Home Automation - Smartkit

[blueowl]

I'd have the following questions:
1. Would I be able to just connect this alongside my nova/sherlo remote receiver at my motor to allow my motor to be opened with either remote or sonoff

2. Is the programming you've done with Tasmota or the stock firmware

3. If SmartKit can provide a flashed device, that has everything programmed correctly to open/close a gate - perhaps even sold with
THIS waterproof case, then it would be a great ready to install piece of kit.

Maybe even include some complimentary HA dashboard code, but that may be pushing it

1. yes
2. Tasmota - i haven't tried this with the ewelink unit as i don't have any right now (and never tried ewelink TBH)
3. i wouldn't worry about waterproofing but would just stick the sonoff device into the Centurion gate motor space - it will be protected from rain/sun inside there. You also want to put the sonoff inside to avoid tinkering with your wires and somebody shorting the two input wires on the sonoff to open the gate. I am assuming there is enough space inside the Centurion D3/D5 - I should check mine but think there should be enough to fit the sonoff SV in. Note that the SV comes without the case so you may want a small case just to avoid accidental shorting/contact with other metal things inside..... the model you linked is for the sonoff basic which has different dimensions from the sonoff SV

the above will work without HA so no need for it if you just want the rudimentary open/close function (i do have to admit i am installing HA on my Pi as we speak as i want to consolidate all the other sonoffs under one "roof" though, rather than accessing sonoffs individually via their web interfaces etc....)

 

[SAguy]

1. yes
2. Tasmota - i haven't tried this with the ewelink unit as i don't have any right now (and never tried ewelink TBH)
3. i wouldn't worry about waterproofing but would just stick the sonoff device into the Centurion gate motor space - it will be protected from rain/sun inside there. You also want to put the sonoff inside to avoid tinkering with your wires and somebody shorting the two input wires on the sonoff to open the gate. I am assuming there is enough space inside the Centurion D3/D5 - I should check mine but think there should be enough to fit the sonoff SV in. Note that the SV comes without the case so you may want a small case just to avoid accidental shorting/contact with other metal things inside..... the model you linked is for the sonoff basic which has different dimensions from the sonoff SV

the above will work without HA so no need for it if you just want the rudimentary open/close function (i do have to admit i am installing HA on my Pi as we speak as i want to consolidate all the other sonoffs under one "roof" though, rather than accessing sonoffs individually via their web interfaces etc....)

Thanks for the info, if I have a freshly flashed device - what settings would I all need to tinker with in order to get it to work properly? I assume there's an on/off toggle on the sonoff's landing page, so does that show on for a second and then show off?

 

[Tinuva]

Out of interest sake, for those of us who have our own printers, would you be willing to share the tinkercad ?

 

[blueowl]

Thanks for the info, if I have a freshly flashed device - what settings would I all need to tinker with in order to get it to work properly? I assume there's an on/off toggle on the sonoff's landing page, so does that show on for a second and then show off?

yes that is correct.

1) In the Console, I use "PulseTime 10" to change the operating mode of the sonoff SV to the "pulse" mode (the 10 means 1 second pulse, 20 is 2 second pulse and so on). Pulsetime 0 changes it back to the manual ON / OFF (latch) mode.
2) you need 4 wires to go to the sonoff SV:
- 2 wires being + and - for the power supply (I believe the range is from 5V DC to 24V DC IIRC - so 12V from the battery on the Centurion gate motor is perfect for this purpose)
- 2 wires; one being + on the input side, and the other being the + on the output side of the sonoff SV. These two wires then go to the 2 inputs on the Centurion gate motor where you connect your sherlo remote receiver (the two contacts that need to be shorted). These two wires get a "short" during the 1 second that the pulse is on on the sonoff SV device, and thus give the pulse to the gate motor to open or close.

I hope the above makes sense - ask if anything is unclear.

