29.06.2020

Do-it-yourself roller blinds with electric drive. All about choosing curtains with electric drive: types and principle of operation. Do-it-yourself design

Today, smart home automation affects almost all household processes. This also applies to the control of cornices, which goes well with the multiroom system. The electric drive for the eaves is the main element of curtain automation, which allows you to remotely control the level of natural light in the house. The main advantage of such a system is that it can be made independently. What is required for this, how to do it?

The principle of operation of the electric eaves

The systems under consideration are quite different. simple device and working principle. The complete set is represented by an electric drive and an aluminum profile, which acts as a supporting structure for curtains. Inside the profile there is a strong steel cable connected to a movable carriage. The electric motor moves the carriage followed by the rope. On the cable there are fasteners to which the curtains are suspended.

Some models are equipped with a built-in timer. It allows you to pre-set scenarios according to which the system will automatically adjust the level of natural light inside the rooms. More advanced solutions have built-in light sensors. They work automatically, changing the position of the curtains depending on how light or dark the room is. this moment on the street.

Types of cornices by design

Curtains for a smart home with an electric drive are classified according to their design features into three types:

Sliding. The most common type. Such designs carry out the movement of curtains in a horizontal plane on both sides of the window. These systems are preferred in cases where it is necessary to automate the control of heavy curtains, as they are designed for very large loads.

Lifting. Such systems are intended for vertical movement of curtains from the bottom up. They can not only roll the web into a roll, but also move it to a user-defined level.

Panel. This is a fairly rare type of system that is tailored to work with curtain panels. First of all, they include Japanese canvases. Electric drives for working with panels have a combined control - automatic and mechanical. They are more expensive than other types.

For home use on wide and high windows, it is better to choose sliding systems. If the windows are narrow and high, or just small, it is better to pay attention to the lifting type options.

Management Varieties

Control of electric cornices can be performed according to one or several available schemes at once:

Stationary control. The easiest way to adjust the position of the paintings suspended on the electric curtain rod. In this case, a small panel is mounted on the wall, on which buttons or a touch screen with a simple interface are located. It contains several switches that change the direction of movement of the canvas. The programming function is not available in most of these remotes.

Remote control. A more modern, convenient and versatile way to control. Adjustment of position of a cloth is carried out from the remote control panel. Also in this category can be attributed automatic control based on the readings of light sensors and other irritants. Such systems are convenient for home use - there is no need to mount a panel in every room of the house.

Smart home control. Many ready-made solutions support smart home pairing. This opens up the possibility of setting multiple scenarios, as well as controlling the position of curtains over long distances. In this case, you can control the cornice with mobile devices, as well as via the Internet from a personal computer or laptop. Perhaps this is the most flexible way to manage.

Many modern solutions support both remote control and smart home connection.

Advantages and disadvantages of systems

Electric motorized curtain rods are a great modern alternative to classic curtain rods that are not as user-friendly. The technology under consideration is popular due to its many advantages:

Versatility. You can customize the system for any style of interior - at home, in the office, theater, etc.

Aesthetics. Today, there are many design solutions for electric curtain rods for every taste.

Convenience. Changing the position of the curtains is a matter of a couple of seconds. If you have a remote, you don't even have to get up.

Comfort. Even a child will cope with the movement of heavy curtains - just press the desired button.

Minimum noise. The electric drive does not make any sounds, the blades move as smoothly as possible.

There are only two disadvantages of the considered systems. The first is the rather high cost of ready-made solutions. The second drawback is the complex repair that will be needed in the event of a system failure. Especially expensive is the restoration or replacement of the electric drive, as well as the wireless control module.

Self-manufacturing of the system

Before you make electric blinds for your home with your own hands, you need to decide on the power of the motor. Make it simple. If the mass of your curtains is not more than 50 kg, a motor power of 75 watts is sufficient. If the blades are heavier, it is better to choose a 100 watt motor. The more power, the faster the canvas moves apart.

The best choice for making your own electric drive is an electric power window motor, which can be found in a car door. Such a motor is ideal, since the nature of its work is the same as that of finished drives - this is a reciprocating motion. Also, in order to make do-it-yourself electric blinds, you will need a cornice and a cable with fasteners for the fabric you use.

