1.0.0 - Automated Window Blinds With Arduino

Automated Window Blinds with Arduino
Address: http://homeawesomation.com/2013/02/26/automated-window-blinds-with-arduino/
Well the fun keeps on coming, and by now you should see that the running theme in my world is
many competing projects. Which is why you’ll often see me post new cool stuff before I
properly tie off the loose ends with existing stuff. So for that I apologize for not completing
many tutorials and postings of source code. I also have a day job you know 😛😛
Annnyway stand back witness a very cool project that literally took me less than an hour to
prototype. And the prototype isn’t that far from the complete project. For a long time now I
wanted automated window blinds, because to me, blinds are pretty useless on their own. I don’t
open them when it’s sunny, and if I do, I forget to close them for privacy when it’s dark. Can’t
this just happen for me? Like come on.
There are solutions available but clearly the other theme to my blog is cheap. If I had to pay for
premium home automation, I simply wouldn’t do it. I may be lazy but I’m even more so cheap.
I successfully converted existing blinds in my house to automated blinds with many features for
about $35-40. The blinds themselves cost about $35-40. So all in all this is a cheap upgrade for
what you get.
What my blinds do (aka what sensors does it have). My window blinds will:
• Open when it’s day light, and close when the sun goes down. This is accomplished
EASILY with a $1 Light Dependent Resistor.
• Will close partially when it’s a very hot day. Accomplished by a $1 Thermal sensor
model TMP36.
• Open or close blinds to any degree I wish using my logitech harmony remote (or any
remote), accomplished by an IR Receiver for $1.
• Open “manually” by waving hand near top of blind using a IR motion sensor
I am operating the blinds using a servo, which is a type of geared electric motor. They are about
$9.
I’m doing this all through an Arduino, it’s cheap, super easy to use and has great tutorials for all
of the features I’ve mentioned above. All I can take credit for is combining the tutorials and
adding some basic logic. If you know any programming/scripting language this will probably be
a breeze.
The beauty of the Arduino is you don’t need to buy all the stuff I listed, you can just pick what
you need and roll with it. IF you want what I want, it’s a few bucks more here or there.
Lastly (and I’ll add better details later), I was able to do this so easily because I had room to
work within the header of my blinds. I’ve watched 6 examples of similar projects online, and not
to knock them, they all look ugly. Many of them have components exposed and usually this is
because they are retrofitting thin, half inch, cheap blinds. And I ask why put this kind of effort
and money into $10 blinds, especially if it will look harsh on the eyes after? Go get yourself
some nice blinds, 2″ faux or real wood. They look good and because of the size of the blinds
there is plenty of room up top to hide all your gear.
You can find my Arduino source code AND diagrams on github:
https://github.com/ssshake/arduino
Parts List
- 2" Venetian Blinds (Faux or Real Wood)
- Arduino UNO or preferably an Arduino Mini
- Servo (Any standard RC car servo should do)
- Photocell / Light Dependent Resistor
- 10k resistor
- Some wires
Optional:
- 90 Degree Servo Mount
- TMP36
- 38Khz IR detector
How-to Section
I’ve had a few people ask me to clarify where the servo actually goes. And as I stated before I
planned to do a full, start to finish video tutorial. I still will, but I lied on the timeline. It’s
summer, I’m a home owner with many things to do, and I’m a beer drinker with many women to
slur at. This blog will be more lively in the winter.
Anyway this blog post with be a live document where I will continue to add more how-to details
on the blinds project. I’ve decided to start a new post because my original one was getting very
long.
Tutorial #1 – Where does the servo go?
Taken from a photo that a viewer sent me, I’ve updated it with the latest in computer graphics to
demonstrate that in my case I had to remove the manual crank, shorten the rod (mine was plastic)
and hot glue the servo into one of the spools.
My question/advice was to see if you can turn the rod, by hand, with the manual crank still in
place. Is there resistance? If so that means the crank needs to be removed. It’s pretty easy; in my
case it’s just held in by clips. Looks the same in this guy’s case too.
One issue with this guy’s set up is where the green arrow is pointing, you can see that the rod is
what rests on the brackets/holders. But in my set up, the spool (metal drum.. plastic in my case)
has a lip on each end and this is what rests on the holders. So, this guy will have to be innovative
to get this to work and I look forward to seeing photos of how it’s accomplished.
p.s. I’ve been super negligent in my task of offering a tutorial of this. I just haven’t built anymore
yet.
Comments
1.
Phil McDonnell on February 27, 2013 at 1:17 am said:
Well you know the first question is what servo did you use and where to get it?
Also I am currently building a noname Arduino with ethernet built in for less than $25 I
hope. My use is for turning relays on and off to switch speakers through the house. I
couldn’t do wifi for that cheap at least I don’t think so yet. But running a cat5 for me is
no issue so I could have my HA system control the blinds as well
I think for the cheap/thinner blinds you could build a nice little enclosure for the board
and mount it to the window frame behind curtains maybe?
Now I know my next project Too bad you can’t get them to go up and down
yet… Hmmm, maybe a motor to wind the cord?
Reply
2.
homeawesomation on February 28, 2013 at 12:00 am said:
S3003 servo, they’re cheap online, got one at my local RC toy hobby shop in town for
$12. I dont think the model matters as long as they are standard servos, not continuous
rotation servos (which cost more anyway)
I’m not doing TCP for these at all. I could but I’m avoiding it. I can get most of the
functionality I need with a photocell, a temp sensor, an IR receiver and emitter.
WIFI shields are expensive but Ethernet shields are still like $40. Not worth it for a 6-10
deployment. I’m seeing if there’s a cheap way to do RF so I could control them from my
existing x10 system. Also I’m considering some type of short range motion sensor so I
could wave my hand to open and close the blinds for manual operation.
I have two goals here, cheap and sleeper, as in people can’t tell that they aren’t stock.
And people dont think I’m crazy for dropping a lot of cash for such basic task. I priced
out the parts for the rest of them now that I have the original prototyped. I can get an
arduino mini for $18, servo for $12 and up to 4 sensors for $1 a piece. So truly $34 to
upgrade a blind is a steal considering existing HA products.
Regarding the cheap blinds.. once again, why do this on cheap blinds? “Ghetto fabulous”,
buy some nice blinds
Reply
3.
Phil McDonnell on February 28, 2013 at 6:52 pm said:
Slowly is my vote. Nice and quiet… Who needs the super fast open/close? I still want to
include them in my HA system but I am going to run cat5 to the associated controllers.
Luckily I have large groups of windows
Reply
4.
Yusuf on March 31, 2013 at 10:01 pm said:
Hey! I am trying to build this arduino blind project. I have it completed, but I can not
figure out how to attach the servo to the blinds. Do you have it attached straight to the rod
on the blinds? My rod does not fit into the servo because the the servo pin thing is small
and the rod is bigger. Can you tell me how you got it to fit? I am using the Futaba S3003.
Reply
homeawesomation on April 1, 2013 at 6:23 pm said:

Check out all the vids on my youtube channel. I think I show a clear shot. My
blinds have plastic white pieces that the rod sits in, I connected the servo to one of
those pieces. Can you post photos of your set up some where so I can take a look
at what might be wrong? Also I’d appreciate seeing a video and some photos,
maybe any code changes you do once the project is done. Give back to the
community
Reply
Yusuf on April 2, 2013 at 8:34 am said:
Ya I checked them out. Did you make any cuts to your servo? I think my
rod is bigger than the servo. I uploaded a couple photos and a video.
Would you mind taking a look? I also have a couple questions. You say
that the kill switch and IR Receiver reduces noise. What noise are you
talking about?
https://plus.google.com/photos/111645735911090546871/albums/586223
9251901866481?authkey=CJb5wYHG4ePTuAE
Thanks
Yusuf
Reply
5.
I didnt cut anything the servo spline fit into the same thing the rod fit into. The rod and
the servo in my set up don’t connect at all. I saw your photos. Do you see that white thing
that the rod goes through? That looks like the manual crank. Can you spin the rod by
hand while it’s in the crank?
I had to remove the crank on mine. The other piece behind the crank is what I put the
servos spline into. There are five of them on yours, they look like metal drums.
Slide/remove the rod for a second. Remove the manual crank (mine just clips in). Then
put the servo into the hole in the metal drum. Put the rod back and test. I glue gunned the
servos spline into the drum. MAKE SURE YOU GLUE IT WHEN THE SERVO AND
BLINDS ARE IN THE CLOSED POSITION ELSE YOU’LL HAVE TO REDO IT. The
servo’s position and the blinds position need to be aligned in other words.
Reply
6.
p.s. next time I convert a window blind (soon) I’m going to do a short video that shows
from beginning to end how to remove certain pieces and install/mount the servo
Reply
7.
Also regarding noise. It’s signal noise (electricity) not audible noise. The kill switch
doesn’t reduce noise, you need to have a pull down resistor on them. Either way I
realized that the diagram on the right is outdate, just look at the one on the left, it doesnt
require pull down resistors.
Reply
8.
Tim on April 9, 2013 at 9:11 am said:
Hi, what is the IC chip on the diagram on the left?
Reply
Sorry I really should label the images. Downloading the original fritzing diagram
on my github has the labels. All that is is a relay switch. So I can control the
blinds using an x10 module. Which I only use on some of my blinds.
Reply
9.
I am residing in Singapore, thus we do not have some of the components mentioned in

