Well, i thought i'd open a new topic.
I have been thinking to control all the lights in my house with the DMX protocol.
Not sure anymore where i got this idea but now i must go on with it since i already purchased a bunch of DMX decoders for about 140channels and a dmx master that i can control by homeseer (thx to USledsupply for the latest solution)
(click on pic to enlarge)
So here it goes, this DMX master i can control from the wall, and i will hookup some external push switches in different rooms and program on each switch a setting so the lights in that room will turn on or off.
This will send a signal to the dmx decoder boards.
When i "manually" control the lights , so i mean by manually, pressing a push button or the master control panel thats on the wall.
Lights turn on and that's it, i do not see in homeseer if there are any lights on.
There is no feedback from the master.
The master can be controlled from homeseer, this is done by the IP/Serial plugin by Drule.
When i control the lights from homeseer by this plugin, i will make a virtual button or something from each channel and so i can get some sort of feedback which channel is on or off.
Now to the "important" part, i like to be able to see what light is on and off when the controls are manually used so i can turn these off by events or whatever reason.
I thought well, maybe i can do this by reading the output ports from the dmx decoders by a arduino using a pc817 optocoupler.
Since it is also a LED, with a resistor connect it to + and - and go.
(click on pic to enlarge)
(click on pic to enlarge)
It does work, there is only a minor problem that i do not really know how to fix, if this is doable by some electrical parts or maybe working with events like If triggered can not re-run for XXX time.
I hope it is possible by the electrical solution since the arduino get's allot of data to handle in the logs when some led strips or spots are on at the same time.
(click on pic to enlarge)
What i think that happens right now is this: when i dim the led or set it at the master i can do this until i am at 94% and the arduino picks up the signal as high and says the input pin is OPEN at the homeseer website.
When i start to go to less then 94% the input does seem to receive the signals coming from the pc817 but , the led starts to flickr probably because of the PWM.
So what happens is that it jumps to OPEN / CLOSED / OPEN / CLOSED , and when checking the log i can see it receives allot of data, input pin.
(click on pic to enlarge)
At first i was afraid the problem would be the power that would drop below 12.5 Volt and the opto was not responding anymore but this does not seem to be the problem.
Even when going as low as 5% ( the LED is faintly lighting up, barely visible) it does seem to pick up the signal at the arduino.
I do see a difference in the log, it starts to pick up a few signals at a second instead of when setting the dim percentage on say 60%.
Then it will receive allot of signals , logical of course when you think about it.
So , the Voltage is not a factor here, it is the PWM signal and the arduino that is picking it up like t should but a bit to precise haha.
Is there a "simple" solution for it, i like to do this on allot of channels , not yet made the PCB's where all the electronics must fit on so i have some options left.
Is there someone that has a suggestion to try and see what happens ?
All help is appreciated.
I have been thinking to control all the lights in my house with the DMX protocol.
Not sure anymore where i got this idea but now i must go on with it since i already purchased a bunch of DMX decoders for about 140channels and a dmx master that i can control by homeseer (thx to USledsupply for the latest solution)
(click on pic to enlarge)
So here it goes, this DMX master i can control from the wall, and i will hookup some external push switches in different rooms and program on each switch a setting so the lights in that room will turn on or off.
This will send a signal to the dmx decoder boards.
When i "manually" control the lights , so i mean by manually, pressing a push button or the master control panel thats on the wall.
Lights turn on and that's it, i do not see in homeseer if there are any lights on.
There is no feedback from the master.
The master can be controlled from homeseer, this is done by the IP/Serial plugin by Drule.
When i control the lights from homeseer by this plugin, i will make a virtual button or something from each channel and so i can get some sort of feedback which channel is on or off.
Now to the "important" part, i like to be able to see what light is on and off when the controls are manually used so i can turn these off by events or whatever reason.
I thought well, maybe i can do this by reading the output ports from the dmx decoders by a arduino using a pc817 optocoupler.
Since it is also a LED, with a resistor connect it to + and - and go.
(click on pic to enlarge)
(click on pic to enlarge)
It does work, there is only a minor problem that i do not really know how to fix, if this is doable by some electrical parts or maybe working with events like If triggered can not re-run for XXX time.
I hope it is possible by the electrical solution since the arduino get's allot of data to handle in the logs when some led strips or spots are on at the same time.
(click on pic to enlarge)
What i think that happens right now is this: when i dim the led or set it at the master i can do this until i am at 94% and the arduino picks up the signal as high and says the input pin is OPEN at the homeseer website.
When i start to go to less then 94% the input does seem to receive the signals coming from the pc817 but , the led starts to flickr probably because of the PWM.
So what happens is that it jumps to OPEN / CLOSED / OPEN / CLOSED , and when checking the log i can see it receives allot of data, input pin.
(click on pic to enlarge)
At first i was afraid the problem would be the power that would drop below 12.5 Volt and the opto was not responding anymore but this does not seem to be the problem.
Even when going as low as 5% ( the LED is faintly lighting up, barely visible) it does seem to pick up the signal at the arduino.
I do see a difference in the log, it starts to pick up a few signals at a second instead of when setting the dim percentage on say 60%.
Then it will receive allot of signals , logical of course when you think about it.
So , the Voltage is not a factor here, it is the PWM signal and the arduino that is picking it up like t should but a bit to precise haha.
Is there a "simple" solution for it, i like to do this on allot of channels , not yet made the PCB's where all the electronics must fit on so i have some options left.
Is there someone that has a suggestion to try and see what happens ?
All help is appreciated.
Comment