Assembly and installation process

You need to assemble the system in accordance with the diagram of the mechanical part of the drive below:

The power window drive is installed on the left, and the movable block with the wheel on the right. The cable, on which the curtains are suspended, is stretched between the block and the wheel of the electric drive. The circuit of the power section for powering the electric motor is assembled according to the diagram below. This requires soldering skills.

After assembling the power unit, you can proceed to the manufacture of the power unit. Its scheme is shown in the diagram:

You can see that the circuit includes a light sensor, the role of which is taken over by a photoresistor. It must be attached to the window so that it faces the street. The system is controlled by a remote control. Automatic and manual control of the drive operation is possible.

Ready-made systems of electric cornices

If making your own electric drive for home curtains is not for you, you can buy a ready-to-use solution. Today on sale you can find a large selection of automated schemes:

Astra ME. This option is widely used in hotels, private apartments and offices, as well as in places where curtains are hung on high altitude. The movement of curtains is carried out at a speed of up to 12 meters per minute, power consumption - 65 watts. The device can be controlled by radio. It is possible to connect the equipment to the smart home automation system, which is very convenient.

somfy. Electric drives from this brand have a lot of convenient functions and scenarios. They keep the curtains moving smoothly and evenly. The drive does not make noise during operation, while it looks very stylish, as do the controls. You can connect the device to a smart home system, after which it will be possible to adjust the level of natural light at a great distance from your home.

Among the control systems for electric curtain rods, Herzborg, NOVO radio modules are very popular. Up to 99 motors can be connected to the first console at the same time, it operates at a frequency of 868 MHz. On the second one, you can configure the operation of up to 15 motors at once, the control is carried out using a frequency of 433 MHz.

Conclusion

Making automatic curtains for windows with your own hands is not so easy, and this will require certain skills in soldering and assembling electronic devices. If it's too much for you difficult task, or you do not want to spend time on this, consider ready-made solutions. Although it will cost more, you will save a lot of time.

The desire to equip a house with your own hands is not always associated with the need to save on the work of a specialist or finished products. Craftsmen are driven by the desire to surpass professionals. And often they succeed, even in such difficult cases as independent production of an electric drive for roller blinds. new test key

Why do you need an electric drive?

Installation of automatic blinds is recommended in large buildings, residential or non-residential buildings. This is necessary in order not to waste time adjusting the entire system. By programming the device, you can control all windows. In this case, each individual window is regulated independently of the others.
Automatic models have another indisputable advantage. The wear of the structure is much slower, since the same force is always expended during adjustment. Electric roller blinds can cost significantly more. In addition, it is necessary to pay for the work of the master who will install them if the buyer cannot do it himself.

Kinds

Separate 2 ways to control automatic roller blinds:

Remote. Curtains are controlled by a specially programmed remote control. A timer can be set on the device, which will enable the remote control to give commands at a certain time. Such a system works on the same principle as an alarm clock;
Stationary. To put such a mechanism into action, you need to press the button, which is mounted next to the window.

The most expensive models of blinds are equipped with photocells. They are sensitive to natural or artificial lighting, rising and falling at the right time. There is a misconception that automatic curtains make too much noise when operating. In fact, the presence of noise can only indicate the poor quality of the installation. If the design is installed correctly, the movements of the curtains will not bother you.

There are other classifications for motorized blinds, for example, according to the place of installation:

Ventilation. They are installed in the ventilation system. Such curtains are often used on industrial enterprises to protect the premises from extraneous noise or unpleasant odors;
For generators. Necessary in order to protect the generator from dirt and dust. Despite its name, this type of curtain is actively used in everyday life. There are built-in and overhead models. This design is necessary where particularly high requirements are placed on safety;
Outdoor. The main function is to protect the premises from the penetration of unauthorized persons, that is, burglary. In addition, the model protects against low temperatures and direct sunlight.

When making blinds at home, you can focus on the types of roller blinds with an electric drive given above. However, we should not forget that for outdoor use it is desirable to purchase ready-made structures. Roller blinds of our own production are only suitable for indoor use.

Do you need to be a professional?