you shopping list. Would like to ask if which can be suitable replacement for the parts
used.
1) We do not have futuba servor here. May I know what is the operating voltage of your
servo? Need to get the right one as a servo motor cost more than a hundred bucks…
2) We do not have the Audrino Uno R3 board too, which one listed is suitable for this
project?
a)Arduino Uno Atmel Atmega 328 MCU board
b)ARDUINO ATMEGA328, ARDUINO UNO, I2C, BOARD
c) ARDUINO ATMEGA328, ARDUINO UNO, SMD, BOARD
d) ARDUINO ATMEGA328, ARDUINO UNO, EVAL BOARD
e)ARDUINO ATMEGA328, ARDUINO UNO SMD, DEV KIT
3) Can I use LM35 instead of TMP36 temperature sensor?
Sorry for my long post, help is greatly appreciated.
Reply
Hey thanks, its not as hard as it sounds. Let me explain.
The servo shouldn’t matter as long as it isn’t say a micro servo. The op voltage is
I think 3.3 to 6.7? volts. It should be no more than a $15 USD item. Some servos
are $40+ dollars, that isn’t required for this.
Any arduino is suitable as long as its physical dimensions will fit into your blinds.
I didnt actually put an UNO into my blinds although it would fit. Instead I used an
Arduino Mini Pro 5+ (a 3.3V version would probably work). They cost less than a
regular arduino and are very small. I feel like they are better suited. Point being is
ANY arduino should have all the capabilities for a project like this. As long as
they fit.
You can use any temperature sensor as they all basically work the same way.
They are a variable resistor that changes its impedance with the temperature.
There are pros and cons to many kinds. There are reviews online about them.
Reply
10.
Is the toggle switch a on-off-on or other states and operating on what amphere?
Reply
You’ll have to explain. But the toggle switch disables the unit when off. The amps
don’t matter, it’s very low.
Reply
11.
Richard on April 10, 2013 at 8:31 pm said:
These servos are easy to get on Ebay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/4-X-S3003-Standard-

Servo-RC-Futaba-Car-Boat-NIB-Plane-HPI-RC10-XXXT-Helicoptor-
/290694941805?pt=US_Radio_Control_Control_Line&hash=item43aec4cc6d#shId
Reply
12.
Thank you for your prompt reply. I still have some questions.
There is no brand and specs on your x10 moudle and infrared proximity sensor, can I use
this one?
1) For proximity sensor
http://singapore.rs-online.com/web/p/photoelectric-
sensors/6666564/?searchTerm=GP2Y0A21YK0F&relevancy-
data=636F3D3226696E3D4931384E4B6E6F776E41734D504E266C753D656E266D6D
3D6D61746368616C6C7061727469616C26706D3D5E5B5C772D5C2E2F252C5D2B24
26706F3D313326736E3D592673743D4D414E5F504152545F4E554D42455226757374
3D4750325930413231594B30462677633D424F544826
part number is GP2Y0A21YK0F.
2) For the x10 module, where can i get it from? Are you able to provide a link or part
number etc? I can find it.
Reply
sorry *cant find the x10 module…
Reply
Sorry I can’t see what does your x10 module consists of. Appreciate if you
could explain.
Reply
That part would work but mine was smaller. Not sure the conversion rate but I
paid 80 US cents for mine. it looks more like that, I dont have the model number.
http://itp.nyu.edu/~cf831/pcomp/archives/ir_emitter_detector_closeup.JPG
For the x10 module I used this,

https://www.google.ca/search?q=x10%20universal%20module&oe=utf-
8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-
8&hl=en&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=8f5qUfa4Ds3ryAHa94DQB
A&biw=1680&bih=934&sei=8_5qUcWJDuvDyAHw-4HoBA
You don’t have to use that, any home automation relay switch would work. Or a
wifi module.
Reply
13.
Alexander Riccio on April 12, 2013 at 1:34 am said:
Reblogged this on Alexander Riccio and commented:

I’ve always toyed with the idea of automated window blinds – its another product of the
modern world that just won’t agree with the circadian rhythm – however, I don’t
have access to the headers on my blinds (think: parents) and haven’t progressed
therebeyond.
Home Awesomation however, has.
Reply
14.
Many thanks again for your reply. May I what version of Arduino software you are
using?
Reply
I’ve downloaded the audrino software from the wesbite software version is
audrion 0022. However they are using .pde extension but your files in Grithub is
.ino.
Kindly advise. Sorry I’m a total noob in this…
Reply
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16.
Chase on April 18, 2013 at 12:38 pm said:
This is a great project! I’m looking to do something very similar.

For wireless, have you seen this new project:
http://pinocc.io/
They are similar to Audrino but include wireless connectivity (each unit creates a mesh
network and wifi connectivity is gained by one unit with wifi).
Once I get the pinoccio boards i hope to implement a similar project on all my blinds. I’m
going to look at the solar shield as well to see if i can make them completely wireless
since in most cases, I’ll only want the blinds to move 2-3 times a day.
Thanks for posting all the great videos!
Reply
homeawesomation on April 19, 2013 at 8:15 am said:
Thanks. Looks neat I might have to check one out. I’d like to know what the cost
will be.
I also want to get these working off solar. So if you get to it before me let me
know.
Reply
17. Pingback: Hidden servo automates slat-style window blinds | o.NET
18.
Walter Schreppers on April 19, 2013 at 3:50 am said:
Hmm I like this project. Only sadly when looking at the source code you only
implemented the photocell and push button. The ir and motion sensor etc. are not
implemented in the arduino sketch. I mostly wanted to see the IR code as I want the same
for rolling down/up a blind for a projector ;).
Anyway nice build none the less…
Reply
Actually the photocell code does exist, I removed it in the latest version as it isn’t
a good option. If you want to see the code I think it’s in up til 0.3 or 0.4.
For the IR code, I never implemented because I haven’t had a use to yet. I wanted
the IR receiver for my home theater room so I can control my blinds from my
media center remote control. I will do this eventually.
Reply
19.
Tim on April 19, 2013 at 12:32 pm said:
May I what version of Arduino software you are using?

I’ve downloaded the audrino software from the wesbite software version is audrino 0022.
However they are using .pde extension but your files in Grithub is .ino.
Kindly advise how i should go about… Sorry I’m a total noob in this…
Reply
Sorry I dont understand what you mean about 0022. 1.0.4 is what’s listed on their
website. You can open pde and ino files in their software, it doesn’t matter.
Reply

Sorry I would really appreciate if you could give me a link. But here is
where i downloaded the software, it doesn’t open ino files:
http://dev.arduino.cc/wiki/en/Main/Software
Reply
20.
fdsa on April 19, 2013 at 10:12 pm said:
seriously man? no picture of the servo mounting to the blinds? thats the best part about
this design, you know this, and no pics?
Reply
My first hate comment, I’m flattered. No “hey nice project can you post some pics
of the servo?” Anyway I don’t care I’m an asshole too I get it. Check the post
again I just uploaded some pics of the servo and am uploading a video of the
manual controls (not related to your comment).
The servo fits almost perfectly into the existing part that the rod also goes into. I
added some hot glue to firm it up and that’s all it took. Without the hot glue the
servo did have enough grip to control the spool. The main part was positioning
the servo properly with a mount.
So you know, this is a living project and I post new content all the time, you
should subscribe to get the updates. If you could see the original blog post it’s
little compared to now. I have added a lot of content. All my source code,
diagrams, many videos are up. But you’re right, I needed images of the servo
attachment of course. And I had plans to do so. I’m filming a long and full video
from start to finish of me taking a blind off the window, prepping it and doing all
of the assembly. Shit takes time and we all have day jobs. I started this a few
months ago and I add content iteratively. If I waited till I did it all I wouldn’t end
up posting anything.
Reply

Lyman420 on June 9, 2013 at 9:26 am said:
Hey man, pay no attention to the hater comment that fdsa dude posted.
Your doing something and contributing on your time and your dime. I for
one appreciate what you’ve done and the fact that you’ve taken so much
of your time to help a bunch of us noobs learn. Thanks for all you’ve
posted already and anything else is gravy at this point. If that dude wants
to he can go buy a damn window blind Automator, this is for people who
try to think and learn how to do things for themselves. Thanks for all the
posts and help you’ve given us noobs. Look forward to more from you!
Lyman the pieman.
Reply
homeawesomation on June 22, 2013 at 11:05 am said:
thanks
Reply
21.
Luis on April 22, 2013 at 6:29 pm said:
Thank you for share this man 😀😀 I will do something similar for a proyect in my school
but, where did you buy that blind window??? whit a blind window like that must be more
easier to spin it whit a 90′ servo, because i have a blind window but is a little more small
and the servo doesn’t fit like yours, thank you again and sorry for my bad english 😛😛
Reply
I got mine at bouclair. Sears sells them too. Just look for 2″ blinds.
If you want to retro fit your existing ones you could buy a micro servo. They are
cheaper and a lot smaller. But I’m not sure if they have enough torque.
Reply
22.
sorry with reference to previous post, really appreciate if you could help:
May I what version of Arduino software you are using?

