Building a Smart Home Controller With Embedded ICs

Embedded Integrated Circuits (ICs) play a crucial role in modern electronics, enabling the creation of complex and efficient systems. In this project, we will guide you through building a smart home controller using embedded ICs. This controller will manage various home automation tasks, such as lighting, temperature control, and security, through a user-friendly interface.

Supplies

Microcontroller (e.g., STM32, ATmega328. Xecor provides these microcontrollers.)
Relay Modules
Temperature Sensor (e.g., DHT22)
Light Sensor (e.g., LDR)
Motion Sensor (e.g., PIR Sensor)
OLED Display
Wi-Fi Module (e.g., ESP8266)
Power Supply (5V)
Breadboard and Jumper Wires

Microcontroller Connections

Connect the VCC and GND pins of the microcontroller to the power supply.
Connect the GPIO pins to control the relay modules.

Relay Module Connections

Connect the control pins of the relay modules to the respective GPIO pins on the microcontroller.
Connect the common and normally open (NO) contacts of the relay modules to the appliances you wish to control.

Sensor Connections

Connect the temperature sensor’s data pin to a GPIO pin on the microcontroller.
Connect the light sensor (LDR) in a voltage divider configuration to an analog pin on the microcontroller.
Connect the motion sensor’s output pin to a GPIO pin on the microcontroller.

Display Connections

Connect the VCC and GND pins of the OLED display to the power supply.
Connect the SCL and SDA pins of the OLED display to the corresponding pins on the microcontroller.

Wi-Fi Module Connections

Connect the VCC and GND pins of the Wi-Fi module to the power supply.
Connect the Tx and Rx pins of the Wi-Fi module to the respective pins on the microcontroller for serial communication.

Programming

Write a program for the microcontroller to interface with the sensors, relays, and Wi-Fi module. The program should allow you to monitor and control various home automation tasks through a web interface.

Example Code for STM32 with DHT22 and ESP8266:

#include <Wire.h>

#include <Adafruit_Sensor.h>

#include <DHT.h>

#include <DHT_U.h>

#include <WiFi.h>

#include <ESPAsyncWebServer.h>

#define DHTPIN 2

#define DHTTYPE DHT22

DHT_Unified dht(DHTPIN, DHTTYPE);

const char* ssid = "Your_SSID";

const char* password = "Your_PASSWORD";

AsyncWebServer server(80);

void setup() {

Serial.begin(115200);

dht.begin();

WiFi.begin(ssid, password);

while (WiFi.status() != WL_CONNECTED) {

delay(1000);

Serial.println("Connecting to WiFi...");

}

Serial.println("Connected to WiFi");

server.on("/", HTTP_GET, [](AsyncWebServerRequest *request){

sensors_event_t event;

dht.temperature().getEvent(&event);

String temperature = String(event.temperature);

dht.humidity().getEvent(&event);

String humidity = String(event.relative_humidity);

String html = "<!DOCTYPE html><html><head><title>Smart Home Controller</title></head><body>";

html += "<h1>Smart Home Controller</h1>";

html += "<p>Temperature: " + temperature + " °C</p>";

html += "<p>Humidity: " + humidity + " %</p>";

html += "</body></html>";

request->send(200, "text/html", html);

});

server.begin();

}

void loop() {

// Add your control logic here

}

Testing

DIY Home Automation Intruder Alarm System! || Home Assistant + Raspberry Pi + ESP8266

Upload the program to the microcontroller and power up the circuit. Connect your computer or smartphone to the same Wi-Fi network as the microcontroller. Open a web browser and enter the IP address assigned to the microcontroller (you can find this in the Serial Monitor). The web page should display the current temperature and humidity readings.

Conclusion

Building a smart home controller with embedded ICs demonstrates their versatility and capability in IoT applications. This project can be further enhanced with additional sensors, integration with voice assistants, and more advanced control algorithms. The use of embedded ICs allows for efficient and scalable smart home solutions.