Automating a Greenhouse with LoRa! (Part 2) || Motorized Window Opener

[@greatscottlab]

I feel like I need to explain some things a bit more after reading through the comments: - I did not directly use the McMaster-Carr component library gear and rack. You are not allowed to 3D print them. I only used them as a rough reference in order to create my own. - I did not include limit switches because I thought it would be an overkill for such a simple system. Instead my rack holder is open at one end. So if the window is fully closed and the motor wants to keep going, the rack can be pushed out without destroying anything. The opening and closing time is done by a delay and was measured by myself. The opening time is a bit longer than the closing time. Thus after a month or two the rack will slightly get pushed out of the holder due to misalignments. But you can easily fix that by hand. I hope that answers some of your questions and I hope that you still enjoyed the video even without me mentioning those information :-)

[@anmolkumar6704]

Please make a video on how capacitive fan regulators work Because all know about resistive and triac based ac regulation but not about this

[@ouesh35]

It shouldn't be too hard to add a course limit by watching the current consumption of the motor, no ? This is how my gate opener works, with some way to to smooth the endstop, rubber or something ...

[@muh1h1]

A few sugestions to make this more reliable and better: 1) Add a 10-turn Pot to the motor for closed loop feedback, That way you always know exactly where the window is. 2) Instead of transmitting placeholder Temperature and Humidity data, transmit the back how wide open the window is in % based on the aforementioned closed loop data 2a) maybe add PID control to the window based on the temperature and hunidity for extra stable climate. 3) Include a hinge in the Rack case, the Rack tilts in relation to the window, your Stickytape will fail at some point otherwise. The whole thing is overkill, so why not go the extra steps to make it perfect :)

[@alifalshaharier3801]

I don't want to say anything..... but I love you very much bor

[@AudreyRobinel]

Hello @GreatScott! About your limit switches, you can use a TMC2209 driver, used in 3D printer to have access to "limit switches" without installing any hardware : the TMC2209 detect when the current required to spin the motor is too high, and thus send a signal to the microcontroller indicating that either you reached the end of the rack; or that something is stuck in the system. The beauty is that should other weird cases occur, you can detect it as well, as it monitors the motor's current. You can use those drivers as a drop in replacement for basic drivers, or in SPI to have access to the full feature set. PS : after writing the post i remembered that you used a DC motor, TMC2209 is for steppers, perhaps you can still use it for DC motors, but anyway, TMC have specific motor drivers for DC motors, with similar features also. Anyway, great project, will you post your rack and pinion somewhere? i like how simple and self adjusting the solution is, i want to use it on a smart blinds project i'm working on! PS : look into home assistant : it is extremely powerful, integrates with countless systems, and rather than send bytes by hand, you can have software or physical switches, or better yet, automations, scripts, etc :) Converting my own homebrew smart devices from my own restful feature rich firmware to ESPHome and Home Assistant increased what i can do ten fold; also the reliability increased quite a lot; almost all sensors i'm interested in are already supported, and i don't have to search for the right library or write the driver... Home Assistant + ESPHome is a game changer compared to other solutions; and is imensely powerful.

[@_To_bi_]

Hey, you could have used a worm gear to open and close the window, because worm gears are self-locking which would ensure that the window stays at the desired position. Just for your information, because your solution obviously works as well.

[@69iqtutorial]

Its quite slow and has high friction so it will wear out more often, also if accidenty,some force is applied,on the window, this gear system will compensate it by going down, but worm gear will break in this case, Thank you!

[@fc3sbob]

@@69iqtutorial Almost all greenhouse vent motors have worm gears off the motor shaft, I used to rebuild them. I wouldn't suggest a plastic gear. They were pretty beefy worm gears in the gear boxes. In some cases where you had a multi vent system with multiple 100ft long vents they were all supported by a single worm gear. I've never actually seen one break, usually the rack or drive shafts break before the gear fails.

[@69iqtutorial]

@@fc3sbob you are right but i am speaking specifically about plastic ones

[@madnessfire9081]

a good old fashioned car antenna motor should do the trick - runs on 12v got inbuild limit switches and most of them got the up/ down switch toggle build in

[@firstnamelastname-nl3qv]

lol

[@Asu01]

_"Of course, I also implemented a delay so that the motor only moves for a short time, and the motor can also not rotate the same way twice in a row"_ 9:13 Limit switch: *_Am I joke to you?_*

[@luclu7_]

He said on twitter that it was "too complicated" for such a small movement

[@MaxusR]

Not to mention the controller can be reset in wrong position and similar situations (halfway for example).

