Home automation project

Hi ,

I'm trying to do project to control rooms but I have some problem with devices that I should use it with the arduino . Here is the truth table that I have made for a small project to control 4 rooms and every room has a fan , HVAC and LAMP . So what is the devices that is needed to control those whole thing?
I was thinking to use 8 PowerSwitch , because in my country we are using 110V and 220V So I will connect for each room two . One PowerSwitch tail to control the devices that is connected to 110V and the other PowerSwitch tail to control the devices that is connected to 220V . But the problem is does this PowerSwitch can feed more than 4 or 5 devices , and how can I know the maximum ability for it to feed devices . I have here some picture of a device that I will may order . but I need to know what it maximum ability to feed devices .

Hello fire1,

I am the development manager of the home automation system called functiodomo. We developed our own Arduino duemilanove version because we neeeded a fast connection to the AC electrical installation at homes. Now we sell them trhough our online shop to other developers.

You can find it at:
http://functiodomo.com/eshop/?tcp_product=placa-de-control-acduino-pcb-functiodomo

The web is in Spanish but if you need, I can translate it to you. The main differences between our version and the original Arduino are three: we can connect it to the electrical house installation directly, the Xbee shield is integrated in the PCB and it can be reprogrammed without disconnect it from the installation and without take out the Xbee module. We also developed special relays boards to switch on/off the equipments connected to them and if they have a manual switch, detect when its state is changed.

Now we are finising the documentation explaining the the place of the inputs and outputs in the PCB, but I can tell you that they are the same ones than the inputs and outputs of the Arduino duemilanove.

If you need more technical information about what it is the functiodomo project, you can have a look in our blog web: http://www.functiodomo.org

If you have any question, you can do it to me directly or through this forum.

In the link to the powerswitch tail, it notes that the device can switch up to 15A. Take a look at the things you're trying to switch and see how many amps they draw. I'd expect the lamp and the fan to be ok, hard to say regarding the HVAC. Note though that if you're using a single powerswitch for each voltage, you'll lose the ability to control the lamp and fan (I assume) individually. Note also that you'll need a different version of it to switch 220V.

thank you all ,

but castillo14 we have the team already , but our problem is in technical installation . I can use 8 pins from the arduino to control all of the office . So my question is which is the better devices . that can be used for this purpose ?

Regards,

Truth table1.png

Ok fire1. if I have understood, you are going to use 1 only Arduino board to control all the equipments. You have made a codification based on the digital output of Arduino to select what element has to be activated.

That is a different conception to our home automation system. I only have a question. When you active one equipment, can it be able to be used in manual mode?

but castillo14 we have the team already , but our problem is in technical installation . I can use 8 pins from the arduino to control all of the office . So my question is which is the better devices . that can be used for this purpose ?

You can use relays like below to switch power. Your big issue will be allowing normal manual control while still being able to control via an arduino. Also if you use dual control, how will you know if the device is on or off?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/8-Channel-5V-Relay-Module-Shield-for-Arduino-uno-1280-2560-ARM-PIC-AVR-DSP-/281068143455?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4170f7835f

Hi ,

thanks to you all .

When you active one equipment, can it be able to be used in manual mode?

Yes I have done a general truth table for that . one arduino can control up to 64 device . I can use 6 pin from arduino for that . pow(2,6)=64 . 6 for output and 6 for the input . In truth table I have made until 34 the other 30 is for future usage . and 000000 is for cutting electricity for the whole house . For the buttons or switches I can let the button send it's logic to the arduino and then the arduino will understand this comes from switch of FAN1 then it will send an output logic to close this FAN1 '000010' . this is for beginning solution but for far I will think for a better solution . I'm having a small problem in how can I send these logics in parallel and how the arduino can get the inputs in parallel . this is the real problem ?
Second : Is there any home circuit breaker that can be controlled by a microcontroller and at the same time by switch ?
The circuit breaker in my home has 18 switches . So I need to control these 18 switch with additional 1 for the whole circuit breaker . I need something like it .

You can use relays like below to switch power. Your big issue will be allowing normal manual control while still being able to control via an arduino. Also if you use dual control, how will you know if the device is on or off?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/8-Channel-5V-Relay-Module-Shield-for-Arduino-uno-1280-2560-ARM-PIC-AVR-DSP-/281068143455?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4170f7835f

thanks but the problem will be , I need to use many arduino uno to control the whole house .
The relay I will use it but not directly to the arduino , I need to apply this logic then at the end the Relay will be connected directly to the device .

Regards ,

Circuit breakers are safety devices. Arduino relay systems are hobby devices.

Please don't even think of making any mix of this is an electrical fuse boxe of a house. The day that your arduino burns and your insurance company doesn't pay you a dime, you'll regret to have chosen the wrong hobby !

Circuit breakers are safety devices. Arduino relay systems are hobby devices.

Please don't even think of making any mix of this is an electrical fuse boxe of a house. The day that your arduino burns and your insurance company doesn't pay you a dime, you'll regret to have chosen the wrong hobby !

thanks for the reply ,

This is what my company asked for , I'm not trying to play with circuit breaker , I'm searching for a circuit breaker that will act as PowerSwitch tail || , which can be controlled by microcontroller . Even I just want to control 64 device with it , no matter if it's circuit breaker or other .
I'm having other problem about the buttons , what is the buttons that can be used in this project . the issue is that it needs to be feed up with power so when it's pressed it's will send HIGH to the arduino then the arduino should take an action for that . I need to feed 64 buttons with power . So it can be used as switch .

Regards ,

The normal home switch can be switched off by pressing the button , I need a switch that can be used to switch off by pressing a button also by accepting a digital input from the arduino.

I have solved it already , let me make it clear for you , those digital logics means the output pins for the arduino , So I was searching for something that give me a parallel output from the serial input of the arduino , then I have saw the shift register which I can use just 1 pin to control an infinite number of devices . if I placed any device with any one output from the shift register this will give me what I need . I just have to send it all zeros except one value is one and this will be up to 64 which mean 6 pieces of 8 output shift register , Every switch in my home I have to connect it in parallel with the relay as it's shown in the picture . I hope I have make it clear for you .

What my problem is right now is :
I want to know if there any kind of Hybrid Relays . not that one with 15A I need more than 240V/30A Relay to control my HVAC?

123456.png

I want to know if there any kind of Hybrid Relays . not that one with 15A I need more than 240V/30A Relay to control my HVAC?

So just how much do you know about your HVAC? It probably already has a 24v controlled starting contactor.

So just how much do you know about your HVAC? It probably already has a 24v controlled starting contactor.

Thanks Zoomkat , I always like what you always do ,

No problem I need any thing that will help me , For HVAC what should I use normal 16 relay will not help me .

Also for any devices that is more than 30A what should I use to get it controlled by the arduino .