Hack remote control sensitive pad

Other Hardware Device Hacking
1

Hi everyone,

CONTEXT

I want to open my home gate programmatically and not wanting to damage my gate remote control, and also wanting to do things correctly I turn to you for a subject on which I have trouble finding information online.

So I would like to automate the opening of my gate activating the sensitive button of my remote control.
Just to clarify it is a 868Mhz remote control with rolling code, not copyable (by home automation system such as RF link), and I have already made a PoC using a servo to press the button, but this time I would like to remove any mechanical element and use a relay or a transistor.

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MY NEED

I would like to know how to activate the sensitive button on my remote control.
I realized, using a dupont wire, that if I touch the two parts of the sensitive pad the remote control is triggered correctly.
Do you think that by soldering a wire on each of two parts of the sensitive pad I can activate the signal with a transistor controlled by my arduino? (I think a relay is overkill in this case)

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Thanks for your help :slight_smile:

2

The truth is your "sensitive pad" is carbon filled foam. It does exactly what you did with the wire. It closes a switch. So, the answer is your plan is a good one and go for it.

By the way, the foam on the pad will self destruct in a few years, so plan accordingly.

Paul

3

I've tried to do this on a similar project before and can confirm that it kind of works. I say kind of because I damaged the contacts due to not having good soldering skills 10yrs ago and I never got to test if it worked. I would suggest trying it on another device before. They are deceptively easy to damage. Also for your transistor I think it needs to be tied to the same ground as your fob, meaning that your Arduino needs to also be on that same ground (maybe someone with more skill can confirm this?).