I'm looking for a low voltage wifi smart switch, that can be controlled
entirely from my lan.

For the past few years I have been using a low voltage Sonoff.
Unfortunately this switch replies on a cloud service provided by
eWelink. To cut a long story short eWelink is ****, they don't integrate
well with OK Google and last week they changed their setup so it no
longer works at all for me. Time to dump eWeLink.

I could flash the Sonoff with an alternative firmware (Tasmota) but this
requires additional kit to interface with the Sonoff circuit board.

So does any one know a good wifi smart switch that allows control from
the lan or easy re-flashing, over wifi, with a firmware that does allow
lan control. Cheap stuff, that is.

Or is there a better group to post this on?

On 18/04/2020 09:49, Pancho wrote:
I'm looking for a low voltage wifi smart switch, that can be controlled
entirely from my lan.

For the past few years I have been using a low voltage Sonoff.
Unfortunately this switch replies on a cloud service provided by
eWelink. To cut a long story short eWelink is ****, they don't integrate
well with OK Google and last week they changed their setup so it no
longer works at all for me. Time to dump eWeLink.

I could flash the Sonoff with an alternative firmware (Tasmota) but this
requires additional kit to interface with the Sonoff circuit board.

So does any one know a good wifi smart switch that allows control from
the lan or easy re-flashing, over wifi, with a firmware that does allow
lan control. Cheap stuff, that is.

Or is there a better group to post this on?

Raspberry pi zero W and a relay board?


--
Microsoft : the best reason to go to Linux that ever existed.

Pancho wrote:
I'm looking for a low voltage wifi smart switch, that can be controlled
entirely from my lan.

For the past few years I have been using a low voltage Sonoff.
Unfortunately this switch replies on a cloud service provided by
eWelink. To cut a long story short eWelink is ****, they don't integrate
well with OK Google and last week they changed their setup so it no
longer works at all for me. Time to dump eWeLink.

I could flash the Sonoff with an alternative firmware (Tasmota) but this
requires additional kit to interface with the Sonoff circuit board.

I've flashed a similar switch with Tasmota over wifi - it needed a laptop
running Linux but no extra kit or disassembly. I imagine the Sonoff can as
well?

The switch was this one, a Maxcio WUK-007S-1P:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07BWFB55Q/

It worked fine for switching mains loads and power readings. Unfortunately
it got zapped in a storm a few weeks later and I haven't got around to
looking at it to see what happened (it's possible some parts of it are still
alive).

So does any one know a good wifi smart switch that allows control from
the lan or easy re-flashing, over wifi, with a firmware that does allow
lan control. Cheap stuff, that is.

The Tasmota repository is a good list of other devices that work with it:
https://templates.blakadder.com/

Once flashed, the device has a web interface accessible over the wifi, or
you can get it to speak MQTT if you have a gateway for Alexa/Google/HomeKit
etc.

Theo

On 18/04/2020 12:36, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

Raspberry pi zero W and a relay board?


I have a spare pi 3. Now I just need to figure out a relay.

On 18/04/2020 12:39, Theo wrote:
Pancho wrote:
I'm looking for a low voltage wifi smart switch, that can be controlled
entirely from my lan.

For the past few years I have been using a low voltage Sonoff.
Unfortunately this switch replies on a cloud service provided by
eWelink. To cut a long story short eWelink is ****, they don't integrate
well with OK Google and last week they changed their setup so it no
longer works at all for me. Time to dump eWeLink.

I could flash the Sonoff with an alternative firmware (Tasmota) but this
requires additional kit to interface with the Sonoff circuit board.

I've flashed a similar switch with Tasmota over wifi - it needed a laptop
running Linux but no extra kit or disassembly. I imagine the Sonoff can as
well?


The newest sonoff basic r3 can, but the older versions cannot (which I
have). You need to buy a USB converter and push wires from it into the PCB.

I might buy the USB flashing kit, if choosing a replay for my Pi is too
hard for me.

[snip]


The Tasmota repository is a good list of other devices that work with it:
https://templates.blakadder.com/


Useful thanks. A lot of the problem finding a device is that I'm only
switching about 24v, most devices are for mains power.

Once flashed, the device has a web interface accessible over the wifi, or
you can get it to speak MQTT if you have a gateway for Alexa/Google/HomeKit
etc.


I think I'll be ok with that bit. I'm more of a programmer than an
electronics guy.

On Saturday, 18 April 2020 09:49:28 UTC+1, Pancho wrote:

So does any one know a good wifi smart switch that allows control from
the lan or easy re-flashing, over wifi, with a firmware that does allow
lan control. Cheap stuff, that is.


Shelly 1.

Benefits in brief:

- Mains or 12v supply
- Volt-free relay output
- Built-in web server for local access (cloud also available, but can be disabled) through app or web browser
- CE+UL certified

Happy to provide further info if required.