Construct automatic system with their own hands can not only a specialist with the appropriate education. The assembly and installation technique is much simpler than it seems. Master classes presented on thematic resources and books on construction topics indicate step by step actions. However, certain skills are still required. If you have never had to carry out repairs, you should contact a specialist. This will avoid the unpleasant consequences associated with improper installation and unnecessary costs.

curtain material

In most cases, high-density fabric is chosen for the manufacture of blinds. However, other materials can also be used.

If the interior of the room allows, non-working floppy disks or CDs will be used to make curtains. This idea is suitable for a teenager's room, where excessive severity will look out of place. In an informal interior, you can use calendar cards or postcards. Even strips of leather might work.

First stage of work

If the decision to create a structure with your own hands has already been made, first of all, you need to decide on the size of future curtains. To do this, measure the window frame, since the length of the future product must match its parameters. Curtains can be large. But the difference usually does not exceed 12 cm. The width of the blinds must match the width of the frame. About 2 cm must be left for seizures.

When cutting the material, you need to prepare 2 patterns, since one of them will become the wrong side and the other the front side. Patterns are folded right side in and sewn. The resulting workpiece is turned out. In the bag, you need to sew up the remaining hole. If desired, you can choose different materials for each side. But according to experts, both blanks should be made of the same material.

It is not necessary to make curtains yourself. You can upgrade ready-made ones that include a plastic rod in the mechanism.

Second stage of work

In the next step, the blinds need to be attached to wooden beam. The width of the curtains should be 1 cm more than the length of the beam. Material for curtains should be spread inside out. In the upper part of the workpiece, an indent of at least 5 cm must be made. After that, a pre-prepared beam is laid. The material is tightly attached to it. For fixing, you can use a stapler. The rail should pull the curtain. In order to make this possible, you need to make a small pocket. The material must be wrapped by 3 cm. A beam is threaded into the resulting pocket.

Third stage of work

The electric drive can be bought at the store. However, some prefer to create it with their own hands. In order to assemble it yourself, you will need a bit extension and an electric screwdriver. The last element is powered by three batteries. First you need to disconnect the battery compartment. Power wires need to be extended. They are increased by 2 or 2.5 m. The gearbox and electric motor should be finalized. The need for this appears due to the fact that the drive will be installed in a limited space. The essence of the refinement is to reduce the body.

Fourth stage of work

The drive is attached to the blinds. The bit fixing extension is provided in a special stuffing box. You need to remove the stock cap. The first element is installed in the end of the winding body. It is necessary to ensure that the gland in the end is strengthened tightly enough.

A special bracket must be attached to the frame, on which the device will be fixed. Ties are required for the initial fixation of the electric drive to the blinds. Subsequently, the elements used for fasteners must be replaced with brackets. Installation is carried out in a horizontal position after the engine is mounted in its place. There is a reversing switch on the power supply. With its help, the work of the entire finished structure is controlled.

The electric drive can be presented in the form of a motor with a gearbox. To select the right model, you should consider the force of rotation of the shaft and speed. You need to purchase a unit whose power is at least 12 watts. The speed of rotation of the shaft, according to experts, should exceed 15 revolutions per minute.

Next, the engine is installed in a plastic box. Then you need to run the cable. The next step is the holding of buttons, which completes the process of manufacturing curtains with electric drive. You can supplement the finished design with the help of automation and stationary power supply. A model that includes such elements can move right/left if it is a vertical model, or up/down if it is a horizontal version.

Professionals advise to purchase an Arduino module. Experts highly appreciate this device. With its help, not only blinds, but also gates, heaters and some other devices and devices can be controlled. You can regulate the operation of the device using the module after a special program has been written for it. This is especially necessary in cases where the system will be installed on 2 or more windows. By lightly pressing the buttons, you can set the required closing or opening speed, raise the curtains completely or partially, and also carry out other necessary manipulations. The Arduino module allows you to program additional functions, among which the safety mode should be noted. This function is necessary in order to notify in a timely manner that certain failures have appeared in the operation of the module;

Leave yourself the opportunity to control the design of the blinds manually. No matter how high-quality the mechanism of the electric drive is, sooner or later a malfunction may occur. Possible breakdowns in which you have to install a new drive. Manual control allows, in case of imbalance, to synchronize the operation of the structure. The absence of dependence on the electric drive allows the use of curtains at a time when the motor is disconnected for replacement or repair;
Protect the mechanical part of the structure from dust and moisture that can enter the room through the window. In the kitchen, the electric drive is exposed to the adverse effects of soot and steam, which are released during cooking. The mechanism will fail sooner or later. However, the period of his work can be significantly stretched;
Since the actuator will require repair anyway, do not glue plastic boxes containing moving parts. Use staples to fasten them together. They can be removed if necessary.