I’ve downloaded the audrino software from the wesbite software version is audrino 0022.
However they are using .pde extension but your files in Grithub is .ino. the software can’t
run ino.
you mentioned: 1.0.4 is what’s listed on their website. You can open pde and ino files in
their software, it doesn’t matter.
But here is where i downloaded the software, it doesn’t open ino files:
http://dev.arduino.cc/wiki/en/Main/Software
could you give me the link to download the software with you are using to program the
audrino board?
Reply
1.0.4 found here. http://arduino.cc/en/main/software
Reply
23.
david be on April 27, 2013 at 7:37 pm said:
Regarding tcp.. I am just getting into arduino, so not sure if there’s memory slave for this
logic. I am working towards the idea if using the infrared sensors with mine though. If
there is room for the code you could use an infrared remote to communicate with the
blinds. No need for the whole tcp thing. Then just have acentral infrared transmitter on
your computer,communicate with that via whatever device you wish. The remote codes
are pretty easy…
Reply
I’ve never used a network module with arduino, but I assume the required library
would fit on the 32k of storage.
I will be adding an IR module WHEN I make the blinds for my living room. I
want them to open/close from my tv remote.
Reply
homeawesomation on August 14, 2013 at 4:05 pm said:
You could use network or built and IR receiver ($1) and use your TV
remote. It can be a bit tricky though.
Reply
24.
Patrick Bell on April 27, 2013 at 10:36 pm said:
Hey a question about the light sensors: Do they operate based on the light coming from
outside the window?
It would make sense to only close them when the outside natural light goes dark,
otherwise they would open/close when you turn your inside lights on/off.
Any clarification would be great.
Reply
o
Correct. In my videos you might get a glimpse of it. I’m working on a detailed
video/instructional.
The sensor faces outside the window and doesn’t seem to get affected at all but
indoor lighting.
Reply
25.
Mark Swope on April 28, 2013 at 11:22 am said:
Just a question – how much current does your servo draw when actually turning the
blinds? I’m surprised that the Arduino can power the motor through its power regulator
out the +5 rail.
Reply
220ma max draw for servo + arduino + sensors.
You can actually power multiple servos directly from the arduino. I’m not sure
what its max amp draw can be but I’d assume a couple amps.
IF this wasn’t the case, you could just connect the servo’s power line directly to
the same wall brick that powers the arduino itself. I was on the fence about which
way to go, this way was easier at the time, but running the arduino and servo in
parallel is probably the better choice.
Reply
26.
James on May 2, 2013 at 10:03 pm said:

IS this servo okay :
http://www.ca.diigiit.com/hextronik-hxt12k-metal-gear-servo
(the dimensions are similar)
I believe it can rotate more, is that a problem and how can I solve it?
What about the following LDR :

http://www.ca.diigiit.com/ldr
How many watts does the resistance have to be?
And what are my options if I don’t purchase a mount?
Thanks so much!
Reply
homeawesomation on June 4, 2013 at 11:16 pm said:
I apologize for a late reply. I wouldn’t know if that servo is OK, but I think any
servo that isnt a micro servo would probably be fine. And LDR is probably fine
too.
I dont understand your question about watts to resistance.
For the mount, I used some foam padding in one and it seems fine.
Reply
27.
Anil Sethi Jnr on May 3, 2013 at 12:52 pm said:
Okay this has completely blown me away ! Frickin AWESOME PROJECT

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dude ! Your a genius !!!!
Ive been searching for a way to do this for a year lol !!!
Please please please could you email me a copy of the sketch you use for this so i can
have a play about with it and set it up on a breadboard, really been needing this for so
long and my search may be over if you could be kind to help a total beginner, well,
learning fast, but i definitely dont have the flair you have in this Most-Excellent Project
!!!!
Many thanks in advance for any help with the sketch 😉😉
Once again – AWESOME Feat of Engineering, Well Done 😉😉
Reply
I think we’d all appreciate if you post any photos/videos and new ideas/code back
to the discussion when you create yours. Thanks.
Reply
28.
Anil Sethi Jnr on May 3, 2013 at 12:57 pm said:
D’oh, sorry, didnt see the github link for the sketch properly lol !
Anyhoo, Keep up the absolutely GREAT and OUTSTANDING work on this project !!!!!
😉😉
Reply
Thanks!
Reply
29.
victoria park on May 5, 2013 at 8:27 pm said:
can you tell me the source? i’m trying to control blind by cds and servo motor and now i
met some problem with the source..
Reply
Can you explain the question a bit better? I posted the source in github and linked
it.
Reply
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31.
Yus on June 11, 2013 at 12:08 pm said:
Hey so I commented a while back while I was doing this project. Since then I had to put
it aside for exams. However, I want to pick it back up. However, I have a problem. My
rod is square and not round! So I was wondering if you have any ideas. What I was
thinking is hot glue the servo to the inside part that joins the rod. (shown in the pics).
Would that be a good idea? Would it work?
https://plus.google.com/photos/111645735911090546871/albums/588827238099733412
9?authkey=CMreusXrkuL3dw
Reply
I hot glues mine… works for me. I have a concern with yours, and I think I
brought this up last time. You never removed the manual crack. I did on mine.Do
a test for me and tell me the results. can you spin the rod by hand with little
resistance? I had to remove the manual crank because it would have been
impossible for the servo to spin the rod with it in there.
Keep posting updates to your project I would love to post yours too so that we
have a variety of blinds to demo. What manufacturer are yours?
Reply
yus on June 22, 2013 at 11:10 am said:
Ya I removed it and it was easy to turn. But as you can see in the picture if
I remove the white thing then there is no way to put it, since my rod is
square and not round. The hot glue only works if the white crank is there.
Since I can pour hot glue in the crank and put the servo in. I just noticed
that it does not turn very well with the crank it is rough. Hmm I guess it
will not be possible with these blinds. I am not sure of the manufacturer as
it came with the house.
Reply
Ive added one of your picture with instructions on my blog post, take a look
Reply
32.
Tim on June 12, 2013 at 10:57 am said:
Hi I’m really interested in your project, but I have a couple of questions.

1) I saw you have many source code versions, which should i use? However version 0.1 –
0.5 have exceptions when i try to open them. An example in 0.5: Exception in thread
“AWT-EventQueue-0” java.lang.ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException: 0
2) Do you have any project that can integration with this current project for example an
automatic light dimmer circuit.
Reply
o
What are you opening them with? All should work with the proper arduino IDE.
The versions offer different functionality. I believe my latest is the best. Actually
I have a newer one that even I haven’t tested because I’m lazy, havent check it in
to github yet.
Explain number 2 a bit better for me please.
Reply
Tim on July 2, 2013 at 9:44 am said:
Thanks for the reply. For 1 which source code should I run for the most
basic function? That is to have the blinds open when there is light and
close when there isn’t. I have connected everything according to your
diagram and uploaded the codes but I couldn’t get it to work. I am using
an Arduino UNO board and Futaba S3003 Servo.
Also, I have got the x10 module, but I have no idea how to use or connect
it. Advise would be appreciated.
For 2 I was thinking if your project could add on a lighting control module
meaning the user can preset a lighting ambience and if the luminosity in
the room is not acquired after opening the blinds fully, it will switch on
the lights in the room and vice versa. (Just a suggestion)
Reply
I do not have an X10 controller, will this x10 module work? Or how can I
remove this x10 module from the circuit? Kindly advise