On Sunday, 19 April 2020 01:01:03 UTC+1, Mathew Newton wrote:
On Saturday, 18 April 2020 09:49:28 UTC+1, Pancho wrote:

So does any one know a good wifi smart switch that allows control from
the lan or easy re-flashing, over wifi, with a firmware that does allow
lan control. Cheap stuff, that is.


Shelly 1.

Forgot the link:

https://shelly.cloud/shelly1-open-source/

Regarding Raspberry Pi's, I'm a big fan (and run several) but in this instance it'd be a sledgehammer to crack a nut. Keep it simple.

Mathew Newton wrote:

Shelly 1.

Wouldn't you want a Shelley 2.5 for a door opener/closer?

Mathew Newton wrote:
On Saturday, 18 April 2020 09:49:28 UTC+1, Pancho wrote:

So does any one know a good wifi smart switch that allows control from
the lan or easy re-flashing, over wifi, with a firmware that does allow
lan control. Cheap stuff, that is.


Shelly 1.

Benefits in brief:

- Mains or 12v supply
- Volt-free relay output
- Built-in web server for local access (cloud also available, but can be
disabled) through app or web browser
- CE+UL certified

The Quinetic switches from TLC have a WiFi controllable version, and a
12v powered relay too. Do you (the OP) actually need WiFi, as in
control from a computer/phone, or is it just a remote switch you want?
If you don't need actual WiFi then the basic Quinetic switches will do
what you want.

--
Chris Green
·

On Sunday, 19 April 2020 09:21:26 UTC+1, Andy Burns wrote:
Mathew Newton wrote:

Shelly 1.

Wouldn't you want a Shelley 2.5 for a door opener/closer?

With the application being a garage door opener I was assuming the WiFi switch was just going to emulate a physical switch and so wouldn't require the current sensing etc of the 2.5. The Shelly 1 is also the only one with completely isolated outputs which can be preferable.

All that said, you've made me realise we don't fully know the requirement eg what functions are required (open, close etc) and how it is to interface with what's there already. More info required I think, and you may well be right that the 2.5 is more suitable.

Mathew Newton wrote:

With the application being a garage door opener I was assuming the WiFi switch was just going to emulate a physical switch

Thought there were wired with fwd/rev contacts?

On 19/04/2020 10:49, Mathew Newton wrote:
On Sunday, 19 April 2020 09:21:26 UTC+1, Andy Burns wrote:
Mathew Newton wrote:

Shelly 1.

Wouldn't you want a Shelley 2.5 for a door opener/closer?

With the application being a garage door opener I was assuming the WiFi switch was just going to emulate a physical switch and so wouldn't require the current sensing etc of the 2.5. The Shelly 1 is also the only one with completely isolated outputs which can be preferable.



All that said, you've made me realise we don't fully know the requirement eg what functions are required (open, close etc) and how it is to interface with what's there already. More info required I think, and you may well be right that the 2.5 is more suitable.


Requirements:
inching (turns on for ~1 second then off) switch on ~24v ac circuit.
https://ewelink.coolkit.cc/?p=143. Opener is chamberlain liftmaster,

An alternative is a door bell type push switch, inching = momentary
turns on when you press and then off when you release.

Originally I used a 443 MHz remote key fob. These cost about £30 each to
replace, ebay clones seem to be ****.

My sonoff switch cost under £10.

The rPi is a nice solution as it is a transferable skill to other things
I want to do. rPi is also standard, i tend to lose the will to live
trying to understand bespoke hardware and software.

My preference would be a simple cheap low voltage switch like sonoff
(with tasmota) driver, powered off 24v ac (actually slightly higher) or
usb if available. But only if it is documented and simple.

On Sunday, 19 April 2020 11:24:52 UTC+1, Andy Burns wrote:
Mathew Newton wrote:

With the application being a garage door opener I was assuming the WiFi switch was just going to emulate a physical switch

Thought there were wired with fwd/rev contacts?

Some are just momentary toggle switches - press to open, press again to close.

On Sunday, 19 April 2020 14:02:19 UTC+1, Pancho wrote:

Requirements:
inching (turns on for ~1 second then off) switch on ~24v ac circuit.
https://ewelink.coolkit.cc/?p=143. Opener is chamberlain liftmaster,

An alternative is a door bell type push switch, inching = momentary
turns on when you press and then off when you release.

That's good, and would be the easiest way. You'd want the 'toggle' switch mode in the Shelly for that.


Originally I used a 443 MHz remote key fob. These cost about £30 each to
replace, ebay clones seem to be ****.

My sonoff switch cost under £10.

A Shelly 1 is under £10 (just), excl. postage though.

The rPi is a nice solution as it is a transferable skill to other things
I want to do. rPi is also standard, i tend to lose the will to live
trying to understand bespoke hardware and software.

