How Does it Work

IOT Team 9: Will, Chase Havely, Greg Wycoff

Published April 26, 2021

MEGR 3171 - Automatic Blinds

A set of blinds that will open automatically when sunlight hits a photodetector as well as open and close at a certain time.

IntermediateShowcase (no instructions)200

Things used in this project

Hardware components

Particle Argon

Capacitor 100 µF

Driver DRV8825 for Stepper Motors for Theremino System

Photo resistor

Resistor 220 ohm

P Series Nema 23 Stepper Motor

Software apps and online services

IFTTT Maker service

Google Sheets

Particle Build Web IDE

Story

Blinds are an easy way to ensure privacy in your home while still having the option to open them and enjoy sunlight in your home. However, sometimes it feels as though you have to choose between them. This system will allow for the blinds to be opened and closed without you having to do anything. This allows for the blinds to be opened whenever you wake up in the morning to see the sunrise and get some early morning sunlight while still being closed at night when you are ready for bed for some much needed privacy.

How Does it Work

This device works using a photoresistor to detect light. When the resistance of the photoresistor gets to a specified resistance the Argon publishes an event called 'daylight' to the particle console. A second argon subscribes to that event and when it receives the 'daylight' event publishes it's own event called 'Morning'. This event is then picked up by a third Argon which will be subscribed to the "Morning" event and then will turn the motor on to raise the blinds. To close the blinds, the second argon publishes a new event at a set time called 'Night'. For our example code we set the time to 9:00pm however this can be changed in the coding. The motor Argon will subscribe to this event and will cause the motor to turn and close the blinds. There is also a IFTTT applet that will create a row on a google sheet whenever the 'Morning' event is published.

Applet for Recording Time of Morning Event

Various Tests at Different times

A graph Representation of Data

A Flow Chart Representing how the Particle Argons Communicate with Each Other

Schematics

Code

void setup() {
    
    Particle.subscribe("daytime",open,"e00fce68bc2298d8053ed7ba");

    Time.zone(-4.00);
    Serial.begin(9600);

    delay(1000);
}

void open(const char *event,const char *data)
    {
        Serial.print(Time.timeStr());
    
    
        if (Particle.subscribe("daytime",open,"e00fce68bc2298d8053ed7ba")){ 
            delay(1000);
            Particle.publish("Morning","On",PUBLIC); 
            Particle.unsubscribe();                          
            delay(1000);                                                        
        
        }
    }
    
void loop () {
    if (Time.hour() == 21 && Time.minute() == 00 && Time.second() == 00){
        Particle.publish("Night","On",PUBLIC);                           
        delay(1000);                                                             
        Particle.publish("Night","Off",PUBLIC); 
    }

}

int led2=D7;
int photoresistor = A0;
 
int analogValue;
 

void setup() {
    pinMode(led2,OUTPUT);
  pinMode(photoresistor, INPUT);
   Particle.variable("photoresistor", analogValue);
   

}
void loop() {
    delay(1000);
  analogValue = analogRead(photoresistor);
  
  if (analogValue >50){
      
      digitalWrite(led2, HIGH);
      Particle.publish("daytime","It's a sunny day!",PRIVATE);
  }
 
else{ 
    digitalWrite(led2,LOW);
    Particle.publish("nighttime","It's nighttime", PRIVATE);
}}

#define dirPin D2
#define stepPin D3
#define stepsPerRevolution 200
void setup() {
  // Declare pins as output:
  pinMode(stepPin, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(dirPin, OUTPUT);
  
  Particle.subscribe("Morning",open,"e00fce68e6de1bfbcd25e162");
  Particle.subscribe("Night",close,"e00fce68e6de1bfbcd25e162");
  
  
}
        void open(const char *event,const char *data)
{
         
         
         if (Particle.subscribe("Morning",open,"e00fce68e6de1bfbcd25e162"))
         delay(1000);
        digitalWrite(dirPin, HIGH);
         for (int i = 0; i < 5000; i++) {
         
                digitalWrite(stepPin, HIGH);
                 delayMicroseconds(500);
                digitalWrite(stepPin, LOW);
             delayMicroseconds(900);
             
       
       delay(1000);
         }
   
}
        void close(const char *event,const char *data)
{
         
        
         if (Particle.subscribe("Night",close,"e00fce68e6de1bfbcd25e162"))
       delay(1000);
        digitalWrite(dirPin, LOW);
         for (int i = 0; i < 5000; i++) {
         
                digitalWrite(stepPin, HIGH);
                 delayMicroseconds(500);
                digitalWrite(stepPin, LOW);
             delayMicroseconds(900);
             
       
       delay(1000);
         }
   
}

MEGR 3171 - Automatic Blinds

Things used in this project

Hardware components

Software apps and online services

Story

How Does it Work

Custom parts and enclosures

Bearing Housing

Motor in Housing

Blinds set up

Schematics

Sun detector Schematic

Motor Schematic

Code

Timer

Sunlight Detector

Motor

Credits

Will

Chase Havely

Greg Wycoff

Comments

Embed the widget on your own site

MEGR 3171 - Automatic Blinds

MEGR 3171 - Automatic Blinds

Things used in this project

Hardware components

Software apps and online services

Story

How Does it Work

Custom parts and enclosures

Bearing Housing

Motor in Housing

Blinds set up

Schematics

Sun detector Schematic

Motor Schematic

Code

Timer

Sunlight Detector

Motor

Credits

Will

Chase Havely

Greg Wycoff

Comments

Related tags