Reply
33.
anneleah2013 on June 22, 2013 at 12:29 am said:
Great automatic window blinds but is it energy efficient? How much electricity is needed
to open them and close? Will those window blinds still be opened and closed if the
automated capacity fail? Will those be not dangerous for kids in the house?
Reply
Good questions. Right now it’s idle state as a 60MA draw, which isn’t very much
at all. However I have spent zero time in optimizing the behavior of this. There
are ways that can make this much much more efficient. The idea is to eventually
have this powered long term via battery or solar panel that sticks to the window.
The manual crank for the blinds is non-existent when the the automatic one is in
place. I don’t see this as being a problem. Actually the blinds can be manually
opened/closed just by pulling on one of the guide strings.
In what way are these dangerous for kinds? I’m curious what you mean as I
hadn’t considered that. Keep in mind that there are varieties of automated blinds
for sale on the market.
Reply
34.
Patrick on June 22, 2013 at 11:53 am said:
Hey,
I have been thinking about a product like this for a while. Finally today I did some
searching and turns out a few of the other 6 billion people in the world have already
thought of this.
I am a business major in school, if you are ever interested in finding a partner to turn this
into a packaged product I have a few great ideas for that strategy.
I understand it is the hackers code to share your inventions with the world and not be a
money hungry corporate suit.
However if you ever change your mind, simply drop me a comment if you want to
discuss further.
Thanks,
Patrick
Reply
I’ve considered it, and to correct something, this is code to be shared within the
open source spirit. If I were to get paid and receive royalties to produce software
to control units like this commercially I would never use this code. I would do this
completely differently and use totally different hardware as well. If you have any
ins to get some funding, let’s hire some people and get rolling 😛😛
Reply
35.
Butch on June 26, 2013 at 5:13 pm said:
Wow, great project. I’ve been wanting to automate my blinds for a couple of years. I
have some home automation stuff now, using INSTEON devices and controllers.
What I was wondering is if I could centralize the ARDUINO, and run CAT 5 to the
windows and only have the motor and mount in the blind?
I would like to control mine using my computer and INSTEON software rather than have
light or motion sensor. Reason being is we live in SE Georgia and if I put a temperature
sensor on it they would almost never open.
Reply
o
Sorry for the delay in responding. You could easily have the arduino out of the
blinds, but that to me is the problem with the 15 other similar projects on youtube.
No one else integrated the controller into the blinds and they end up with an
eyesore. However technically I’ve done this. You can see in one of my videos I
control two blinds side by side, but there is only a controller in one blind. I have 3
wires doing from the one blind to the other, they are controlled from the same
Arduino.
Also there seems to be some confusing because this comes up a lot. The temp
sensor is optional. I don’t have it in any of mine except one because I’m
experimenting with it. It’s not about the temp sensors, it’s about the light sensor.
Also the code if very simple so you can customize it for your own
perference/season/climate/etc.
Reply
36.
Hi, Just in case you didnt get the above post…

Thanks for the reply. For 1 which source code should I run for the most basic function?
That is to have the blinds open when there is light and close when there isn’t. I have
connected everything according to your diagram and uploaded the codes but I couldn’t
get it to work. I am using an Arduino UNO board and Futaba S3003 Servo.
Also, I have got the x10 module, but I have no idea how to use or connect it. Advise
would be appreciated.
For 2 I was thinking if your project could add on a lighting control module meaning the
user can preset a lighting ambience and if the luminosity in the room is not acquired after
opening the blinds fully, it will switch on the lights in the room and vice versa. (Just a
suggestion)
3)I do not have an X10 controller, will this x10 module work? Or how can I remove this
x10 module from the circuit? Kindly advise
Reply
37.
jathanlane on July 7, 2013 at 7:43 am said:
I’m curious if its possible to use this system for raising the entire blind. Would that
require much more torque?
Reply
I’ve used servos as expensive as $100 for other projects like robot arms, and they
lack some needed torque. I dont think I’d use a servo for rolling the window up,
probably just a step motor or something like that. I’d be really interested to see
someone accomplish this and contribute back. I’d imaging a motor, and a spool
for the string, and some design to make sure the string winds properly. You’re
basically building a winch here.
Reply
38.
Tony Glasco on July 22, 2013 at 10:33 am said:
Can someone help me? I am a complete noob to Arduino. I am pretty decent with
electronics and soldering. I do not worry about putting it all together, but I find the
disconnect with the materials used. Homeawsomation, you were not clear as far as I
know as to which Arduino board you used. I see the mini in one of the pics, but it was
never referred to.
Also, how do you program the mini? Does it have a programming port? It may help to
just direct me to a link for programming. Mainly, I just am not exactly sure how this
whole thing comes together. I really want to attempt this project so I would like some
help if possible.
Thanks in advance
Reply
o
It will work with any Arduino I’m sure. I used the mini’s in the blinds, but you
could and I have used the Arduino UNO.
With mini’s you need to spend $15 or so on a USB to serial adapter, purpose built
for the mini. Or you can make one yourself.
I suggest you go buy an arduino uno since it’s cheap and really just begin messing
around with it. You’ll need an UNO or DUO anyway since you’ll want it down
the road to prototype other projects you work on.
Reply
39.
Blind Superstore on July 30, 2013 at 5:33 am said:
This is awesome, we have been looking into trying to get some home automation
working with our blinds. If the blinds are open during the day and you manually override
it by using your remote or hand does it remain overridden until it turns nightfall? and vice
versa? Its nice to have the blinds closed while watching a movie so would be annoying if
it kept automatically opening them! Thanks
Reply
I have new code I haven’t tested or checked in. There are 4 positions the blinds
can be in, closed, open, and two angles in between. The idea is when you
manually change it’s position, it will remain in that position until a significant
light change has occured. For example if you close at dusk it will not open again
until morning, or close at night for that matter. It will resume it’s normal
operation when the day has changed.
Reply
40.
Http://Oxyxysufo.Hostei.Com on August 3, 2013 at 1:13 am said:
Its like you read my mind! You appear to know so much approximately this, like
you wrote the e book in it or something. I believe that you just could do with a few p.
c. to power the message house a little bit, however instead of that, this
is excellent blog. An excellent read. I will definitely be back.
Reply
Tell your friends, thanks! Don’t forget to subscribe.
Reply
41.
Jeremiah on August 3, 2013 at 9:56 am said:
I’m technie, but have never dived into doing this type of thing. Would you be interested
in me paying you to put around a dozen of these together for me?
Reply
Id be interested in a company wanting to give me royalties to put out affordable

home automation solutions :). But sorry not I don’t really have time to do these, I
haven’t even finished all of my own.
Reply
42.
Sam on August 5, 2013 at 11:53 am said:
Awesome project by the way. So trying to run the code since I just opened it inside
github and got the RAW code. But for some reason on line 106:
if (state != prevstate && time_diff > 60000 && manualmode == 0;){ //IF the photocell
reading is different from last sample then execute servo controls
The simi-solon shows up as an error and I can’t compile the sketch. I also noticed that
under configuartion you commented out the sensorPin. I’m still learning Arduino but
won’t it ignore that sensor pin that way?
Also tried one of the other builds but having issues with my servo only going in one
direction, vary rarely will it go back the other direction.
Also not sure if it’s just my motion detector but i have to keep making a motion in front
of it to keep the servo from not moving all over the place.
But overall i like the project. and would like to get this to work. I’m also trying to
incorporate up and down of the blinds too.
Sidenote question:
Is there a way to make the motion sensor be used as if someone were to be outside to
close the blinds instead of controlling the position?
Again thanks for any help and I’m enjoying working on this.
Reply
Try retyping it or checking it out from github using the git client. It’s probably
messing with the character encoding in your browser.
Any commented out pins are probably for sensors I’m not using at that point, like
say the temperature sensor.
I think your best bet for understanding servos is to load up the Arduino’s default
sketch for servos. It’s built into Arduinos programming environment. Not all
servos behave the same/respond to the same PWM signals.
I’d be interested to know more about your motion sensor. I dropped using my
motion sensor as the pull string is way more practical. I’m assuming you have
something wired up backwards, it reads on when off, off when on.
I think you could use a motion sensor to detect people, but you’d need a different
kind meant for larger areas, and also the window might reflect the IR light?
Reply
Sam on August 18, 2013 at 4:35 pm said:
The motion sensor AI’m going to be using outside versus inside so the
reflection won’t be an issue. I changed the placement of the motion sensor
from the analog to the digital to read high low and it’s working now.
About my servo, I went and bought another one and that works better
now. But with your code on that line 106 that coma mark is still there. but
i”m looking at sketch 0.5 is that the most recent? or can you email me the
code that you’re using?
Reply
homeawesomation on August 29, 2013 at 11:24 am said:
Honestly just pull the latest in github which is linked on the page.
Retype the coma yourself. What error is it?
Reply
43.
DH on August 11, 2013 at 11:43 pm said:
Awesome project which I will probably attempt once I get new blinds. If anybody has
built this using batteries and preferably rechargeable with solar panel then please post!
Reply
o
Thanks, please post back links to photos of your project when done. I will be
working on a battery or solar operated design. Unfortunately it looks like the
arduino will require some physical hacking itself to make it power efficient
enough to be practical. I’ve also been talking to someone I met a Makefaire
Waterloo who did roll up blinds. He used a PIC based unit which I believe is
more power efficient.
Reply
44.
Tim on August 12, 2013 at 11:10 am said:
Hi, can this work without the x10 module? What is it supposed to do with the IC for relay
and the x10?
Reply
The x10 module is absolutely not required. An x10 module or a relay switch
controlled by something else is just an option to be able to control this unit from a
computer or smart phone. Really you could add a wifi shield, although expensive,
to the arduino itself. The beauty of this project and arduinos in general is you can
add as few or as many options as you want. In my opinion the base build is simply
just a photocell/LDR and a servo.
Reply
45.
mrtechoguy on August 14, 2013 at 4:18 pm said:
I’ve been wanting to do this but I’ve been waiting for my spark devices to be delivered.
https://www.sparkdevices.com
Then I plan on adding a solar battery pack. This way I have a wiressless controller. I also
have insteon keypads that I plan on integrating with so I can manually control them as
well. If the spark devices don’t come soon I might end up using arduino uno for now to
get the network and insteon integration going at least.
Reply
Can you control a servo from a spark? Do you know what the power draw is for
the spark at idle and what size solar panel and battery you are planning to use?
Reply
Yeah, it has 4 PWM pins and spark allows you to program it using the
same programming language as the Arduino/Wiring and it will work with
Arduino shields with an adapter. The cool thing is that they say you’ll be
able to upload a new program wirelessly as well through their web IDE so
you don’t have to connect it to your computer. The device is cloud
controlled but is completely open so you can program it to work locally as
well. their site says the power draw is:
“100mA typical current consumption; 300mA peak consumption (during
transmit events)”
For now i have this:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005ZSVZRY/ref=oh_details_o09_s
00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
it will take some modifications for it to work correctly though, for
example it doesn’t allow you to discharge and charge through solar at the
same time. I expect to have to play with this for a little while to get it to
work every day off of solar. Winter will be especially tricky.
Reply