 

[SAguy]

Thanks for all the info - not exactly sure which model to use from the Smartkit website. Can you post the link to the one you're referring to?

 

[blueowl]

Thanks for all the info - not exactly sure which model to use from the Smartkit website. Can you post the link to the one you're referring to?

Smartkit sells the inching model (where these tweaks are not needed, as the inching model does this for you). There are two models they sell: the 5V model (R130 IIRC) and the 5V/12V model (150R IIRC) - you want the latter one because the Centurion gate motor gives 12V through the battery. This is at http://www.smartkit.co.za/product/1-channel-inching-self-locking-wifi-wireless-switch-5v-12v/. I have not tried using the inching model as i don't have any with me, but have ordered one from Smartkit and it should be here next week.

The one I am tinkering with is the "normal" sonoff SV which works on any voltage between 5V and 24V IIRC (https://www.itead.cc/sonoff-sv.html). I purchased this previously from another source and had it sitting in my cupboard so am playing with it right now. I'm not sure if Smartkit stocks these ATM but am sure they could get some if you order. These also tend to be a bit cheaper than the "inching" model but by a small margin.

NB: I just looked more closely at the link you provided to the IP66 case - it seems that this case would indeed be able to house the sonoff SV device, as there seems to be plenty of room inside the case (I thought it was a tight fit specifically for certain sonoffs) - so please ignore my previous note re: this case not being fit for the sonoff SV.

 

[SAguy]

Smartkit sells the inching model (where these tweaks are not needed, as the inching model does this for you). There are two models they sell: the 5V model (R130 IIRC) and the 5V/12V model (150R IIRC) - you want the latter one because the Centurion gate motor gives 12V through the battery. This is at http://www.smartkit.co.za/product/1-channel-inching-self-locking-wifi-wireless-switch-5v-12v/. I have not tried using the inching model as i don't have any with me, but have ordered one from Smartkit and it should be here next week.

The one I am tinkering with is the "normal" sonoff SV which works on any voltage between 1V and 30V IIRC (https://www.itead.cc/sonoff-sv.html). I purchased this previously from another source and had it sitting in my cupboard so am playing with it right now. I'm not sure if Smartkit stocks these ATM but am sure they could get some if you order. These also tend to be a bit cheaper than the "inching" model but by a small margin.

NB: I just looked more closely at the link you provided to the IP66 case - it seems that this case would indeed be able to house the sonoff SV device, as there seems to be plenty of room inside the case (I thought it was a tight fit specifically for certain sonoffs) - so please ignore my previous note re: this case not being fit for the sonoff SV.

Awesome.. Thanks, been very helpful.

 

[rodga]

Awesome.. Thanks, been very helpful.

+1
I have a sherlo receiver in my gate motor, and your guys explanation helped a lot
It doesnt seem too complicated, just have to take a look and figure out the connections

 

[Pho3nix]

Got my T1 linked. One so far.
Might have been the phone or because I wasn’t holding the damn thing down for 7 seconds.

Think the beep occurs before the T1 is ready to actually be paired

 

[ebendl]

I bought two SV's a couple of weeks ago for the exact same reason -- to control my gate motor.

You might want to look at this guide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMepwpyjMCY

That's using the SV and Tasmota to run a garage opener. He goes one step further by adding a reed switch to determine if the garage door is open or closed. I currently do this using a "large gap" industrial reed switch soldered onto the existing reed switch in a Xiaomi door sensor, mounted in a waterproof box (which is connected via Zigbee to the Xiaomi gateway which is connected to Home Assistant.

I also flashed my first Sonoff basics this weekend using Dr Zz's Guide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2IUIUnxjUY

It was much easier than I anticipated. I soldered headers onto my basics which was easy. Getting my "programmer" connected was fairly simple too as was installing the ArduinoIO software and getting Tasmota. And WOW! -- Tasmota is so much better than the stock firmware. I'm actually surprised on how quickly the Basic gets onto my wifi network now -- it is literally a couple of seconds and the switch is available. Amazing what he managed to fit into the firmware.

