I am attempting a combination of a Anemometer (Analog voltage output) + MIMOlite to be used with awning controls. This is an idea only at this stage - it appears that all components should work. I have ordered the two components and will update the +ves and -ves here. Any comments here would be helpful for me and the community.
Right now i am using Netatmo + Darksky (mostly both criteria needs to be satisfied so that there is a backup before my awning rips off my house during high winds). These two feed into a Reactor device controlling my shades based on
outside temp (Netatmo + Darksky)
time of the day (virtual device that is operated by a scene)
wind speeds (netatmo + darksky)
rain (netatmo + darksky)
Priority of functions: (lower number having higher priority, i.e. if number 1 is satisfied others are not executed even if satisfied)
10% awning extension - conditions very high winds (my case <50 MPH) + Rain + temp (>35 F)
25% awning extension - Condition high winds (25-40 MPH) + time of the day + temp (>55 F)
50% awning extension - Condition medium winds (15-25 MPH) + time of day + temp (>55 F)
100% Awning extension - Condition low winds (<15 MPH) + time of day + temp (>55 F)
The downside of my current setup:
darksky is not my specific conditions
netatmo updates is every 10 mins
no real backup and not realtime
MIMOlite - appears to me that this device will allow me to read the values every 10,20 or 30 seconds which will be fairly frequent. The device (along with vera app) should get me the values i need however will take a bit of a trial and error to get calibrate the voltage values with the values seen in vera.
Happy to put screen shots of my Reactor device setup if any users request here.
well, you can’t read an analog sensor from time to time, because you need to sample the reading very often in order to get the measurement.
your only option is a binary wind sensor. I did this way, to protect my awnings. When a certain threshold is met, the awnings are closed - and after a certain amount of time, they’re opened again. I added a rain sensor as well.
You have to costantly (as in many times per second) read the value and neither Zwave nor Vera will cope with that. Your only solution is to read with a microcontroller as ESP* and then call an http endpoint to update a virtual device in your Vera.
Thanks again!! Got it and makes total sense.
Just bouncing another thought (theory only as of now) that adds an Arduino in the middle.
So if between the sensor and mimolite I introduce an Arduino it can read the wind speed (link below)
And convert this info into 3 specific analog volt output (3 different ones in my case for low, medium and high wind speeds) which will be feed into mimolite. The mimolite plugin sensor can then provide me with these triggers to then control my awnings at different stages of extension.
Below a link to create analog output from an Arduino.
This way can I avoid the system getting overwhelmed and also can introduce a “delay” for any reset for lower wind speed reading by say 5 mins or so. This can not only protect the awnings but also ensure than winds have been under a certain threshold for last 5 mins (The timer resets every time the windspeed threshold is achieved) before the awnings are allowed to extend out. Safety takes priority, meaning higher wind speeds trigger instant but moving to a lower speed trigger requires a continuous 5 mins read of below threshold winds.
I am currently okay with rain reads from my netatmo but If needed I can always add rain sensor like yours here which can just become another voltage output from the Arduino and will become the 4th, instead of 3, analog output which can then be used via the mimolite plugin.
Any thoughts? I really like my 25%, 50% and 100% awning extension function and I am trying to keep this working but have a back up as well as have it more real time.
Yep, that makes sense. I just have a wind/no wind option, and I handled your needs in code. The relay I’m using stays open for 20 minutes after the last spike and in case of another one, it just reset. On the scene attached, I change the virtual sensor status only if the wind has not been reported after 20 minutes, to have a local protection as well. I have it in use for one year now and it has never failed to protect my awnings.
Okay so finally made it work. I plan to add rain sensor to this as well but looking for a good one that works with arduino and something that will be more durable than a short circuit board.
I had to add a PWM to Voltage module which was cheap to covert then Arduino PWM output to analog signal for mimolite but beauty about this setup is I am able to get different values for diff lvls of wind speeds (or for that matter other sensor inputs like rain or temperature) which can then be mapped to different mimolite sensor values which can then run various scenes. Pls let me know if anyone needs any further details on this.
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