[@davordamjanovic893]

more pins used (1 or 2) depend on number of limit switches

[@zanpekosak2383]

Only one pin is used if you make a simple logic gate board.

[@davordamjanovic893]

you mean shift register, mux or something different?

[@Joksio]

For everyone with similar projects I recommend recycling windshield wiper motor, because it can hold the position when powered down. I have used it for opening chicken coop doors and it could hold the whole weight of the doors.

[@mani5446]

Car antenna motors too

[@TechBuild]

Those motors can have quite a lot of holding torque, thanks to the use of worm gears in them.

[@Joksio]

@@TechBuild Exactly

[@olachus]

You need to consider the wind speed too when thinking of the window. If you can measure the wind speed, you can include a script in your code to lower the window when the wind is over a certain speed to avoid damages to your greenhouse roof structure. For watering the plants, you can adapt a dripping system which basically will drip water to the roots and not wasting it all over the place. And that can be controlled with an electro valve and fed from an exterior rain collector barrel. You can even add nutrients in the water if needed. There are plenty of options.

[@TheDoblerones]

I think that instead of measuring the wind speed it'd be easier to just look up a local weather forecast and check the wind speeds. Because I have never heard of a wind speed measuring sensor. You could perhaps use a turbine and measure the voltage at different speeds to estimate the speed. Greetings from Germany!

[@timparsons9649]

@@TheDoblerones Anemometers are used to measure wind speed.

[@kokipopi2985]

Dripping water is not really good for plant growth. You want your plants to have strong and sprawling root systems.

[@boblewis5558]

@@TheDoblerones Hmm I should go on eBay and check out the accessories for weather stations - they pretty much ALL use a wind speed indicator. There are also yachting hand-held anemometers available and finally, there are also non-moving windspeed indicators of various kinds using different techniques but a simple pressure sensor connected to a pitot tube with a direction vane at the rear of the pitot tube pivot will swing it around into the wind and enable BOTH direction AND windspeed readings if a 360-degree position sensor is also fitted. Easy enough to calibrate the pitot tube for the level of accuracy needed (within 2-3 kph, or 0.6 - 1 m sec-1 is MORE than sensitive enough). MANY much cheaper ways to make your own too. One is just by using small 5-12volt fans - remove the internal coils, keeping the rotor shaft and rotor with the magnets but with a single Hall effect sensor inside fitted near the rotor rim. An Arduino to take the "pulse" count = directly proportional to speed. Not a complicated job with a little bit of OOTB (out of the box) thinking and only the calibration to do - easy with a low-cost, hand-held wind speed indicator!

[@theonlyari]

The only problem i can see here is how do you know what open or closed is? You have no way to know the position of the motor. Perhaps adding some limit switches would be a good idea?

[@Harismanniyil]

That's true..

[@ekhiw]

Or encoder

[@eduardotinoco6055]

He said at 9:25 that the Arduino sends the motor state. No need to use any hardware for that.

[@darktherapy]

Eduardo Tinoco Yeah, but if there’s a power failure, the Arduino won’t know where the motor is

[@theenginnest9243]

Maybe him can use EEPROM to store the motor state or use a reed switch to know if the window is closed.

[@ancapftw9113]

They actually make pistons that expand in response to increased temperature. They work kind of like wax motors. They are filled with a type of oil that expands a lot with temperature while staying a liquid. They can simply be adjusted to the temp you want them to open at, and when the oil reaches that temp, the piston expands enough to start opening the window.

[@PlanYourLift]

What is this called I need this

[@ArchaicVirus]

I love the extra enthusiasm at the end "I will see you next time!"

[@jorditribo94]

In the event of a power loss it's difficult to determine the current windows position. I would rather use a limit switch, at least on one of the ends.

[@transistorbrains]

I was going to suggest adding limit switches to avoid the pending disaster when you have a power failure, but I see that the comments section beat me to it. I will add that you can get conductive tape (such as copper or aluminum) and make your own low profile switches

[@DonAdwick]

Hey, about the watering system... I get it, but... why on earth did you find yourself visiting so often the greenhouse? Doesn't it defeat the whole purpose of the automation?

[@DavidWalling]

It's pretty difficult to automate picking the ripe vegetables.