Going to buy a bunch more basics, but first I need to find time to flash my POW and my SVs and then get my borehole and my gate motors under Home Assistant control.

 

[SmartKit]

1. yes
2. Tasmota - i haven't tried this with the ewelink unit as i don't have any right now (and never tried ewelink TBH)
3. i wouldn't worry about waterproofing but would just stick the sonoff device into the Centurion gate motor space - it will be protected from rain/sun inside there. You also want to put the sonoff inside to avoid tinkering with your wires and somebody shorting the two input wires on the sonoff to open the gate. I am assuming there is enough space inside the Centurion D3/D5 - I should check mine but think there should be enough to fit the sonoff SV in. Note that the SV comes without the case so you may want a small case just to avoid accidental shorting/contact with other metal things inside..... the model you linked is for the sonoff basic which has different dimensions from the sonoff SV

the above will work without HA so no need for it if you just want the rudimentary open/close function (i do have to admit i am installing HA on my Pi as we speak as i want to consolidate all the other sonoffs under one "roof" though, rather than accessing sonoffs individually via their web interfaces etc....)

Actually it fits the dual/TH16/POW so it should be more than large enough - though I'm beginning to suspect I need to buy a 3D printer!

If it's a simple pulse command then it's easy enough to stuff into Hass.io - we could even provide a custom app

EDIT: oh, I see you've commented on the case already...

 

[SmartKit]

yes that is correct.

1) In the Console, I use "PulseTime 10" to change the operating mode of the sonoff SV to the "pulse" mode (the 10 means 1 second pulse, 20 is 2 second pulse and so on). Pulsetime 0 changes it back to the manual ON / OFF (latch) mode.
2) you need 4 wires to go to the sonoff SV:
- 2 wires being + and - for the power supply (I believe the range is from 5V DC to 24V DC IIRC - so 12V from the battery on the Centurion gate motor is perfect for this purpose)
- 2 wires; one being + on the input side, and the other being the + on the output side of the sonoff SV. These two wires then go to the 2 inputs on the Centurion gate motor where you connect your sherlo remote receiver (the two contacts that need to be shorted). These two wires get a "short" during the 1 second that the pulse is on on the sonoff SV device, and thus give the pulse to the gate motor to open or close.

I hope the above makes sense - ask if anything is unclear.

Yes, so the device should already be programmed to issue a pulse command when it's switched - that can be supplied out the box from Smartkit.

 

[calypso]

Out of interest sake, for those of us who have our own printers, would you be willing to share the tinkercad ?

Lol where were you a week ago?
Yeah I dont mind, send me a PM. Still going to take quite abit of work to make a proper solution.

 

[Pho3nix]

Lol where were you a week ago?
Yeah I dont mind, send me a PM. Still going to take quite abit of work to make a proper solution.

Post a link in thread rather please

 

[blueowl]

I bought two SV's a couple of weeks ago for the exact same reason -- to control my gate motor.

You might want to look at this guide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMepwpyjMCY

That's using the SV and Tasmota to run a garage opener. He goes one step further by adding a reed switch to determine if the garage door is open or closed. I currently do this using a "large gap" industrial reed switch soldered onto the existing reed switch in a Xiaomi door sensor, mounted in a waterproof box (which is connected via Zigbee to the Xiaomi gateway which is connected to Home Assistant.

I also flashed my first Sonoff basics this weekend using Dr Zz's Guide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2IUIUnxjUY

It was much easier than I anticipated. I soldered headers onto my basics which was easy. Getting my "programmer" connected was fairly simple too as was installing the ArduinoIO software and getting Tasmota. And WOW! -- Tasmota is so much better than the stock firmware. I'm actually surprised on how quickly the Basic gets onto my wifi network now -- it is literally a couple of seconds and the switch is available. Amazing what he managed to fit into the firmware.

