Home automating car port louvres
Posted Jan 23, 2023, 1:09 PM UTC
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This is the closest example of what I'm trying to do. https://youtu.be/beG4ee-a-vs
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Updatein case anyone else here is looking to replicatie this sort of application.
I connected a smart switch https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B08M3B1TZW? and set up some Tap-to-run automations. Also connected it to Alexa for voice control. Geo location is also set up, so the car port closest when rain is incoming (and semi closest for shade when it's too hot).
The company that makes these (Vergola) don't offer anything like it. They have a rain sensor (that constantly fails), no smart automation etc. I might drop them an email and show them what I've done, in case they want to step up their game.
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Assuming that the inputs need a simple contact closure to open/close the louvers, there are lots of WiFi relays that you can use. Search for 'wifi relay' on Amazon (or elsewhere):
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=wifi+relay
These are typically controlled by an app and are usually compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Home.
Ok, looking into that. Thanks for the advice!
Careful! A lot of the "relais" are just switching mains power to the output. You need a dry relais if the sensors do not require mains voltage.
Ok thanks for the heads up. In this case, the relais would not be connected to any power (other than what it would get from the box). I just need a wifi enabled relay that can send an Open and a Close signal to the box.
What's the Ethernet cable for? Can't you access it from your network?
The Ethernet cable connects to the control panel (inside the house).
You don’t need a relay to close a simple sensor switch. You can do it just as well with an optoisolator and a simple resistor. The opto has an LED inside, so you need a current limiting resistor to protect the led and the gpio on the esp32 or esp8266.