Remote lighting control

Electronic remote switches

Electronic remote lighting switches can be divided into two large classes of infrared and radio-controlled. What are the advantages and disadvantages of these devices, why are they needed at all, if the light can be turned on with a simple switch?

Here you can recall how already in time immemorial had to go to the TV and use the handle to switch channels, and sometimes even pliers. Do you remember? Perhaps the first devices equipped with remote control, just became the TVs. And it was very nice, because laziness mother was born ahead of all, so the people are often called “lazy people”.

Somewhat later televisions appeared VCRs, DVD players, and they were all equipped infrared remote control. But in order to turn on or turn off the extra lamp in the chandelier I had to walk across the room, but after all, “I’m so tired that I can’t even watch TV” (cartoon “Three from Prostokvashino”, mother).

This amount of infrared remote controls has led some firms to develop circuit breakers, dimmers and sockets controlled by infrared rays. As an example, we can recall the Belarusian company Nootekhnika, and maybe two or three more companies that produced only circuit breakers without a remote control. It was assumed that everyone already had a remote control, and "accustoming" an IR switch to communicating with a remote control was not at all difficult.

The Nootekhnika company produces Sapphire devicedesigned for installation in internal wiring instead of a conventional switch. It has a dimming function, control is carried out from a television remote control, or touch, from a hand touching the body of the device. It is significant that you can use any remote control that comes to hand.

Fig. 1. Remote switch-regulator "Sapphire"

One of the indisputable advantages of systems with a “television” remote control is that when controlling several different devices (TV, disc player, home theater, lighting rooms and a garden, heating, ventilation and much more), it becomes possible to use one remote control, instead in order to turn on each light bulb frantically search for the right one.

Can the IR remote control the device in the next room?

Remote control on infrared rays can transmit commands only within the line of sight, the signal transmission range is not large, as a rule, no more than 10 ... 12 meters, which depends on the transmitter power. So is it possible to control the IR remote control device in the next room?

It turns out that this is very possible due to the fact that now many companies produce IR signal controllers. Among such firms, one can recall BJC, Simon (Spain), B.E.G., Steinel (Germany), Duwi (Germany, assembly in China), produce sets of IR or radio switches, remote controls and the like.

Such controllers convert the IR signal into a radio signal, and it already manages the remote load. Another type of controller converts the IR signal into a radio signal, and after transmitting a certain distance back to IR, necessary to control, for example, an air conditioner located far enough away.

Radio switches and control panels

With all the advantages of remote control on infrared rays, they have such a disadvantage as working only in the line of sight, which was already mentioned above. Radio-frequency operating remote control devices are deprived of such a disadvantage. In this case, no radio hooliganism or clogging of the ether.

The transmitters operate in the frequency range 433 or 868 MHz allocated for these purposes, and the transmitter power is only 10 milliwatts, which is quite enough to work in a radius of about 100 m.Such a distance will be covered in line of sight. It is such power that is regulated by law, so transmitters of greater power are simply not produced by firms.

Various natural obstacles, such as walls or floors, can reduce the power of the radio signal, reduce its radius of action. To compensate for the loss of power, radio signal repeaters are used, which are also produced by many companies.

Such equipment is mainly produced as one of the components "Smart home", although it can be used as an independent equipment to control not only lighting, but, in principle, any electrical equipment installed in the house. It can be a heating system, a garden pump, an emergency power generator, garage doors, lighting around the house and much more.

How control signals are transmitted

In any case, the process involves two devices, a control panel and a receiver. If this is an IR remote control, then everything is quite simple and clear: they sent the remote control to the TV, pressed the button, the channel switched. Both devices are in the line of sight, you can act on only one photodetector.

Fig. 2. Remote lighting control system

Radio Remote Control Receivers

In the case of radio control, the control signals are transmitted on the radio frequency in the form of information packets. Each such packet contains the actual command, and in addition to it, the address of the device that needs to execute the command and a checksum.

An information packet is immediately accepted by all receiving devices, but the one whose address matches the address transmitted in the command packet should work. The checksum is used to verify the correctness of the reception of information: how much the transmitter sent, the receiver should calculate the same amount. If the checksums do not agree, the actuator will not work. To make the system work more stable and error-free, the transmitter transmits each command at least three times, which somewhat reduces the speed of the system as a whole.

The main advantage of IR and radio switches

It consists in the fact that their installation does not require additional construction and installation works. Even if an expensive renovation was done in your apartment, then you won’t need gating — drilling walls and ceilings, installing and buying additional wires. It will not be necessary to completely destroy what has already been created at the cost of incredible material and mental efforts.

Radio switches are available in the form of adapters, which are simply inserted into existing outlets, and are controlled using the remote control included with the equipment. No matter how funny or sad it is, sometimes the last thing they remember about the wiring device.

Remote radio switches

Remote radio switches, as a rule, consist of at least two parts - a control panel and an executive device - a receiver. If necessary, there may be a need for additional devices - signal transponders. This is the case when there is a significant attenuation of the radio signal, for example, from reinforcement in reinforced concrete structures.

Remote control systems

Externally, such remotes are reminiscent of the remote control of a TV or video player. There are also options for handheld mini remotes with just 2 ... 6 buttons to control a small group of devices. When you press the command button, the remote control sends a control signal to several channels at once (up to 30), but only one is triggered, which will receive its address. The appearance of such a remote control is shown in the figure. 3.

Fig. 3. The appearance of the remote control radio control lighting

In addition to remote controls of this familiar form, wall-mounted radio transmitters are also used. They are usually small in size, with just a few control buttons, and can be mounted on the wall using, for example, double-sided tape.But, by the way, you can not fasten, but just put it in your pocket. Some companies make such remotes to order at the whim of a wealthy client, they can even make a marble case or decorate the console with precious stones. The cost of such decoration often exceeds the cost of the radio control system itself.

Together with the remote control, control signals can be supplied from motion or presence sensors, provided they are, of course, equipped with a radio channel. Then the radio control system will also perform the functions of a security system, because suddenly turning on the lighting can scare away the attacker, make him just run away.

Radio control is capable of everything only in the limit of your house, but what if you need to control the electrical equipment of a country house and protect it? Such a problem can be solved when using cellular communication according to the GSM standard, but this topic is already for another article.