Different approach to Light Switches

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Hi Johnathon,

I really enjoyed watching your episodes on how you automated your house.

So I decided to do it myself…

You used cat 5 cable to all your light switches, that is a very nice way of doing it. i wish i could do it that way.

Instead what i did is this:
I Used 1 Raspberry Pi 3 with Node Red And the Mosquito MQTT.
Used 1 Arduino Mega with Network Shield and the setup connects to my Raspberry Pi through MQTT.
Run 230 VAC to all Light Switches and 230 VAC to All Lights.
All Light Switches Have a relay in the DB controlled from the Arduino Mega.
All Lights have relays in the DB controlled from the Arduino Mega.
Each Light Switch has a NodeMCU ESP8266 Lua Board and a small 230 VAC to 5 VDC power Supply Fitted and the same LED push Buttons you used.
With the Switch each Light switch is Fitted with a DHT11 Sensor to give me temp and Humidity readings for each room.

I know what everyone is thinking… What if the NodeMCU ESP8266 Lua Board freezes i have to reset it and that will take time. So what I did is:
Set up a Watchdog on the Arduino.

This is how – Subscribe the Arduino Mega to all the light switch temp units.
if one of the temp units is not publishing temp successfully the Arduino realizes that and trips the appropriate relay for 3 Seconds… and switches it back on.

I Wish i had all the goodies you have to build a very nice system… But hey we do with what we have.

Please let me know what you think.

Hein

1 Like
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Sounds like you figured out how to work with automation in an environment where you don’t have the luxury of a total rewire. I think that most people fit into that catagory. It’s tempting to just throw a Sonoff into every element of the project but that holds your system hostage to the internet. Great job!