Going to buy a bunch more basics, but first I need to find time to flash my POW and my SVs and then get my borehole and my gate motors under Home Assistant control.

+1 - i like the reed switch addition so I may try this as well. I have a few of these laying around, so i will try Dr Zzs' setup with one of these on my garage door......

 

[ebendl]

+1 - i like the reed switch addition so I may try this as well. I have a few of these laying around, so i will try Dr Zzs' setup with one of these on my garage door......

Those microswitches are exactly the same idea that my Gemini gate motor uses to see if the gate is open or closed, so you should be able to rig up something.

I much prefer the SV's to the inching 1 Ch Sonoffs mentioned earlier. From http://tinkerman.cat/the-mysterious-ic/ it just seems harder to flash, harder to bypass the extra IC etc.

 

[blueowl]

Those microswitches are exactly the same idea that my Gemini gate motor uses to see if the gate is open or closed, so you should be able to rig up something.

I much prefer the SV's to the inching 1 Ch Sonoffs mentioned earlier. From http://tinkerman.cat/the-mysterious-ic/ it just seems harder to flash, harder to bypass the extra IC etc.

+1 - thanks for sharing the link above; it was a good read.

Agree on the sonoff SVs - i like the wide range of input voltage they're able to take, as well as different modes of operation they come with by default. I just wish there was a mode to go from "off" to "on" state and revert back by itself - something that i need for a particular purpose, but doesn't seem to be possible (unless i'm not seeing it?). But for many of the other very practical purposes, the SV is a handy little device - I am exploring more and more uses for it as the time goes by.

 

[Pho3nix]

So after faffing around for most of the day and ruining my mall, seems like the backplate like mentioned seems to hit on multiple the length side area of the electrical box. Tried shaving down one of my T1's backplates and it fits but the fit between the plate and the T1 isn't tight anymore
Don't want to cut into the electrical box, so would adding a layer of plaster pushing the T1 up..

All while this teases me : https://carbonite.co.za/index.php?threads/prusa-i3-3d-printer-extras.197070/

 

[ebendl]

+1 - thanks for sharing the link above; it was a good read.

Agree on the sonoff SVs - i like the wide range of input voltage they're able to take, as well as different modes of operation they come with by default. I just wish there was a mode to go from "off" to "on" state and revert back by itself - something that i need for a particular purpose, but doesn't seem to be possible (unless i'm not seeing it?). But for many of the other very practical purposes, the SV is a handy little device - I am exploring more and more uses for it as the time goes by.

Sounds interesting. What do you want to do? I'm guessing running Home Assistant somewhere to do this logic is not what you want?

Have you looked through all the Tasmota options? I know you can set timers that run on the device and that was added later on request of a user, so if your use case makes sense to more people you might be lucky.

 

[blueowl]

Sounds interesting. What do you want to do? I'm guessing running Home Assistant somewhere to do this logic is not what you want?

Have you looked through all the Tasmota options? I know you can set timers that run on the device and that was added later on request of a user, so if your use case makes sense to more people you might be lucky.

This particular scenario - I want to put a sonoff device on my Telkom LTE modem in the house and, in case of need, be able to reset it remotely (from outside the house). This is also the reason why I would connect (only this) sonoff via ewelink and not my local HA setup - so that I can access the sonoff SV device it in case the LTE connection is down for whatever reason. The only trouble is, sonoff SV goes to "ON" and automatically "Off" state; I would need it to constantly be in "ON" state and go "OFF" for a second or two (reset) in order for this to work.

A set timer (in tasmota console) wouldn't do the job, because this needs to be a reset on demand and not a timed reset....

To overcome this hurdle, I guess a basic relay (NT72-2C-S10, http://www.communica.co.za/catalog/Details/P2860965065 or similar) that can invert the signal would do the job, but I am looking to see if there is a software option to do it in sonoff SV (and so far it looks like there isn't)....