[@tin2001]

@@DavidWalling Depends on the vegetable... But then I guess you still have to collect it unless you build a conveyor belt system to get it to the kitchen 😂

[@lipelego22]

Adding water hoses with holes on the ceiling connected to water pipes by solenoid water valves would solve the wattering problem. Plus, vegetables take time to be mature so you'd only have to visit the greenhouse once in a month or 2 weeks

[@AudreyRobinel]

@@DavidWalling You don't pick ripe vegetables every day... And even so, you could go to the greenhouse to pick them, rather than spend time watering the plants BEFORE having to also pick them...

[@AudreyRobinel]

@@dieSpinnt I get that it was a joke, but i still disagree with your point. I can want a garden without wanting to be in it every day. Also, time spent on repetitive and time consuming tasks is less time spent simply enjoying, pruning, etc. -Failures in water system can be minimized to the point that they are less frequent than manual watering mistakes (i forgot to water, or put too much water); you can also have failsafes with alarms to signal if there is a problem; -Snails can be kept in check (i had many, i have none anymore) -Plants need care, but many can do without any, and quite a lot can do with minimal care. I am setting my garden to be low maintenance, with interplanting plants that chases pests away, mulching, etc... While i also agree with you that going to see your plents every month or so is a bit optimistic, you can have automated stuff and still check. The difference is that with automation, you just check if everything is alright, and do plantcare and the more interesting stuff, rather than all the boring stuff ON TOP of the fun stuff. I like watering my plants, but with my garden growing it's getting to a point where it takes me too much time; and if i leave for a few days some plants are in danger. Now with mulching and deep watering i made my plants more drought tolerent, and cut down on my watering by aproximately 2/3, but next step is still automated watering, and taking into consideration if it has rained, and if it is about to rain also. The idea is that i can be away or ill without the garden dying off; i can probably not visit the garden for weeks and still have a garden, even if there is always a risk of malfunction, i can have safegards, and still the risk is lower than my manual mistakes. Also with automated watering you can fine tune the watering rather than guess/estimate. I like numbers, i prefer to "know" rather than to "feel" when enough water is in :) Plus many plants increase production when they recieve a slight water stress, this is something i don't manage to do by hand for now :)

[@BharatMohanty]

One automatic sensor would be perfect for this greenhouse if there is raining.

[@Nash4Nashville]

The problem with automatically regulating rain is when it stops working

[@flflflflflfl]

@@Nash4Nashville the problem with pretty much anything is when it stops working

[@Nash4Nashville]

@@flflflflflfl correct that's why even some of the old earthship pioneers who progressed to modern materials still keep components hybrid (manual & auto:) kzbin.info/www/bejne/opfMkIaXhsyLatE

[@gurudattapanda]

Yes, but those rain sensor will be oxidised to be rust after a week of use. If you are living in coastal areas, it's totally waste. You need to think about a sensor that can last for 5 year at least.

[@micher60]

@@gurudattapanda There are other types of sensors. For example a tank with a distance sensor or a scale or a floater to measure water level

[@MrMrMoped]

Did you consider a mechanical or electrical system to bottom out or top out the rail? Seems like a little disaster is waiting to happen ;)

[@greatscottlab]

The bottom of the rack holder is open. So the rack can escape if the window is closed and the motor wants to keep going. The delays I use will overtime do that but you can easily adjust the rack position every couple of months. I thought that is a simpler solution than to include two limit switches, all the wiring and so on.

[@shakthizen]

🤔

[@MrMrMoped]

@@greatscottlab Maybe a simple mechanical solution is to make the pinion slip off the rail in each extreme and use mechanical force to push it back on to go the other way. If the window is open the weight of the window would do that. In the closed position you'd need a spring or magnet to push the window up (and the pinion onto the rail).

[@michaelhubble6252]

How about a current sensor on the motor. When the motor stalls at the end of the rack the current will peak.

[@Dj_Marinho]

@@greatscottlab Coloca sensores de fim de curso na própria alimentação do motor com diodos polarizador reversamente, assim quando por exemplo a janela tiver fechada o NC abre desligando o motor e a unica ligação seria o diodo q seria polarizado quando receber a corrente no sentido oposto, parasse complicado explicando assim porem e simples e toda a fiação fica perto do motor.

[@0gnob]

The intro never gets old. Good job, thanks for your videos.