I’d like to hear back about your progress. I’m concerned about the
power draw. An arduino draws say 60ma, 300 when the servo is
running. I have a 2 watt solar panel and I have issues getting it to
boot up. I haven’t spent much time looking at this but I intend to.
Reply
I forgot, I’m also following: http://pinocc.io/tech-specs

These are tiny little radios similar to spark but they use an 802.15.4 radio and it
uses significantly less power (around 17mA at full transmit). I’m waiting for
either one of them to start shipping so then we can really start connecting
everything wireless!
Reply
Good to know, thanks.
Reply
Good to know, thanks.
Reply
46.
will do. The idea is that the servo and spark will actually run off the battery which is
rated at 1a at 5v. And the solar will trickle charge the battery. it’s going to be tricky, but
hey i like a challenge. I just hope i have time to complete it. I’m also hoping the spark
current ratings are at the 3.3v rail instead of the 5v input. but we’ll see once i get my
hands on one.
Reply
47.
VINCENT GOROSPE on August 14, 2013 at 11:33 pm said:
sir gud am I have a design project about trashcan using arduino, but i have know idea ,the
concept is when you a thrash it automatically open,then it have indicator green light
accepting thrash, yellow warning, red is pull,it will not open.there is a specific website or
detail about that,please kindly help us.I need it ASAP
Reply
I’m sorry I totally don’t follow what you’re asking me
Reply
48.
Johnny on August 20, 2013 at 5:45 pm said:
Thank you for sharing your info. I truly appreciate your efforts and I will be waiting
for your further write ups thank you once again.
Reply
49.
Tim on August 21, 2013 at 12:46 pm said:
Hi bud,
I’ve also got the futaba s3003 servo. I did a modification according to this video so the
servo will be able to turn 360 degress: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SK8mhnEzcvY
However, after the modification, the servo would only turn in one direction no matter
how I change the pulse rate. Do you modify your servo and get this problem too? Or I
might have broke the servo?
I’m also really interested in knowing where you got the mini blinds and mounting bracket
that fit so nicely. Did you get the stuff from an online shop or some link? I only managed
to find a cheaper blind from ikea but its too big and doesn’t fit in the servo.
Reply
I’m curious why would you want the servo to rotate 360 degrees? That isn’t
needed or desired for this project. Having said that I did accidentally buy a
continuous rotation servo and that doesnt work as expect. You can’t specify
degrees to move to, only direction.
The mount is a servo mount from a R/C car/plane store.
I’m really confused by your last comment, what are you trying to fit into the
servo? The servo doesn’t have anything fit into it, it fits into the blinds.
Reply
Tim on August 29, 2013 at 11:55 am said:
ok… by the way, where can I get your binds? I’m referring to the part
from my binds that do the turns, that white stick or whatever you call it,
doesn’t fit into the hole of the servo. So I’m wondering where I can get
yours that fits nicely.
Reply

I just bought blinds at a local store. Nothing special about them.
And to clarify nothing fits into the hole on the servo at all. Go to
my website and a page or two down I posted a photo that might
help clear this up.
Reply
50.
Movers Singapore on September 17, 2013 at 11:02 pm said:
It’s awesome to visit this website and reading the views of all mates about this piece of
writing, while I am also keen of getting experience.
Reply
51.
Tim on September 18, 2013 at 9:47 am said:
Hi, I see in your code that every print statement has a ‘debug and’ Serial.print
what does the debug do and is it necessary?
Reply
homeawesomation on November 14, 2013 at 9:44 pm said:
prints out data onscreen in arduinos serial interface. It’s not necessary at all and
only runs when debug=true
Reply
52.
Jerry Whidby on September 29, 2013 at 11:15 am said:
I have an Arduino Mega 2560 that’s been sitting around waiting for me to learn how to
use it. I think this project has inspired me enough to unbox it. My wife wants to bring her
plants in for the winter, and place them in front of a window. I knew somebody out there
had probably thought of a way to control the slats on a venetian blind, and wahla! I would
like to see a design that is solar powered. Could a capacitor be charged with enough juice
to close the blind at night? Do you know the name brand of the blinds you used? Thank
you for sharing all of the information on how to construct this.
Reply
homeawesomation on October 9, 2013 at 11:21 am said:
Mine were just from bouclaire, I don’t know if that’s a chain or just local. I would
like to get this solar powered, a battery would have to be added as well. It would
charge as much as possible during the day when idle. However I think the arduino
could be modified to use less power, or some other microcontroller could be used
that is more power efficient.
Reply
53.
Stuart on October 2, 2013 at 5:37 pm said:
Hello it’s me, I am also visiting this web page on a regular basis, this site is genuinely
nice and
the visitors are truly sharing fastidious thoughts.
Reply
54.
Mike on October 14, 2013 at 3:19 pm said:
Hi,
Any chance I could send you blinds and a fee in exchange for about a dozen of these
setups?
Thanks,
Mike
Reply
Can’t. Just do it yourself, it doesn’t take that long
Reply
55.
wes on October 20, 2013 at 11:03 pm said:
Hello I am trying to just use the photocell in conjunction with the servo. Is there a code
for that?
Reply
My code is linked on the blog post. It’s on github. I actually only use the photo
cell and a few buttons. The code will work without the buttons.
Reply
56.
Steve on October 27, 2013 at 11:05 am said:
Can this be used?

Arduino-Compatible R3 UNO ATmega16U2 AVR USB Board
http://www.banggood.com/Wholesale-UNO-Arduino-Compatible-R3-ATmega328P-
ATMEGA16U2-AVR-USB-Board-p-
68537.html?currency=USD&utm_source=google&utm_medium=shopping&utm_content
=miko_ruby&utm_campaign=Electronic-xie-
us&gclid=CJT79e6xt7oCFU8V7AoddR4A5Q
Reply
Absolutely
Reply
57.
javin on October 28, 2013 at 10:34 am said:
hello sir, i am very much immpressed by your project i just wanted to know the full parts
list…..pls help me as i am highly interested……any help will be appreciated………thank
you…
Reply
what help do you need?
Reply
58.
Brandon on November 11, 2013 at 9:58 pm said:
Hi, I’m trying to follow your diagram but can’t find a schematic on the d31a. I’m just
learning how to use a breadboard and arduino. The relay I got (diagram included) is the
http://forum.arduino.cc/index.php?topic=114648.0. I can’t figure out how you setup your
relay to work with the button. Can you explain?
Reply
o
What are you going to use the relay for? It’s completely optional. I only used it to
tie it into my X10 system, but I dont’ actually use it.
Reply
59.
Martin on November 14, 2013 at 10:59 pm said:
Thanks for the idea. I just started setting this up and the Futaba works perfectly with the
cheap-o home depot blinds. However, I am having trouble finding a decent mounting
solution for the servo. Where did you get that bracket?
Reply
I went to a local RC toy shop and they had a few mounts. There are better ones
online, this one needed a bit of creativity to work. For the other blinds I’ve done
since I didn’t bother. I just got some of the solid pieces of packing foam. You can
see an example of this in the photo here:
http://homeawesomation.wordpress.com/2013/06/22/automated-window-blinds-
with-arduino-how-to-section/ This is a photo of someone else’s work, they sent
me that pic. But mine was similar, just enough foam for it to fit snug.
Reply
60.
Derrick on November 19, 2013 at 11:09 pm said:
Any reason why you went with a servo motor over a stepper motor? I picked up a stepper
motor (really cheap:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0089JV2OM/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00?ie=UT
F8&psc=1) and driver to play with and was going to implement essentially the exact
same system as you have already put together. (I have blinds WAY up high in a room
with 20 ft. ceilings… automation is essential!) I’m beginning to wonder if a servo is the
better way to go since the stepper is continuously drawing power to keep the magnets
charged, even when it’s not being given commands to move. Observed as the motor gets
nice and warm while just sitting there. I was going to implement a
switch/relay/something… to only power up the motor after a command was received…
seems like a servo might solve this problem too. Nice project! I think the most
challenging part for me is going to be wiring 20ft up behind the wall.
Reply
I don’t know much at all about stepper motors other than you want them for 3d
printers. I used a servo because you can specify which degree you want it to move
to, regardless of if it’s currently before or already past that position.
They’re also geared as well so maybe torque is a factor?
Servos are about $10. I’d be curious to know what sort of success you have with a
stepper motor.
Also, if you don’t want to run wires, perhaps take my project to the next level and
see what you can do to get it to run efficiently off of battery (and maybe solar)
power. I hope to do this soon, but would appreciate others submitting their
attempts.
Reply
Erica on February 5, 2014 at 8:05 pm said:
Any input on the battery thing? I’ve been working on a similar project
with an arduino micro, servo, and a li-ion 3.7v 850 mA battery. For some
reason it’s making the servo buzz that burns out the battery in 24 hours.
Reply