A Raspberry Pi is not what I would regard as standard. There are an infinite ways you can build both the software and hardware. Of course, that's a common benefit but it also means quite a learning curve. Lots of tutorials on the web though so you're not on your own. Configuring a Shelly via the GUI could not - I genuinely think you'd be up-and-running in 30 mins.

My preference would be a simple cheap low voltage switch like sonoff
(with tasmota) driver, powered off 24v ac (actually slightly higher) or
usb if available. But only if it is documented and simple.

The Shelly 1 will work perfectly and ticks all the boxes bar running off 24v AC so you might have to rectify that to 12/24v DC.

Still get a Pi though; but don't stifle it life as a garage door opener - there are plenty of other more exciting things to do with it and learn from!

Pancho wrote:
My preference would be a simple cheap low voltage switch like sonoff
(with tasmota) driver, powered off 24v ac (actually slightly higher) or
usb if available. But only if it is documented and simple.

The Sonoff is an ESP8266 wifi microcontroller, which is exactly what I'd
want for this task. Running Tasmota, it does one job and does it
acceptably. Once you have Tasmota on there, and the relevant config string
for your particular device pasted into its web page, that's it. You can
control everything from the webpage, or it provides an API (MQTT) you can
then control from something fancier.

You can instead use a Pi, but it doesn't come configured out of the box and
there's a million ways you could set it up. It also doesn't come in a
convenient physical package, and if it goes wrong (for example loses
networking) you have to plug a screen in or pull the SD card and boot it on
another Pi.

What I have is Tasmota on the endpoint (the wifi mains plug) and Home
Assistant (hass.io) on a Pi on my desk, chatting with MQTT. All the
complicated stuff runs on the Pi, and if it breaks I can easily get at it to
fix it.

So if it were me I'd bite the bullet and get the USB cable for the Sonoff.
You have a hardware solution that does what you want, you just need to
reprogram it with the right firmware.

Theo

Theo wrote:

You can instead use a Pi, but it doesn't come configured out of the box and
there's a million ways you could set it up. It also doesn't come in a
convenient physical package, and if it goes wrong (for example loses
networking) you have to plug a screen in or pull the SD card and boot it on
another Pi.

Not really, all my Pi systems (and some Beaglbone Blacks) run
headless, I just use ssh to connect to them and reboot, reconfigure,
update, whatever, from the command line.

--
Chris Green
·

On Mon, 20 Apr 2020 09:31:17 +0100, Chris Green wrote:

You can instead use a Pi, but it doesn't come configured out of
the box
and there's a million ways you could set it up.

True but you get exactly what you want. B-)

It also doesn't come in a convenient physical package, ...

This is more of a problem, box, PSU, connectors, time to construct,
etc cost way more than the Pi.

... and if it goes wrong (for example loses networking) you have
to
plug a screen in or pull the SD card and boot it on another Pi.

Not really, all my Pi systems (and some Beaglbone Blacks) run
headless, I just use ssh to connect to them and reboot, reconfigure,
update, whatever, from the command line.

All my Pi's run headless as well and operated as you say (apart from
the initial writing of the OS and addition of the ssh file to /boot
on a fresh/new SD card.

How ever if the networking falls over... B-)

I wish they produced a Zero E (for Ethernet), ENC28J60 boards work
well enough but is another board to faff about with in the enclosure.
Similar with a USB Ethernet adapter.

--
Cheers
Dave.

Dave Liquorice wrote:
On Mon, 20 Apr 2020 09:31:17 +0100, Chris Green wrote:

You can instead use a Pi, but it doesn't come configured out of
the box
and there's a million ways you could set it up.

True but you get exactly what you want. B-)

It also doesn't come in a convenient physical package, ...

This is more of a problem, box, PSU, connectors, time to construct,
etc cost way more than the Pi.

... and if it goes wrong (for example loses networking) you have
to
plug a screen in or pull the SD card and boot it on another Pi.

Not really, all my Pi systems (and some Beaglbone Blacks) run
headless, I just use ssh to connect to them and reboot, reconfigure,
update, whatever, from the command line.

All my Pi's run headless as well and operated as you say (apart from
the initial writing of the OS and addition of the ssh file to /boot
on a fresh/new SD card.

You just add the ssh file after creating the microSD card don't you,
on the system where you created the micrSD image.


How ever if the networking falls over... B-)

You're basically totally stuffed aren't you? I don't think I've ever
had the networking (at least not the *wired* networking) fail on a
system which was otherwise working.


I wish they produced a Zero E (for Ethernet), ENC28J60 boards work
well enough but is another board to faff about with in the enclosure.
Similar with a USB Ethernet adapter.

BeagleBone Black (SBC similar to a Pi but with different strengths)
boots with 'ssh over USB' working 'out of the box'. It also has a
built in emmc memory chip so doesn't require a microSD (but can use
one if you want).

--
Chris Green
·