[@victorchorques4893]

Thanks for sharing!! Two comments that maybe other people may have pointed out: add limit switches for the motor mechanism and change adhesive fixing of pieces by other fixing method. Heat and moisture can ruin your day loosening you pieces.

[@johnkerr6466]

Fantastic video as always! I too have found it easier to water by hand than to use an irrigation system. I do have a drip irrigation system installed, but I only use it when we are away. The reason being that it can over or under water the plants, depending on the weather. I have a mixture of crops in 11 grow bags and some don't like being wet all the time particularly when it is cooler. Plus I check on it everyday anyway and it only takes 5-minutes to water them, at the most. The water timer I use (Hozelock) also has reliability issues - I'm on my 3rd one in 15 years. My current one leaks water even when closed, so that will need replacing if I can't fix it. For ventilation I use the Bayliss autovents which work very well and reliably (for 15 years now). These are automatic openers that use expansion of wax in a cylinder to push a cylinder to open the windows (contraction to close the windows). I look forward to more of these videos, I love the mixture of gardening and technology!

[@calvinkielas-jensen6665]

The controls engineer in me desperately wants you to create a control system to manage open angle of the window. You could probably get away with something as simple as a bang bang controller that measures the humidity and opens or closes the window depending on what values you give it. You could even go further by including a fan and also controlling the angle at which the window is open. Either way though, great project, thanks for sharing!

[@beratbaki1681]

The content I was looking for. Finally it uploaded!

[@greatscottlab]

You're welcome :-)

[@Kristjan10a]

I made my automated watering system using a SIEMENS LOGO PLC and a real watering system. System worked great, and all of the water came from rain. Automation is awesome :=)

[@fofovlogss]

Really awesome ❤️ sir!!!.. You've taught me alot of electronics

[@greatscottlab]

Glad to hear that

[@TechMaxedYT]

@@greatscottlab I love your content, they are very useful and informative. Wanna try using mqtt to control your motorized window? I think its a better solution.

[@fofovlogss]

@@greatscottlab ... I love "Let's get started" the most and Hate "I will szzzeeeeeeeee yoooou nexxt time"

[@cappie2000]

You sir, are awesome for making all the videos that you do.. and I think that showing your face in front of the camera takes more courage than most people would realize, especially if you haven't shown your face that often.

[@pavan13]

Lora is simply awesome 😍

[@greatscottlab]

True

[@Electromakerio]

We loved this project so much we featured it in this week's edition of the Electromaker Show!

[@jonnypista52]

I built the watering automation for my greenhouse and with a bit of tweaking it works fine. I haven't really tested the probes beforehand, just the full wet and dry, this is why I had to modify a few times (I have the same sensors). Also it was the main project for me, the windows stay open all the time so no need to automate that and watering my greenhouses by hand is annoying since I have 2 of them and each is 7*50 m, both have dripping system installed and constant water pressure so I only had to control a valve to turn it on-off also the greenhouses far from the house so walking there and back take a good few min just to turn a valve then walk back home then walk back a few hour later which can be forgotten. Those big valves don't work from 5v anyway so I didn't had to worry about frying the Arduino, I used a SSR to control it because the valve uses mains voltage

[@kishoreksm8366]

You are awesome. I learned a lot from you. I found my career in electrical and electronics by founding my interest in electronics by watching your video. Thanks for everything... Love ❤ from India...

[@Spooglecraft]

That solution is a bit overkill imo. There are window openers out there which are filled with a special oil which expands and contracts depending on the temperature. Easy to install and no motors or anything needed.

[@jo0ls]

hackerman most hobby electronics projects are a fun waste of time and money.

[@dreamfalcon]

And much more reliable. In my greenhouse I would not trust a electric solution.

[@chaosflori25]

He wanted to open the window if it gets too humid so your solution would not solve his problem quite the way he wants it to be solved

[@TorbTorb]

thats genius

[@pmgodfrey]

I love automation. I love it even more when it's something you just create yourself! Nice!

[@Dingbat217]

Great idea, now add a couple of end-switches to the mechanism so you can 1: tell it to close / open fully and 2: let it know where it is in the range of open / closed by timing how long the motor runs for and finally 3: have it return home (close the window) until it reaches the closed window end-switches so you always know where it starts after a power failure! :-)

[@GreatKnown]

I really like you content, but sorry to see the automatic watering part gone. It would also be very interesting. Also, will you implement weather into the greenhouse project? When its windy, that the window will close as an example, perhaps the construction will break due to the wind?

