Project: Thermostat #1 – The Beginning….

Thermostat

• Project: Thermostat #1 – The Beginning….
• Project: Thermostat #2 – Now on GitHub
• Project: Thermostat #3 – Update

Ok so I still haven’t done a post about the photo-booth camera controller, well that project is done as far as I’m taking it so I’ll do a write up at some point maybe 😉

Anyway onto my next project, well this one is pretty useful for myself and well maybe for others too. Leaning towards to the home automation scene I’m looking at making a replacement Thermostat for the basic turn dial one we have stuck on the wall in the passage, I know what most out there would be thinking there’s loads out there to buy why make one?? well main reason cause I can and it provides much more self gratification.

Reason behind the project well a not so little person has a habbit of when feeling cold turning the thermostat to it’s maximum, which given it’s location (Passage at the bottom of the stairs leading to the main landing) there is a huge space to heat and the single radiator just isn’t sufficient enough to heat that area so the thermostat turns the boiler off.

Key features:

• LCD Display.
• Current temperature readout.
• Turn on heating temperature readout.
• +\- Set trigger temp buttons.
• Remote temperature sensor to allow for different room to trigger heating e.g. living room.
• IoT (Internet of Things) enabled to allow for remote access to current temp, status and remote override.

Currently the main controller is 70% done, need to add the rf module and realtime clock to it then its finish of the coding, give the screen a nice layout and then find a decent enclosure for it. Also the remote temperature design and coding is complete just need to make it pretty. Well here’s a quick snap of what it all looks like at the moment:

Current component list:

• DHT11 Temperature / humidity sensor x2
• Arduino Mega 2560
• Arduino Nano
• NRF24l01+ x2 (one with power amp built in)
• 2 x normally open push buttons
• 5 x 1k Ohm resistors
• 3 x 220 Ohm resistors
• 1 x 10mm LED – Temporary stand in for relay.
• 1 x 100mF Capacitors
• 2.2″ 240 x 320 SPI Display

Once completed keeping with the spirit of open source hardware, I will be releasing all code and board schematics for public use.

Will post updated posts along the way.