Electric roller blinds are another step towards coziness and comfort in your home. By taking care of their installation, you get the opportunity not to waste time adjusting the mechanism. In order to make and install curtains yourself, it is not necessary to have technical education new test key Just be careful and be patient.

Roll-type sun protection systems are often installed in residential areas. They perfectly protect the room from the penetration of sunlight, create an air cushion that traps cold air, while taking up a minimum of space.

The designs look quite aesthetically pleasing and are appropriate in almost any interior. Electric roller blinds are very easy to operate. Their types, features and methods of installation, the article will tell.

By purchasing roller blinds with electric drive, you can:

Roller control at the push of a button located on the wall unit or on the remote control.
When installing several roller blind systems in one room, arrange synchronization and centralized management process.
Use a timer. In this case, the roller blinds can be configured to protect the room from overheating when sunlight enters it.

Adjust the illumination and save electricity, with bright street lighting.

A roller blind with an electric drive does not fundamentally differ from a conventional roller blind in its design. The electric drive does not violate appearance products and design.

Features of automatic curtains and their types

Roller blinds are installed in rooms not large sizes and in the spacious rooms of private homes, which is especially convenient when there is no need to spend time manually adjusting many systems. After programming, the device can be controlled in combination with all windows or each one separately.

Such motorized designs have several other advantages:

The impact on the web, when controlled with the same force, reduces the wear of the material and fasteners.
The price of installing the system is not too high, especially if you do it yourself.
Often this option is the only possible option for controlling sun filters mounted in hard-to-reach places: ceiling or roof windows.
The mass of roller blinds covering the overall windows is quite large. Manual adjustment quickly tires, it is better to initially purchase a design with an electric drive.
For tilt and turn plastic windows specially designed mini-cassette system.
The box and guide structures are painted or made of laminated aluminium.
There are no control circuits and other unnecessary details.
Easy installation, no frame drilling.
The built-in electric motor is powered by 12V. This is a reliable mechanism with a lithium battery.
For 5-6 hours, the battery is fully charged from the 220V AC network.
Modern multi-channel control panel.

Tip: The procedure for adjusting roller blinds with a remote control should be thought out in advance. Easier to install centralized system than to add the necessary functions later, which can lead to an increased risk of technical failures of the system.

Automatic roller blinds can be controlled in two ways. Their features are presented in the table:

Control type	Peculiarities
	Curtains are controlled through a specially programmed remote control. You can put a timer on it that gives the remote control commands at a specific time. The system works on the same principle as an alarm clock.
	To close / open the curtains, just press the button installed next to the window, as in the photo.

Very expensive models of roller blinds with photocells are also made, which are very sensitive to artificial or natural lighting, lowering or rising at the right time.

The principle of operation and control methods of roller blinds with electric drive

All declared functions of automatic curtains are performed by a special engine. It sets in motion a pipe, which serves to wind curtains onto it.

Tip: Before mounting the structure, it is necessary to carefully evaluate the mass of the panel used. If the fabric is too heavy, wound around a small pipe diameter, its walls may be deformed, which will lead to a disruption in the operation of the entire installation.

Models are produced where the motor is installed from the roll to the right or left, this eliminates some of the technical risks.

When you press the stationary button or on the control panel, the motor starts. This provokes winding curtains on the pipe, or lowering the panel.

Tip: If automatic curtains make a lot of noise during operation, this only indicates poor quality installation. Proper assembly of the structure works quietly without disturbing its owner.

The most popular electric roller blind control panels are presented in the table:

Remote brand	Peculiarities
	Works in tandem with a chip built into the device. Can transmit a signal through walls, works at a distance within a radius of 35 meters. Has a touch screen.
	The device has traditional buttons. The signal is transmitted to the blinds via radio channels, which can be from 1 to 15, depending on the model of the radio remote control.
	Roller blinds are triggered when such a switch is pressed. In this case, wiring is not required - the automatic blinds are triggered at a distance.
	This classic version for blinds.