[@ETG168]

I would recommend some edge trigger switches, just to make sure it doesnt wreck itself in case the gear rack is not where it should be

[@lucasmoone9657]

You can also but automatic oil pistons for the windows. These will open and close automatically according to the temperature. Mine came with the greenhouse and have been working great.

[@dakotadanderson]

Hello Scott. Great video. I hope you and your family are healthy.

[@sarankarthik3474]

One more thing I have to say that every week I just waiting for a new video that you going to post and I learned a lot too so keep doing this thankyou

[@drmosfet]

This problem was solved back in the days of relay logic. But always good to see someone try something different 👍 some people even use a container that thermally expands and pushes open the vent, then close the vent whew the container thermally contraction.

[@anastasiszaro]

Wow! I got so giddy when I saw the IC for the motor control. It's the same IC that was used in a DIY robot that I was building when I was 8 from a magazine. It was used to control the motors to move it. Such a cute little quad H bridge 😛

[@lmaoroflcopter]

Really enjoying this little series!

[@MCsCreations]

Brilliant, dude. Fantastic work! 😃 Stay safe there! 🖖😊

[@greatscottlab]

Thanks, you too!

[@opcn18]

An automated watering system is nice because it keeps the water off the leaves (where it encourages fungal problems). I still visit my greenhouse multiple times a day, but I don't have to spend five minutes filling up watering cans before I do.

[@foureyedchick]

This is a good channel. Your videos are both attractive and educational!

[@olivermj69]

The L293D is arguably the simplest dc motor controller. Even a beginner can use it

[@JAYANTHISUDUPIRECIPES]

GREAT SCOTT - GREAT WORK👍👍

[@greatscottlab]

Thanks 👍

[@TheKvc]

🎉🎉🎉 amazing work scott

[@nekomakhea9440]

Worm gears are self-locking so you don't need to waste power on keeping the motor energized to maintain holding torque. Limit switches will give you closed loop feedback, so that the controller doesn't run past the end of your gear and always knows which position the window is at. If the H bridge needs one side high and the other low to operate, both sides can be run off only one digital IO pin if one side has a digital inverter in front of its input. Still, a pretty awesome build. I've been wanting a balcony garden for a while, and I'm definitely gonna try automating it like this.

[@shamsmm]

Great video as always Great Scott 👌

[@greatscottlab]

Thanks 👍

[@carelsberghstijn]

Odrive does come with holding torque, but I would also take the geared motor because you don't need to make it more complex than necessary 🙂 You should have had a bend rack because the window rotates around a pivot, or the rack should pivot

[@scientistBENIELSLAB]

Great work sir You taught me many things in electronics...

[@Joefish628]

Please make a Part 3! Theres lots of stuff you can still try out... maybe revisit auto watering? or maybe thermal mass/heat for longer growing season? increase efficiency with solar tracking? Use photo resistors and grow-LEDs to extend day?? Photogrammetry to track and model growth of fruit? That would make a pretty awesome time lapse!

[@DEV_XO]

More of this series of videos please! It's so relaxing and entertaining to watch it! :)

[@TheAmazingCraft1]

i think that the best way to controll those motors would be to evaluate those data in the laura board it self. (set some humidity and temp which would triger the windows to open and set some humidity and temp which would close them) This way the system would be working even if the internet connection drops. You could still send the data and the state of the windows over the internet but they would be used just to monitor its functionality.

[@azyfloof]

If you add a ten turn pot to the motor shaft of the window opener, you'll get feedback of the position of the window. This'll also mean you reduce the risk of running the motor past the end of the rack, cause I'm guessing the on time of the motor will mean it drifts over time

[@geedubb-q1u]

We have a wifi thermostat in our well house and it measures temp and humidity(air). We’re more interested in temp but the humidity will come in handy in warmer weather. It’s called Inkbird. In cold weather we monitor temp in the house then we turn on a heat fan via CE Smart wifi plugs.

[@raspberryjo]

Great work, thank you ! Your tomatoes already look appetizing :)

[@gurudattapanda]

Two electronics channel I follow on KZbin, one is German guy another is Swiss Old boy... The technical giants...

[@lipelego22]

Adding water hoses with holes on the ceiling connected to water pipes by solenoid water valves would solve the wattering problem. Plus, vegetables take time to be mature so you'd only have to visit the greenhouse once in a month or 2 weeks

[@ElectricGeckos]

Thanks for getting me into more electronics! I will begin my Electronics College course this week!

