Automatic window blinds
| Project: Automatic window blinds | |
|---|---|
| Featured: | |
| State | Planned |
| Members | [[Members::User:xopr|xopr]] |
| GitHub | No GitHub project defined. Add your project here. |
| Description | Connect and interface the existing window blinds |
| Picture | |
| No project picture! Fill in form Picture or Upload a jpeg here | |
disclaimer
Before starting to tare things apart, make note that the hire contract states that we are not allowed to make changes (i.e. structural) to the building. Therefore we need to inform the building manager what needs to be done to fix the blinds, first. Contact one of the board members, or Xopr before grabbing the soldering iron ;)
intro
The space has 8 windows with a width of a little less than 1.80m per window, each with a motorized window blind mechanism. This is an opportunity to automate this system to our needs.
specs
Unfortunately, the cables are cut, probably somewhere in the basement, by estimating where the signaling cable leaves; you can see the white cable going into the metal conduit on the far right side of the windowed wall. It then goes down left of the second last concrete pillar, where it disappears.
Each blind has its own transformer right behind the motor on the right side of the window, labeled as a 12v 1.3A, which plugs into the system as a 3.5mm jack plug (be *careful when unplugging* this, because jack plugs short momentarily)
The signaling system is daisy-chained with a 10 pins box header and suggests to be connected to the 4 button console (see picture).
From the relay box, the rightmost relay connecting the blue and orange wires do the 'clockwise' turning, while the second right one (using white and brown wires) do 'counter clockwise'.
Following the connections on the button console PCB, you can derive that pins 1+2 (purple and black) and 9+10 (brown and white) suggest power supply (not sure if it is in- or output),
Assuming that pin 1 (purple), is the bottom left pin, this should mean that:
- (purple) power A (ground?)
- (black) power A
- (orange) switch common
- (blue) Rotate CCW -.-^
- pink) NC
- (gray) Rotate CW ^-.-
- (yellow) open |><|
- (green) close <||>
- (brown) power B (VCC?)
- (white) power B
demounting the blinds
- unplug the power supply
- unplug the jack connector and box headers
- with grace, bend the plastic sheets 45° towards you, to easy remove the sheet
- repetition is inevitable
- press firm on the two metal clips on the back of the rail, while holding that ;)
- ..
- profit!
