Room Controller V2
Blog >> Hardware >> Room Controller V2
Thursday, 24th March 2011 | |
As the summer is coming, and the issues of power bills coupled with a south facing room, keeping the temperature down is vital. This is to make everything more comfortable, plus stop the computers from automatically shutting down when the temperature is critical. This has led to a revamp of the previously constructed automation system.
The old system worked well, but needed a few extra tweeks. The thermometer system has been kept, but stripped down to a single thermistor near the computer, and set at a cap of 30 degrees centigrade. This still controls a fan, except the a tube is attached and directed to the ventilation inlet on the computer system. It is designed so that the cooling system only activates during extreme temperatures.
The lighting system has also been maintained, except with a timing system as well as an external light sensor and an internal motion sensor. This avoids constant recalibration as the sunrise and sunset times change. The lights are designed to turn on when the light outside falls below a certain level, and there is motion inside the room. The timer shuts off the lights at certain predefined times depending on the day.
The final addition is a control system implemented onto my mobile phone. This lets me control the system from anywhere, as well as view information about the temperatures and lighting conditions. It was specifically made so that constant walking between the computer and anywhere else can be minimized (i.e. turning on or off the lights from bed).
The system is being finalized to have a wakeup timer on the lights so that at certain times in the morning, the lights turn on in a further attempt to aid in getting up earlier. | | Tags: automation, io, mobile, power |
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