Installation of electric curtains

Before proceeding with the assembly of electric blinds, you should carefully watch the video. Here you can get acquainted not only with the sequence of installation of finished products, but also the procedure for making an electric drive for roller blinds yourself. This will help to avoid unpleasant consequences due to improper installation, and unnecessary expenses.

Instructions for installing ready-made curtains with an electric drive suggest:

Unpack the blinds, carefully cutting the packaging sleeve so as not to scratch the product.
Attach the product with brackets for its fastening to the installation site and mark the intended fixing points for the brackets.
A hole is drilled for one bracket located on the drive side. Dowels are inserted, if necessary. The bracket is screwed on.
The top tube is inserted into the bracket with the side where the electric drive is located, and aligned horizontally.
The second bracket is inserted into the pipe and the place of its installation is marked. In this case, it is necessary to ensure a tight fit of the brackets to the pipe.
The pipe is removed.
Holes are drilled to fix the second bracket located on the side of the sleeve, dowels are inserted, if necessary.
The upper part of the bracket is not completely screwed on with one screw.
The top tube is inserted into the first bracket with the side where the electric drive is located.
A sleeve is inserted at the opposite end of the pipe into another bracket, slightly turning it relative to the pipe.
The lower part of the bracket is screwed with a screw.

Do-it-yourself design

The order of work is as follows:

The dimensions of future curtains are determined and blanks are made. For this:

The window frame is measured - the length of future curtains should match its dimensions. In this case, the curtains can be large. But no more than 12 cm.
The width of the blinds must match the width of the frame. And 2 cm should be left for seizures.
The cutting of the material is carried out on two patterns: one of them will be the front side; the other is the wrong side.
Patterns are folded inward with the right side and sewn together. The resulting workpiece is turned out. The remaining hole is sewn up in the bag.

Tip: When using ready-made curtains, they should be upgraded by including a plastic rod in the mechanism.

Blinds are attached to a wooden beam. Their width should be 1 cm more than the length of the beam. Next:

Material for curtains spreads inside out.
At the top of the material, an indent of at least 5 cm is made.
A pre-prepared beam is laid.
The material is fastened to it tightly with a stapler.
It is necessary that the rail pull the curtain, for which a small pocket is made: the material must be wrapped by 3 cm; a beam is threaded into the formed pocket.

The electric drive is purchased in a store or assembled by hand. To do this, you will need: an extension cord for bits, an electric screwdriver powered by three batteries.

The battery compartment is detached.
The power wires are extended by 2 or 2.5 meters.
The gearbox and electric motor are being finalized. This is necessary to install the drive in a confined space. The refinement consists in reducing the body of the mechanism.

The drive is attached to the blinds. The bit extension is provided in a special gland. The stock cap is removed. At the end of the winding body, an oil seal is installed, quite tightly.

A special bracket is attached to the frame to fix the device. The installation of the curtain is carried out after mounting the engine, in a horizontal position. A reversing switch is mounted on the power supply unit, which controls the operation of the assembled structure.

Tip: If the electric drive is made with a motor and a gearbox, in order to select the right model, it is necessary to take into account the speed and force of rotation of the shaft. The power of the unit must be at least 12 W, and the shaft rotation speed must be more than 15 rpm.

The engine is placed in a plastic box. The cable is being run. Buttons are installed to control the structure.

A few tips from experts for the correct installation of electric curtains:

Buy an Arduino module. The operation of the device can be controlled by the module after installation on it special program. This is especially convenient when installing systems on 2 or more windows. Lightly pressing the buttons allows you to set the desired closing / opening speed, raising the curtains in full or in part, and performing other necessary manipulations. In addition, the Arduino module allows you to program additional functions, such as a security mode, which notifies you in a timely manner if the module malfunctions.

Leave the function of controlling the blind structure manually. This will allow, in case of imbalance, to synchronize the operation of the system or use the curtains when the motor is disconnected, for its replacement or repair.
It is necessary to protect the mechanical part of the curtains from dust and moisture entering the room through the window or soot and steam for curtains in the kitchen.
The electric drive requires repair over time, it is impossible to glue the plastic boxes where the moving elements are located. To fasten them together, you need to use staples that can be removed if necessary.

