideia how I do this?
Thx

[petewill]

@DanielD said:

Do you have any ideia how I do this?

No, sorry. It would probably be easier for you to use an existing controller that already works with MySensors though. Check out the list here: http://www.mysensors.org/controller/

I'm sure some of them already have phone apps but I'm not sure which ones. I haven't looked at anything other than Vera.

[DanielD]

@petewill
mm, I will install one of these in my PC and I will buy a ethernet bord, and make a gateway ethernet.
But what I do not understand is How the Web Site will send a rf signal from arduino
Okay I know I should connect the ethernet bord in arduino and rf transmisor, but how do
sensor received this signal I know I will put rf receiver inside.
But the code of ethernet gateway doesn't have nothing about the transmissor.
If you don't understand something ask me.
Thx

[petewill]

@DanielD said:

But the code of ethernet gateway doesn't have nothing about the transmissor.

Right. That's where the controller comes in. I use Vera so when I press the on button in the Vera interface it sends the command through the gateway to the sensor (smart outlet).

If you are try do it cheaply you may want to look into openhab. I haven't used it but I know it runs on a raspberry pi.