Please no one flame me here, just asking an innocent question. So I know that Arduino is open source, my question is I have developed a relay controller to control 120VAC devices. I am able to control it using the arduino, one as a slave, and the other as a master which i put in a box with pushbuttons. currently it is hard wired from arduino to arduino to control the lighting. For me this is fine.
I have shown this to several people who have expressed interest in purchasing something like this from me, but a few of these people have said they wish the controller were wireless.
So my question is, how taboo is it to develop a product using the arduino as the main processor since it is normally associatted with open source. and second, what would be a good wireless protocol to use for controlling this device should i decide to pursue this? If i develop a few of these devices is it required to file with the FCC? I don't know any of the rules, i am not an EE. Would using any type of premade bluetooth module circumvent any type of FCC registration if it were required?
If you design a board yourself you can not say it is an 'Arduino' and you can not use the logo.
You can not change the Arduino IDE software and redistribute it saying it is 'Arduino'.
You don't want to do all that, you just want to use Arduino to develop something. As far as I know, that is not a problem. Some extra libraries are copyrighted, but most is 'open source' or 'public domain'. I think that also everything on the forum is considered 'public domain'.
The regulations for wireless devices are not the same around the world.
Sometimes only complete devices can be tested, even if the module is known to be good.
Just a bit of advice regarding the 110 VAC, that's a whole different issue of you are willing to sell said product to people, you have to be sure of your design safety, and applicable standards within that country. As i'm sure that last thing you like on your hand is a law suit.
Sorry I am teaching you to suck eggs so to speak, just be careful.
Here is basically what is going on, I have some 12vdc Relays that can handle 20A of current on the contacts. I am using a small 5v relay to supply the 12vdc to the main 12vdc/120vac relays. These relays will be inside an enclosure with a serparate circuit feeding each individual relay so there wont be any amperage issues. The use of these is to control christmas lights. Rather than unlplug everything every night, or use those dial timer type devices I came up with this idea. I am using an arduino mega to control the 5v relays as it is what i had laying around, and a pro mini in the controller box i have to turn them on or off.
I was wanting to integrate the 2560 into the relay control board, just the chip itself, i wouldnt put aruino anywhere on the actual board or even call it an arduino. it would just be to control these. but my neighbor really liked this and asked if i would build him one as well. he wanted it to be wireless though, and then i thought of how nice it would be if mine were wireless.
so this isnt a huge commercial thing, maybe sell one or two of these total. more of a hobby, but my question that i was wondering is wirelessly, what are the rules, if i go with a radio type thing are there laws i could be viloating unknowingly? And that is why i was wondering if this BLE 4.0 stuff would be the best way to go with this. I figured maybe that the bluetooth BLE protocol possibly bypassed FCC rules since it is low power?
BLE is not bypassing the FCC rules, as far as I know.
The wifi frequency 2.54 GHz can be used with limited power. That is Bluetooth, Bluetooth LE, wireless mouse, wifi, and so on...
In Europe, the 433 MHz, 868MHz, and 915 MHz can be used with limited power. Also small indoor FM transmitters 89...108MHz are allowed.
In the US, 315 MHz can be used, and more.
If you use a good quality module that has a frequency for your country it should be no problem.
Then there is also the XBee and Zigbee modules.