Hmm buzzing, that’s strange. You might have to offset the position
by a degree (if you’re at 180, try 179) I think I saw a similar issue
with some servos being stuck between gears or something.
Are you using my code unmodified on battery? That’s probably

why. Try making some edits to make it more power efficient. If
you get it running on battery for a decent amount of time I would
love to try your code.
Reply
61.
felix on December 12, 2013 at 4:37 pm said:
i need ur mail address?
Reply
homeawesomation on January 8, 2014 at 7:33 pm said:
how come?
Reply
62.
Dennis on January 8, 2014 at 7:03 pm said:
When running autoblinds_rev2b.ino my servo constantly turns. What could be wrong?
Reply

Constantly turns in one direction, or does it go clockwise then counter-clockwise
and repeat? If it constantly turns in one direction then you bought a continuous
servo instead of a normal servo. I made the exact mistake at first. Regular servos
only go 180 degrees in either direction.
Also why are you using rev2, try the newest build.
Reply
Dennis on January 8, 2014 at 11:04 pm said:
It goes clockwise then counter-clockwise and repeat , then it does it again

at about half the speed.
I used rev2 because it said “Hands free motion control, kill switch, change
of logic to button pre.” and the others said “Updated License Information”
. Sorry I’m still a little new at this
Reply
homeawesomation on January 21, 2014 at 3:11 am said:
You probably dont have the LDR working properly. You might
have to look at the code and add serial prints (debug) to try and
narrow down the issue.
Reply
63.
Josh on January 9, 2014 at 2:39 pm said:
I wanted to use my universal remote for control, but I couldn’t find where in the code to
input the ir code
Reply
o
homeawesomation on January 21, 2014 at 3:10 am said:
I never implemented it. You could with little effort probably. There’s lots of
resources on building IR receivers with arduino.
Reply
64.
Chuck on January 29, 2014 at 5:46 pm said:
Hi, thanks for the info. How did you come up with the resistor values?
Reply
Honestly, just looking at other people’s examples. Are there particular reasons
your wondering?
Reply
65.
Witos on January 30, 2014 at 5:49 pm said:
what battery pack to use to last longer? I tested it with only one 9 v battery and it dies
after around 24 h . btw i don’t have any outlet by the windows…..Can we use 2 9 v
batteries one for arduino and second just for a servo ?
Reply

I dont think 9v is a good choice. Arduinos run at 3.3v or 5v depending on the
version and servos all run at 3.3v I think. If you hook up a 9v too it all you’re
doing is burning off energy through a voltage converter. I think you’d have better
luck with AA’s configured at 4.5v. I’ve never tested this on battery and i dont
expect it would last long. Having said that I’m sure the code can be modified to
be more efficient.
Reply
66.
veseo on February 2, 2014 at 4:45 pm said:
You can make it Android controlled, turning your blinds also on time base or manually
when you want using souliss.net
Is an opensource framework for Arduino, have a look
Reply
Thanks I’ll look at it further later, looks near
Reply
67.
Ariel on February 4, 2014 at 9:58 pm said:
Do you have any block diagram or software flow chart how you did it?
Reply
o
I’m not sure I follow but there’s diagrams on this website.
Reply
68.
Jen Pardi-Cusick on February 11, 2014 at 5:57 pm said:
This is so awesome! Thanks a bunch for posting it. I’ve been wanting a solution for our
blinds for ages. I figure this is the best place to start for home automation. Now I just
have to learn!
Any recommendations on a good resource for how to learn about getting started with this
type of thing? I don’t yet know anything about servos or Arduino, but I do have a little bit
of programming background (and your code is commented beautifully so I’m not worried
there).
Reply
Honestly go pick up and arduino and start playing. I didn’t know what I wanted to
build until I grabbed one. There’s lot of sample code and the arduino community
is really helpful
Reply
69.
jalousier on February 12, 2014 at 6:54 pm said:
Hi guys! Let me take a minute of your time.

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window blinds. It is Wi-Fi and ZigBee enabled. We have launched a Pre-Order campaign
today – please like, share and contribute!
Check out the link below: http://bit.ly/1bkbCHh
Reply
70.
Karan on February 17, 2014 at 3:18 pm said:
Hey there
Interesting project. I’m glad I found this page. I have 3 sets of blind for one window due
to the size of the window. Would I need 3 separate units for all 3 or can I run with three
servos all wired to one arduino? All 3 blinds would be essentially doing the same thing at
the same time.
Thanks for your help in advance
Reply
homeawesomation on March 6, 2014 at 10:40 pm said:
Sorry for the delay. I’m currently running two servos for two side by side blinds
using one arduino to control them. You can run as many servos as the number of
PWM pins on the arduino. I think a servo draws 200-300ma, so anything more
than a 1000ma (1 amp) 5v power supply should work. You just need to power the
servos directly, not through the arduino.
Reply
71.
El on February 26, 2014 at 12:10 am said:
Can you please tell me how you did the power distribution on the 3 sensors, servo and
ardruino??
Reply
5v DC, split to the arduino’s 5v in and the servo’s 5v in. The sensors are just
powered through the arduino pins. That’s all laid out in the diagrams
Reply
72.
Sachi on March 6, 2014 at 1:45 am said:
Awesome solution to automate blinds! Would this work for blinds that are vertical?
Thank you!
Reply
I cant imagine why not, they both work on a similar principle, just might be a bit
more trick to rig up. If you end up doing it I’d love to see some photos of how it’s
connected.
Reply
73.
Tim Gray on March 17, 2014 at 7:33 am said:
Can you give any details on how you hooked the servo motor into the blind? mounting is
the easy part, the rotation connection is the hard part. did your blinds come with a servvo
spline already? did you cut a servo horn? have any photos for details on how to make the
turning part work?
Reply
you can see in the photos it just connect to the spool with some hot glue. I posted
a diagram on my site a while ago.
Reply
74.
Doug on April 4, 2014 at 11:48 am said:
Dumb question.
How does the Servo motor know when to stop?
Is it timed by the Arduino?