A roller blind with an electric drive is a step towards comfort and coziness in any home. With an electric drive, much less effort and energy is spent than when opening / closing curtains by hand.

In this article I will talk about the design of the automatic curtain drive installed on my balcony. There we grow flowers that are harmful to direct sunlight. In addition, in summer, if the balcony windows are closed, with direct sunlight the air on the balcony quickly overheats. However, when there is no direct light, it is advisable to open the curtains - the shadow also does not contribute to the growth of flowers. Therefore, in order to maintain acceptable illumination on the balcony, I automated the operation of the curtains.

Mechanics

Curtains were originally already on the balcony. There are two of them, both suspended on a metal cable stretched under the ceiling from one wall of the balcony to the other. It is clear that you need to move both curtains at once, while due to the friction of the curtains on the cable (it is quite rough), the required force must be large enough. In addition, sometimes there may be obstacles in the way of the curtain, for example, an ajar balcony window, which further increases the strength requirements.
Thus, the drive must be powerful enough and reliable - it often happens on the balcony high humidity, a rather large difference in temperatures in winter and summer is possible. Therefore, I made the car window lifter drive the basis of the drive. It has sufficient power, is capable of delivering high torque (a worm gear is built into it) and is very reliable.

The diagram of the mechanical part of the drive is shown below:
More about the design. A plastic roller with a groove is fixed on the power window drive shaft (on the left in the diagram), on which a coil of rope is wound. The drive is fixed on one of the walls of the balcony. The same roller is attached to the opposite wall, through which the rope is also passed.
After that, the rope is stretched, so that the friction of the rope on the drive roller is enough to move the curtains. The opposite ends of each curtain are attached to a rope so that when the motor rotates, the curtain moves apart or moves.

To test the operation of the drive, I made a reduced model of it. I fixed the power window drive and the independent roller on the board, pulled a rope between them, after which it was possible to check the operation of the electronics and measure the force developed by the drive.

Photo of the drive itself on the layout:

As you can see from the photo, a rather large thin plate is attached to the power window drive (I used textolite). A metal corner with two holes is attached to it, through which a rope is passed. It is needed so that the coil of rope on the roller does not get confused; for this, the holes in the corner are made at different heights relative to the plate.
To the right of the corner - limit switches needed to stop the curtains to the extreme positions. In order to indicate these positions, two plastic tubes are put on the rope (only one of them is visible in the photo next to the lower switch). The tubes are arranged so that when the curtain reaches the extreme position, one of them presses the switch, while for reliable pressing, a metal plate is attached next to each of the switches, which presses the tube to the switch.
Three metal posts attached to the plate are needed to secure the drive cover.
Both rope rollers are made from furniture wheels. Using a drill and a file, you need to make a groove in each of them, two turns of rope should fit in the groove of the drive roller. The drive roller is attached to the shaft by tension, while the hole in it had to be bored to a square, since the drive shaft is square.
The drive is attached to the balcony wall using suitable furniture corners (one of them is visible in the photo on the left). There are enough mounting holes in the power window drive, so there are no problems with fastening.

View of the drive already attached to the wall and closed with a lid:

In order to tension the rope, a special screw with a nut is used, to which the ends of the rope are attached:

Also attached to it is the end of one of the curtains.

Electronics

All my electronics is divided into two parts - power and control. the main task power section - providing power to the drive motor. The power window drive can draw a very large current. To reduce this current, I reduced the drive supply voltage to 5 volts, but even with this, the maximum current consumed by the motor can reach 3A. To provide such a current, I used a power supply from a printer capable of delivering a voltage of about 30V and a current of up to 0.7A, as well as a DC-DC converter up to 5V. By lowering the voltage, DC-DC is quite capable of delivering the desired current.
The motor power supply is controlled by a powerful relay designed to reverse the signal polarity, and a MOSFET that controls the voltage supply to the motor. Through the use of MOSFET it is possible to control the speed of the motor, but at the moment this possibility is not used.
Also, stabilizers are installed on the power section, designed to power the control electronics and the motor power control circuit. Stabilizers are powered by a lower voltage power supply circuit, the voltage there does not exceed 12V.