[@3MoOoRxD]

i swear he make it look so damn easy but you have no idea how much experience you need to do that!

[@SheppPL]

at last i was waiting for part 2

[@omnirath]

Maybe you could try a solar powered aquaponic or hydroponic with cheap USB pumps and a heater for the winter it's a great way to keep plants with a bit of tech !

[@mrgamerrio5830]

I made same project for school but it was small in that case It was having soil moisture sensors for watering plants , led lights for artificial lightning plants and I specifically use blue and red lights for better result and finally a gas sensor for detecting CO2 however coding it was a bit issue but some how managed to finish it and used servo instead of the methods you used . I wish you made this before I started my project :)

[@Ed19601]

There might be a reason why your moisture sensor gave varying results: some of the boards are faulty as the 1Mohm resistor on the output only has one side connected. That causes the capacitor on the output to not discharge on time. Solution: put a 1Mohm resistor over the output is the easiest. Also, the sides of the board are unprotected, cover them with epoxy, nailpolish (good quality) or dip the entire thing in PlastiDip

Awesome! Me and my father just planning to utilize the same method for our greenhouse, but I will use NodeMCU not Arduino lore board. Anyhow, it is a great inspiration to finalize our plans!

[@greatscottlab]

Best of luck!

[@MJ-iy4fb]

nice work. thanks for sharing. I'd like to see you add on some limit safety switches with that, that would be a nice addition

[@davidh1187]

Just one thought - I note that you do not measure the outside temp and humidity. Although your GH is not hermetically sealed, there will still be a difference between inside and outside temp and humidity. eg, if its too humid inside, pointless opening the window if it is raining outside!

[@lucayounes374]

I've been waiting for this project

[@Nash4Nashville]

The stepper motor would have worked great. You're just operating it for a few seconds. Always love your work!!

[@clonkex]

No but it needs to hold its position with the weight of the window, and he reckoned it would draw too much current while doing that.

[@enochfuryan9094]

From experience: dont use just adhesive in outdoor/UV env. Put some self-tap metal screws. And, as others mentioned use limit switches for feedback.

[@InfiniteWonderz2]

Keen to see you next time in part 3 where you implement better soil sensors at the surface, 30cm 60cm and 1m depths!

[@alifalshaharier3801]

Love from Bangladesh 🥰🥰🥰🥰

[@greatscottlab]

Thanks :-)

[@jamesion5260]

Cool LoRa is awesome

[@ionforbes4155]

For more holding torque you could use a mosfet to short the motor terminals without needing a permanent current theough the motor

[@Leo99929]

You could use current sensing on the motor to detect it hitting the end stop.

[@akarshsrivastava]

Finally after a long time

[@AdityaElectronics]

Dari Indonesia hadir bos from Indonesia here to watch you :), loyal subscriber

[@miguelestrada2011]

Great video! it brings me some ideas for future quarantine projects!

[@DJMovit]

Nice job! I wish my cheap greenhouse survived the years of the sun breaking down the panels. I hoped to do what you did with the automated windows. Maybe next time!

[@saiprasad9831]

electroboom+greatscott=big brain

[@jothain]

If going over engineering side, holding torque is factor that doesn't need to be dealt that much if you use counterweight.

[@creazychannel]

Finally you made it public !!

[@sams5803]

All your stuff is soo awesome

[@JAYANTHISUDUPIRECIPES]

Nice, I was waiting for it😊

[@thewolfin]

Ayyy thanks for the screencap

[@simoneazzoni3882]

well you could have done a water system that can be turned on and off with a switch, you don't need to add any complicated monitorning you just push a button and in that way you avoid using a watering can.

[@hydrosys4raspberry19]

I also end up using DC motors in my setting (after starting with steppers), was a little worried about the durability of the gears but seems that are fine after one year.

[@EasyOne]

Nicely done

[@leemurnane5372]

I like that you 3D print your hardware, but I would had used a linear actuator or a ball screw for the window vent. You wouldn't need the torque of the motor to keep your window open.

[@PANZER7910]

I'd buy Chinese electric actuator, they are dirt cheap

[@vagishgpatil6637]

But.india.has.banned so.?..:)😚😚😚😚😚🤪

[@radnakse_mada]

Love your video as always man.