Or is it done by hitting the end of what the blind can turn? Then stops?
Reply
servos unlike regular motors move to specific degrees.
Reply
75.
squiddy on April 5, 2014 at 1:33 pm said:
Do you ever have the servo engage multiple times when going from one state to the other
-i.e. if it’s near the morning thresholds and the blinds open, but then clouds obscure sun,
tricking the controller to think it’s dusk again? I’m trying to build a similar project to
yours, but it’s battery powered and I am running into this problem – which isn’t great for
prolonging battery life…
Reply
I had this issue but should be addressed in my latest code by using deadzone
thresholds. The issue isn’t random cloud cover, it’s when the light is so close to
the threshold that is flaps above and below the threshold.
I’d be very interested to see you project, any code you have and do know how
you’ve approached running it off battery.
Thanks,
Reply
Gary Munson on June 2, 2014 at 9:57 am said:
Thank you for the great tutorial! I’m beginning to try your blind
automation scheme but was thinking of re-purposing R/C parts to actually
run the blinds. I’ve found that a lot of R/C airplane people have older
transmitter/receivers that are obsolete due to FCC rule changes that they
can’t bear to throw out. These can be picked up cheaply used. My thought
is that the small receivers use considerably less power than an always-
running Arduino board and that they may be more suitable for a solar
power solution with everything mounted in the blind header. The
transmitter can then be interfaced with the Arduino controller with the
Arduino taking the place of manually moving the joystick pots. I still have
to figure out a circuit to accomplish this electrical feat. Seems like it
should be just applying a voltage across terminals. The transmitters will
send a usable signal across the room without the antenna screwed in. This
is how R/C enthusiasts test their systems without sending a bunch of
unwanted RF out into the neighborhood. The R/C transmitters don’t have
the power of communication transmitters so operating without an attached
antenna doesn’t damage the output transistors. This way, the more power
hungry Arduino can hide somewhere (plugged into wall power) with the
transmitter and work the blinds from a central location. The only thing I
see being a problem is a heat sensor would need to be wired over to the
blinds if you wanted that function. I think that a real time clock could take
the place of the light sensor so that wouldn’t need to be run to the blind.
Reply
homeawesomation on July 2, 2014 at 6:25 pm said:
Thanks. I actually don’t use the temp sensor very much, it’s mostly
driven by the light sensor.
Reply
76.
Alex on April 21, 2014 at 12:50 am said:
Do you mind sharing details about the servo itself? What one did you use how much
power is needed, etc.
I saw that you used the ones that toggle directions, have you considered how to build a
system like this to lift the blinds as well?
Thanks
Reply
I thought about raising the blinds but seemed like more effort and cost than what
it’s worth to me. Any servo from a local RC car shop should do. It operates from
3.3v to 6v if I’m not mistaken.
Reply
77.
Colby on April 23, 2014 at 6:18 pm said:
Great project! I am going to give this a try. I hate walking around every morning opening
all the blinds and closing them at night. One thing to watch out for if you buy those
Futaba servos off eBay. They are fakes. They should still work but the speed rotation
parameters are different and they probably aren’t as strong since they don’t seem to be
geared the same. I got some for a different project and had to play around a lot with the
settings to get them to work just right. I would spend the few extra dollars and buy the
real ones from reputable source.
Quick question. Which .ino file is the latest build? I wasn’t sure if you are keeping
autoblind.ino as the latest or increasing the version numbers?
Reply
o
5 I believe, sorry for the delay was on extended vacation.
Reply
78.
Rob on April 30, 2014 at 9:34 pm said:
Someone else mentioned solar, so I figured I’d chime in here. Since we’re in the realm of
hiding cables and whatnot, obviously a battery and solar power would be nice.
You can get some cheap CIGS square solar cells on ebay for under 10 bucks that are
pretty efficient thin films, and strap those facing outward for some low-noticeability.
String that into a couple NiCd AA’s and you might be set, if your window has reasonable
sunlight. They won’t last forever on a small panel, as the angle of light incident on the
panel dictates how much current is produced, so being placed ‘vertically’ will limit the
power coming from the panel to the batteries.
If you wanted to get cray, I’ve seen people successfully use the analog pins to read
voltages, thus you could create some rudimentary charge controlling on the arduino as
well.
Lastly, at least on the UNO r3, the chip is the atmega328p-pu for the most part. The ‘p’ at
the very end stands for ‘pico’ and it was one of the final revisions to that chip that allows
for an extremely low power mode. While the servo itself probably eats a lot of current on
its own, its the few micoamps drawn by the arduino for the 12 hours in between
servo…uses that will kill batteries eventually. Enabling pico power mode is something
you have to call with the atmega C code, but its worth looking up as it can give you much
higher efficiency for low duty cycle projects like this.
-R
Reply

Awesome info. Why not make one yourself I’d really love to see the results.
Reply
79.
Dan on May 1, 2014 at 8:09 am said:
Did the rod runs through all the plastic “spools” on your blinds already leave room for the
servo to attach to that first “spool”? I want to do this, but the rod in my blinds runs almost
from end to end with only about an inch clearance on either side, so it seems I might need
to find a new one. I’m having trouble finding what I need to get, so if you could help I’d
greatly appreciate it. Out of all the info I found on doing this, yours was pretty much the
only page that was very helpful! Lot’s of the videos I found out there just demo the blinds
working but don’t explain how to do it!
Reply
Sorry for the late reply. I just slid the rod to the side a bit. You could also just cut
it a bit shorter.
Reply
Dan on July 6, 2014 at 9:21 am said:
Thanks, I think I will have to trim it. I’ve been putting this off though
because I can’t figure out how to physically connect the servo to the little
plastic spool. In your video you said yours fit right in. You didn’t need any
adapters or anything? Do you happen to know the size of the rod that was
in yours?
Reply

homeawesomation on July 6, 2014 at 10:01 am said:
Mine fit in and then I used some hot glue to make sure it stayed. A
lot of people seem to have problems figuring this part out and I
find it very confusing as this was obvious on mine. Curious whats
so different on yours and others. Maybe you could send me some
photos.
Reply
lleevveell66 on September 9, 2014 at 4:30 am said:
I have successfully gotten clear vinyl tubing to work as a coupler between the
servo gear and the hexagonal rod which runs through mine. They are both fairly
close to 1/4″ diameter. I used 5/16″ O.D. / 3/16″ I.D. tubing, It takes some
finagling to get it on. It is VERY secure on the rod side, but has required a small
tie wrap pulled very tightly on the servo gear side. So far, so good.
I also sawed a piece off of a thin aluminum L-bar, marked and drilled holes, and
that secures my servo VERY well.
Reply
Good ideas
Reply
80.
Jonathan on May 3, 2014 at 7:36 pm said:
I like your style – two things are required in a solution: technical elegance and physical
elegance. A job isn’t completed until you nail both. BTW – I’m new to arduino – I see it
as the solution of choice to motorise 4 new roller blind, and link my Dynalite to control
my fire’s RF. And I’ve already taken the short-cut and bought this awesome product
http://rayshobby.net/?page_id=160. Now … Arduino tuturial 101…
Reply
Thanks! Let me know how open sprinkler is working for you. Seemed a little
pricey to me, might build their open source version.
Reply
81.
Drew on May 9, 2014 at 7:16 pm said:
I’d like to automate all my downstairs blinds via one centrally located Arduino. Does
anyone have experience with long wire runs (to servos at individual windows)?
Reply
I have a video of two servos running off one arduino within close proximity. You
really just need one wire from the arduino to each servo to transmit data to it. The
other two wires for power could be more local from a near by power source.
Reply
82.
Leo on June 3, 2014 at 6:38 pm said:
Hi there,
Im interested with this project but can you help me with the coding? Im not really good
with software.
Thank you for your time.
Reply
83.
Ings on June 4, 2014 at 2:08 pm said:
Hi,
I was hoping you could help me with which servo you chose. Maybe you could tell me
which type so i can base my choice on that.
thanks,
Ings
Reply
futaba 3003 I think. Honestly just go to your local rc shop and pick up a cheap
servo and it will probably do fine.
Reply
84.
Rob on July 18, 2014 at 7:28 am said:
Hi. I have a couple questions. Do you know if the servo knows which angle it is at? The
reason I ask is because SWMBO needs the ability to open and close the blinds manually.
I will need to add some logic to identify what angle the blinds are at to compensate for
them being open when the arduino may think they are closed.
The second question is: have you considered putting in a motor to actually raise and drop
the blinds? I suppose a different type of motor would be required for this.
thanks and great project!
Reply
85. Pingback: I am a maker: Adam Savage's Tested.com podcast- TheMukt

86.
Tu on September 2, 2014 at 8:07 pm said:
How does this work wwhen the user opens the blinds, but the temperature/light sensors
conflict with that decision? (I.e. I want to open the blinds at night, but since the LDR tells
the blinds to close during the night, would it override my action and close the blinds
back?)
Reply
87.
thomas on September 2, 2014 at 10:10 pm said:
So you only used the photocell sensor on this project you posted? is it possible to have all
the sensors you posted to work on the blind at the same time?
Reply
88.
thomas on September 8, 2014 at 7:58 am said:
Can you send me the code for the temp sensor please? I am trying to add it.
Reply
really dont remember. I actually dont use it in most of the ones I did
Reply
89.
davidohyer on September 16, 2014 at 10:00 am said:

There is now an automated blind retrofit kit on kickstarter.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/551966671/automate-your-blinds-with-a-smart-
control-kit-in-1
Reply
Ya I think they ripped me off, but it looks like they did a good job lol
Have you tried it yet?
Reply
90.
Home Lighting & Automation on November 17, 2014 at 8:08 am said:
A great example of DIY home automation. Great detail about the setup and very nice
result
Reply
91.
Ayokunle on November 17, 2014 at 11:08 pm said:
Thank a lot for bring this idea have been looking for this for some times now,thank god
for the chance,please how can I get this motorized completely course There’s no way to
find all this sensor.and need it please I need the link .thank
Reply
92.
Jam on November 23, 2014 at 3:30 pm said:
Hi what type of servo did you use micro servo doesn’t do anything on the basic light
sensor set up , any help would be fantastic as am all new at this
Reply
Futaba s3003 but i doubt the kind matters.
Reply
93.
Lily on November 26, 2014 at 4:00 pm said:
Hi I was wondering if you have any ideas for connecting the servo motor to the rod.
Unfortunately for me, this was not an easy fit (the rod is just a hair too big). Thank you!
Reply
My servo connects into the same thing the rod goes through. I use hot glue.
Reply
94.
Caroline on December 4, 2014 at 6:54 am said:
Great post. Not seen remote controlled venetian blinds before.
Reply
95.
Isaac Rowe on January 9, 2015 at 4:38 pm said:
I know this is an older blog post, but can you explain how you are able to turn the blinds
without any additional gearbox? My servo only does 1/2 turns and therefore cannot spin
the blind spool
Reply
The servo spins 180 degrees. The travel from blinds open to closed is less than
180 degree turn of the spool rod. Thanks for checking it out, give me more detail
if this isn’t clear. You might want to take a closer look at the photos
Reply
96.
student on August 7, 2015 at 7:25 am said:
i do this project.. but not full function yet .. i do ldr to turn 90.. use tm35 to turn 45 .. on
ldr its more easy .. on tm35 i got a problem.. not compile yet .. can anyone help me on
coding for arduino plizzz .. thank you so much if anyone can help.. i need it .. urgent ..
Reply
97.
Mike on October 29, 2015 at 1:47 pm said:
I would like to say thank you. I know you did this some time ago, however this was the
best blog and video on automating blinds that I could find. The others while interesting,
were a bit less ascetically pleasing.
Basically following in your foot steps, I took my Arduino Uno, and IR receiver and
automated my blinds that way. I got some cheap faux blinds from Hom Depot (like $26)
as a test. Note, it’s the one with the twisting tilt turning pole (I believe that’s what they
call it) not the pull string to open and close. The hardest part was figuring out how you
got the motor to turn the spin wheel. It finally dawned on me (and you might have
mentioned it but I missed it) to remove the manual tilter and the gear it was connected to.
Once I did that my parallax conitnous servo was able to turn it – and you’re right, the
servo wheel/head seemed to fit snug in the center hole of the spin wheel. The other hard
part though was that the servo head seemed to be slipping in the spinwheel. I had to rig
the properller that it came with and connect it to the rod actually (using some gorilla tape
since thats what i had at the time). After getting everything fitting nicely in the shaft,
controlling with my remote (volume up and down to open/close) works awesome. I made
mine to partially open and close so i can vary the amount of light I want to come in. The
other challenge is that not all servos are the same. I had a parallax continuous servo and
all the servo examples didn’t work right. Had to use the manufacturers example sketch
(duh – lol).
Anyway to anyone reading, it did take a while as I was new to Arduino and
micrcontrollers (although I do have a background in electronics and software dev so
coming up to speed wasn’t to bad). I used this as a way to learn a few concepts like IR,
servo control, etc.). A nice challenge and very satisfying once it was done.
Your blog definitely got me to the 90% point as I was scratching my head for weeks
looking at some other other videos out there. My next version is to control two blinds
side by side with one arduino and two servos.
Thanks Again!
Reply
98.
Bailey Dunn on December 9, 2015 at 3:31 am said:
Wow, this here is a fine example of a DIY.
But to be honest, I’ll need my hubby’s help with setting up automation because I have
difficulty reading some wiring schematics, let alone creating them. These are fine blinds,
should I be able to make them.
Heh. I’ll inform you if I can do it as great as you! Thanks for this!
Reply
99.
Bailey Dunn on December 9, 2015 at 3:33 am said:

Heh, my bad, i thought it was a DIY project. But I’m definitely considering buying this!
At least I wouldn’t need hubby’s help! lol.
Reply
This is a diy project
Reply
100.
Vince on December 17, 2015 at 3:40 pm said:
Great projects, see also the carputer project.

used to own one myself, infact i made a whole dashbord with a 15″ touchscreen in it
haha.
Anyway , im into homeautomation now and this is a great solution simple and cheap.
But what i was wondering about is the servo, does it twist i mean is the rotation big
enough.
I do see that there are servo’s with 180 and 360 degree rotation but the blinds i have
hanging you have to twist a couple of times before they start to open or close.
Is the rotation smaller because you fit the servo straight on the wheel in the blinds or
something ?
Thanks
Vince
Reply
101.
Audio Video Experts on December 18, 2015 at 11:38 am said:
Wow. That is seriously impressive. We work with some of the big names in automation
and I thought that was complicated. You’ve given me a new appreciation for what goes
into these systems.
Reply
102.
Jam Watson on January 30, 2016 at 9:21 pm said:
hi there am new to all this but really would like to try your project , how to i get and use
the source code ,? and install it on my arduino uno , any help would be great , was hoping
to control the blind by light sensor , and also ir remote ,
Reply
homeawesomation on February 3, 2016 at 11:27 pm said:
I posted a github link in the post
Reply
103.
aminah on March 12, 2016 at 1:21 pm said:
hello..can you help me with the program on how to make the blind partially closed when
the day is too hot. tq
Reply
104.
Chrys Heart on June 19, 2016 at 7:32 pm said:
Hey, have you ever considered or attempted to add wireless control capability? Like
bluetooth or wifi? Like to use bluetooth to activate the button?
Reply
o
I have but I’m lazy. Also I find that the light sensor basically handles my main
use case.
Reply
105.
Jill Johnson on July 13, 2016 at 2:46 am said:
Nice! This is really an impressive DIY project for home automation.

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Automated Window Blinds with Arduino

Tutorial #1 – Where does the servo go?

Phil McDonnell on February 27, 2013 at 1:17 am said:

no issue so I could have my HA system control the blinds as well

homeawesomation on February 28, 2013 at 12:00 am said:

buy some nice blinds

Phil McDonnell on February 28, 2013 at 6:52 pm said:

Luckily I have large groups of windows

Yusuf on March 31, 2013 at 10:01 pm said:

homeawesomation on April 1, 2013 at 6:23 pm said:

Yusuf on April 2, 2013 at 8:34 am said:

homeawesomation on April 3, 2013 at 6:53 pm said:

homeawesomation on April 3, 2013 at 7:20 pm said:

homeawesomation on April 3, 2013 at 7:32 pm said:

Tim on April 9, 2013 at 9:11 am said:

Hi, what is the IC chip on the diagram on the left?

homeawesomation on April 9, 2013 at 10:14 pm said:

Tim on April 9, 2013 at 11:21 am said:

I am residing in Singapore, thus we do not have some of the components mentioned in

Sorry for my long post, help is greatly appreciated.

homeawesomation on April 9, 2013 at 10:20 pm said:

Hey thanks, its not as hard as it sounds. Let me explain.

Tim on April 9, 2013 at 11:28 am said:

homeawesomation on April 9, 2013 at 10:21 pm said:

Richard on April 10, 2013 at 8:31 pm said:

These servos are easy to get on Ebay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/4-X-S3003-Standard-

Tim on April 11, 2013 at 9:05 am said:

part number is GP2Y0A21YK0F.

Tim on April 11, 2013 at 9:18 am said:

sorry *cant find the x10 module…

Tim on April 14, 2013 at 9:35 am said:

homeawesomation on April 14, 2013 at 2:10 pm said:

For the x10 module I used this,

Alexander Riccio on April 12, 2013 at 1:34 am said:

Reblogged this on Alexander Riccio and commented:

Home Awesomation however, has.

Tim on April 15, 2013 at 10:24 am said:

Tim on April 15, 2013 at 11:06 am said:

15. Pingback: Hidden servo automates slat-style window blinds

Chase on April 18, 2013 at 12:38 pm said:

This is a great project! I’m looking to do something very similar.

Thanks for posting all the great videos!

homeawesomation on April 19, 2013 at 8:15 am said:

17. Pingback: Hidden servo automates slat-style window blinds | o.NET

Walter Schreppers on April 19, 2013 at 3:50 am said:

homeawesomation on April 19, 2013 at 8:13 am said:

Tim on April 19, 2013 at 12:32 pm said:

May I what version of Arduino software you are using?

homeawesomation on April 19, 2013 at 2:28 pm said:

Tim on April 22, 2013 at 8:09 am said:

fdsa on April 19, 2013 at 10:12 pm said:

homeawesomation on April 19, 2013 at 10:57 pm said:

homeawesomation on June 22, 2013 at 11:05 am said:

Luis on April 22, 2013 at 6:29 pm said:

homeawesomation on April 22, 2013 at 7:35 pm said:

Tim on April 23, 2013 at 4:42 am said:

May I what version of Arduino software you are using?

homeawesomation on April 27, 2013 at 11:16 am said:

1.0.4 found here. http://arduino.cc/en/main/software

david be on April 27, 2013 at 7:37 pm said:

homeawesomation on April 28, 2013 at 9:02 am said:

homeawesomation on August 14, 2013 at 4:05 pm said:

Patrick Bell on April 27, 2013 at 10:36 pm said:

Any clarification would be great.