The control electronics is represented by the STM8S microcontroller. The controller performs quite a lot of functions - measuring illumination, making a decision to start the drive, controlling the position of the curtains by the limit switch, controlling the power supply of the drive, controlling the drive in manual mode - by remote control commands. In addition, a radio module on the NRF24L01 and a 1-Wire bus, through which three temperature sensors are connected, are connected to the controller. Using the radio module, you can control the drive and read the temperature values at different points on the balcony and on the street, but at the moment the second radio module is connected only to breadboard, so I will not consider this functionality further.

The used power supply from the printer has an input for transferring it to the Stand-by state. I also use it, which reduces the energy consumption of the structure. The program takes into account that the power supply switches to operating mode with a certain delay, and after 30 seconds of drive inactivity, the power supply switches back to Stand-by mode.

Indication of drive operation - with the help of a three-color LED (only blue and red diodes are used). Blue lights up when voltage is applied to the motor, red flashes periodically when there are errors in the drive. The number of flashes allows you to determine the error number.
For sound signaling of some events (for example, when a command is given to close already closed curtains), the drive motor itself is used. A PWM signal with a small duty cycle is applied to it, as a result of which the engine squeaks quite loudly.

A photoresistor attached to the window with a suction cup is used as a light sensor. Since the suction cup can fall off the window, there is a small button next to the photoresistor. While the suction cup is held on the window, the button is pressed against the window. If the suction cup falls off, the automatic operation of the drive stops and the red diode starts flashing. If the sensor is not connected to the connector, this is also detected by the controller.
Type of light sensor:

Since the illumination of the sensor can change dramatically - due to various flashes on the street, variable clouds, the data from the sensor has to be filtered. I have implemented the following processing algorithm: the data from the sensor is digitized at a frequency of 10 Hz and written to the array. Once a second, the value of this array is averaged (first of all, this is necessary to filter out noise and flashes). Further, the obtained values are added to another array with a dimension of 600 elements, after reaching the end of the array, recording starts from its beginning. Also, this array is analyzed every second - the controller calculates what percentage of the array elements is less than a certain threshold (with increasing illumination, the voltage at the output of the photosensor drops). If the values of more than 66% of the elements are less than the specified threshold, then it is considered that the illumination is high enough, and the curtains can be closed. Thus, periodic changes in illumination are filtered out. At the same time, a limitation is also imposed on the frequency of the drive - in automatic mode, the motor turns on no more than once every ten minutes.

As I mentioned above, it is possible to control the curtains from the remote control. Using the remote control, you can fully open and close the curtains, partially open them, start the drive according to the instantaneous value of illumination. When controlled from the remote control, there are no restrictions on the frequency of the drive.
It is also possible to programmatically restart the controller.
When moving the curtains, the controller monitors the state of the limit switches. If, after the start of the movement, the corresponding switch does not work within 20 seconds, the operation of the motor stops. In order to continue the operation of the drive after the fault has been eliminated, the controller must be reset.

All electronics are installed in a standard plastic case:

One of the switches is needed to transfer the electronics to automatic mode of operation, the second allows you to completely turn off the power to the motor.
With the help of Jack 3.5mm jacks, a light sensor, TSOP for receiving data from the remote control, and external thermal sensors are connected to the device.
The LED is covered with a white cap - so it can be seen from any angle.

View of the electronics unit assembled and installed in its place:

Drive operation video (remote control):

In this article I will talk about the design of the automatic curtain drive installed on my balcony. There we grow flowers that are harmful to direct sunlight. In addition, in summer, if the balcony windows are closed, in direct sunlight, the air on the balcony quickly overheats. However, when there is no direct light, it is advisable to open the curtains - the shadow also does not contribute to the growth of flowers. Therefore, in order to maintain acceptable illumination on the balcony, I automated the operation of the curtains.

Mechanics

Curtains were originally already on the balcony. There are two of them, both suspended on a metal cable stretched under the ceiling from one wall of the balcony to the other. It is clear that you need to move both curtains at once, while due to the friction of the curtains on the cable (it is quite rough), the required force must be large enough. In addition, sometimes there may be obstacles in the way of the curtain, for example, an ajar balcony window, which further increases the strength requirements.
Thus, the drive must be powerful and reliable enough - there is often high humidity on the balcony, a rather large temperature difference is possible in winter and summer. Therefore, I made the car window lifter drive the basis of the drive. It has sufficient power, is capable of delivering high torque (a worm gear is built into it) and is very reliable.

