GARAGE
This project uses an ESP2866 with nodeMCU firmware to control a garage door.
Controlling a garage door from a microcontroller is easy. All you need to do is emulate a push button with a relay and wire it in parallel with the real push button on your garage door motor.
Hardware
I bought a kit from eBay that came with most of what I needed:
- A cheap CH430 USB to Serial TTL adapter with 3.3V logic
- A bunch of female to female jumper wires and jumpers
- A somewhat useful carrying board that makes access to GPIO pins impossible as soldered.
- AM1117 5V to 3.3V power supply with 800 mA capacity.
- Female USB cable
- ESP-01 board, which gives access to 2 GPIO pins.
Separately, I bought 2 relays that can handle way more voltage and current than I need, but are handy because I can drive them with 3.3V logic of the ESP2866.
Open issues
- When the ESP2866 powers up, both GPIO pins are in input mode, which the relay reads as logic high. That’s not good, as it would trigger a garage door opening! I need to invert the logic. What’s the easiest and cheapest way to do this?