[@DanielsGameVault]

The question I kept having throughout the video is how does your circuit know where the window actually is and for how long to run the motor ? I believe you're using a fixed run time each time, which should be fine for the most part, but that's assuming the window is ALWAYS fully closed or fully open. If it's not, the motor will keep running and push the rack past its maximum point, grinding out the teeth. A limit switch on either end should prevent this, though it may complicate your mechanical setup a bit. Wind may play a part in this as well....

[@FrankGraffagnino]

instead of drawing power to hold the window open constantly, could the mechanism be adjusted such that as the window gets opened, a latch falls into place to hold it open so that you can power it off. Then, when you want to close, you drive further in that direction to release the latch, then reverse and go down... sort of like the mechanism in a ball-point pen where you click it open and click again for closed. Might let you reduce the power consumption a lot without losing any functionality.

[@ArieLash01]

nice I think limit switches are usefull to stop unknown changes

[@inibrithH]

I saw immediately first part where you said you got rid of the humidity sensor. I saw the guy in KZbin for flaura pot telling all caveats of this sensor. Maybe it's an overkill using this sensor but, he mentioned 82% of those sensors have many flaws. I believe you've got a set of those in flaw design. He also mentions how to "repair" such flaws (or at least know the differences)

[@Turri_Moreira]

I feel so stupid watching this... It's very humbling. There's so much knowledge in our universe. All I know is that I don't know. For me the complexity of the universe is a pointer to God the creator.

[@Willy_Tepes]

You know, there is a window opener for greenhouses that only uses expanding gas in a cylinder. It is a really simple device that opens the window when the gas in the cylinder expands and pushes a push-rod out. Works like a charm and does not need electricity or a controller. Automating the watering is the only thing you actually need unless you want retractable blinds or something like that. Even a timer would do for the watering system if you use a reservoir and a overflow pipe. Datalogging, webcam, sensors and remote acsess is probably the most useful thing a computer or microcontroller could add.

[@soheil5710]

As I was re-watching this video, a thought occurred to me: Currently, you have to adjust the gear rack every once in a while, because the position is lost over time. But, what if instead of using (overkill) limit switches, you introduce a 'slipping' mechanism at each end of the gear rack? You could have thin plastic walls that bend easily. Then, leave some space between the rack teeth and the bendable walls. The motor gear will slip when pushing beyond the limit, and re-engage when turning back quite easily.

[@Leo99929]

Non-back-drivable gearbox is screaming out for a worm gear. you could use a nut and a length of all thread.

[@smarzony]

this is a great video :) Consider using limit switches for this motor application.

[@derchesten]

I would've mounted it in the hinge of the window to better protect it from the elements, but cool project!

[@macsaba]

I think that this H bridge also means, that the DC motor is shorted if non or booth of the directions are selected, so you cant basicly short your powersupply. And with this gear reduction it would be a pretty effective brake. I also think, that with this gear reduction, your 3d printed parts should get heir sh.t together in case your controler fails while the motor ist powered. You could use limit switches for disconnecting the control signal from the H bridge, you dont need to program it, and it doesn't requier additional inputs.

[@enginbilgi]

100RPM DC Motor but no limit switch!!! Receipe for disaster...

[@Cheese_1337]

it does not spin at 100rpms as it gets powered by 5 volts..

[@Enderkruemel]

I think the Motor dosnt have enough Power at 5v. But i also would use a Limit switch or just measure the current. if the Motor Runs in the mecanical Limit,the current would increase very fast very high. Than there isnt a need for Limit switches and so no need for extra wires.

[@enginbilgi]

@@Enderkruemel No extra MCU pins, current sensing or extra long wires are needed. Just 2 limit switches and 2 diodes at the gears are enough.

[@Enderkruemel]

Yeğnidemir i know, But i didnt think about this simple circuit. I used the this Setup for some experimental things , But if the Limit switches aren't there or they dont fit mecanical, there is the Problem that a New Part/switch holder is needet. Current sensing is one of the solutions But i think this circuit is the Best (and failsave) solution.

[@inothome]

Great build, but no limit switches? Eventually it will probably get out of time with the travel of the rack. Unless it's not strong enough to blow itself apart if it deadheads, but with that 50:1 ratio, it looks like it would tear up the gears if it ran out of travel.

[@enginbilgi]

I think exactly the same.

[@inothome]

Actually, that IC with the H-bridge may have current sensing / limiting in it. Easier than limit switches.