The diagram of the mechanical part of the drive is shown below:

More about the design. A plastic roller with a groove is fixed on the power window drive shaft (on the left in the diagram), on which a coil of rope is wound. The drive is fixed on one of the walls of the balcony. The same roller is attached to the opposite wall, through which the rope is also passed.
After that, the rope is stretched, so that the friction of the rope on the drive roller is enough to move the curtains. The opposite ends of each curtain are attached to a rope so that when the motor rotates, the curtain moves apart or moves.

Photo of the drive itself on the layout:

As you can see from the photo, a fairly large thin plate is attached to the power window drive (I used textolite). A metal corner with two holes is attached to it, through which a rope is passed. It is needed so that the coil of rope on the roller does not get confused; for this, the holes in the corner are made at different heights relative to the plate.
To the right of the corner - limit switches needed to stop the curtains to the extreme positions. In order to indicate these positions, two plastic tubes are put on the rope (only one of them is visible in the photo next to the lower switch). The tubes are arranged so that when the curtain reaches the extreme position, one of them presses the switch, while for reliable pressing, a metal plate is attached next to each of the switches, which presses the tube to the switch.
Three metal posts attached to the plate are needed to secure the drive cover.
Both rope rollers are made from furniture wheels. Using a drill and a file, you need to make a groove in each of them, two turns of rope should fit in the groove of the drive roller. The drive roller is attached to the shaft by tension, while the hole in it had to be bored to a square, since the drive shaft is square.
The drive is attached to the balcony wall using suitable furniture corners (one of them is visible in the photo on the left). There are enough mounting holes in the power window drive, so there are no problems with fastening.

View of the drive already attached to the wall and closed with a lid:

In order to tension the rope, a special screw with a nut is used, to which the ends of the rope are attached:

Also attached to it is the end of one of the curtains.

Electronics

All my electronics is divided into two parts - power and control. The main task of the power section is to provide power to the drive motor. The power window drive can draw a very large current. To reduce this current, I reduced the drive supply voltage to 5 volts, but even with this, the maximum current consumed by the motor can reach 3A. To provide such a current, I used a power supply from a printer capable of delivering a voltage of about 30V and a current of up to 0.7A, as well as a DC-DC converter up to 5V. By lowering the voltage, DC-DC is quite capable of delivering the desired current.
The motor power supply is controlled by a powerful relay designed to reverse the signal polarity, and a MOSFET that controls the voltage supply to the motor. Through the use of MOSFET it is possible to control the speed of the motor, but at the moment this possibility is not used.
Also, stabilizers are installed on the power section, designed to power the control electronics and the motor power control circuit. Stabilizers are powered by a lower voltage power supply circuit, the voltage there does not exceed 12V.

Power section diagram

The control electronics is represented by the STM8S microcontroller. The controller performs a lot of functions - measuring the illumination, making a decision to start the drive, controlling the position of the curtains by the limit switch, controlling the power supply of the drive, controlling the drive in manual mode - by remote control commands. In addition, a radio module on the NRF24L01 and a 1-Wire bus, through which three temperature sensors are connected, are connected to the controller. Using the radio module, you can control the drive and read the temperature values \u200b\u200bin different points of the balcony and on the street, however, at the moment the second radio module is connected only to the breadboard, so I will not consider this functionality further.

Indication of the drive operation - using a three-color LED (only blue and red diodes are used). Blue lights up when voltage is applied to the motor, red flashes periodically when there are errors in the drive. The number of flashes allows you to determine the error number.
For sound signaling of some events (for example, when a command is given to close already closed curtains), the drive motor itself is used. A PWM signal with a small duty cycle is applied to it, as a result of which the engine squeaks quite loudly.

Control part diagram

All electronics are installed in a standard plastic case:

One of the switches is needed to transfer the electronics to automatic mode of operation, the second allows you to completely turn off the power to the motor.
With the help of Jack 3.5mm jacks, a light sensor, TSOP for receiving data from the remote control, and external thermal sensors are connected to the device.
The LED is covered with a white cap - so it can be seen from any angle.