Venitian blinds - tilting and open/close

Other Devices & Integrations Garage & Window Covering Control
1

Hello,

I am wondering if venitian blinds can be fully controlled by windows blinds / roller shutter modules (Fibaro, Qubino).

I am not sure to understand how a single module can control both slats tilting and up/down of the blind. Can anyone shed a light?

2

I use the Fibaro Roller Shutter 2. All the Module basically does is switching the power on for up or down direction. Imagine your blinds are completely closed. Turning power on for Up half a second will tilt the blinds to half open. Only problem is that the module is not fully supported by vera. The device only shows up, down, stop, but no slider for tilt. But there is a work around for that. Yust let me know if you need more info on that.

Gesendet von meinem HUAWEI GRA-L09 mit Tapatalk

3

So the first second is tilting, and if you continue sending power then the blind goes up/down, all that with a single motor?

For now I’m trying to understand how this work, having never seen motorized venetian blinds in real life. Strangely, it also seems that manufacturers don’t really bother explaining this on their websites.

4

you require 2 Qubino modules to achieve this.

First the Up/Down with the Flush Blind/Shutter http://qubino.com/products-2/flushshutter/ , then you use the Flush Shutter DC to control the tilt. http://qubino.com/products-2/flush-shutter-dc/

5

Gabriel

It depends on the mechanism and motor type used up in the headrail. Since someone like Somfy has to have solutions for tilt only and for lift only there are different motors and hardware assemblies, but the idea is simple and typically done with battery power. To lift it just coils up the lift cords onto a spool or tube, to tilt it just rocks the ladder loop at the top side to side. To get lift and tilt you need a tubular motor with CTS (Cord Take Up) system, these can be a little more powerful and need a bigger headrail, but here are battery options too. Some motor controllers only allow you to tilt at the bottom limit, which makes sense. But it all depends on the motor and mechanism used.

It really isn’t really a DIY endeavor since even the Pros have trouble keeping the systems and parts straight. That’s why you don’t see a lot of info on the web, it would just confuse the customers.

6

For sure we don’t see a lot of info on the web, but even without those infos I’m already confused :wink:

zedrally seems to imply that this would require two motors and two controller modules, but both Qubino and Fibaro websites seem to imply that this could be done with a single controller. Qubino and Fibaro websites are not very clear about it, but even Somfy public website is not clear about what can be done: they do not present a single video showing control of up/down and tilting of a venetian blind.

I have no desire to build a venetian motor myself, but I’m wondering if zwave control of such a system is something possible. Both shady and pls90 seem to say that this is possible…

7

Gabriel,

The trick is that it has to use a tubular motor and a CTS system like one from Somfy. Then the system is controlled just a like a roller shade would be with a Z-Wave motor controller that supports tilting. It has an upper and a lower limit, and at the bottom limit the motor will step through incremental tilting once activated in the controller. I haven’t worked with the Z-Wave motor controllers when used in Venetian Blinds yet, but motor controllers in the past (not Z-Wave) typically had you run the blind to the lower limit, then pressing down again activated tilting.

This document shows on page 21 of pdf (page reads 19) how the CTS system works:

There are spools or cones which do two things, they coil and take up the cord to lift the blind, as the tube turns it coils up cord. Then they also allow the loop from the ladders to go around the spool in a “slip” groove so as it is raising/lowering the blind the ladder loop slips and lets the spool turn and coil the cord up, but when at the bottom limit, with all of the lift cord off of the spool, there is enough friction for the spool to rock the ladder loop back and forth in the slip groove (translating to up/down on withe side of the ladder cord) so you get tilting in the slats. Due to the slippage, it isn’t very accurate.

If you want more accuracy Somfy has Tilt only motors (RTS radio only) and then you can raise/lower the blinds manually. But even these are really accurate and since it is RTS there is no way to send it to a percentage, or get any feedback from the controller/motor.

8

Just ordered the qubino dc flush unit.
It can lower and raise the venitian blinds as well as tilt them.
All configurable.
Only one unit per blind is required.
It is very clear in the manual.

9

[quote=“Jacob, post:8, topic:188362”]Jsnip
It is very clear in the manual.[/quote]

It’s far from clear, the circuit diagram only shows the tilt motor.

I must admit, I’m now confused and will seek clarification.

A question for Shady, are DC Tilt motors available without controllers?

10

I’ve found a video by Qubino:
[url=https://youtu.be/dS5DTrMfm2U]Qubino Flush shutter - Z-Wave module venetian blinds slats tilting control - YouTube

With this video and shady’s explanations, it’s now clearer.

11

[quote=“zedrally, post:9, topic:188362”][quote=“Jacob, post:8, topic:188362”]Jsnip
It is very clear in the manual.[/quote]

It’s far from clear, the circuit diagram only shows the tilt motor.

I must admit, I’m now confused and will seek clarification.

A question for Shady, are DC Tilt motors available without controllers?[/quote]

There are Simu DC tubular motors that will work with the Somfy CTS system (lift and tilt) that are dumb and can be connected to a Z-Wave DC Motor controller. With a built-in Somfy RTS Controller there is also the Somfy RTS Tilt motor and the Somfy RTS Lift motor, but you can’t use both, it’s one or the other.

12

If you are just looking for a cheap Title only motor. This Kickstarter met its goal and expects to be selling later this year: http://www.mysmartblinds.com/

And might be integrated with WINK which then gets to you Vera via the Vera Wink Hub plug in.

At least that is what I have been eyeing for my venetian blinds, since my venetian’s are super heavy trying to re-tro fit the lift just seemed like too much work, and didn’t want to spend the bucks buying new blinds.

13

I’ve got a Venetian blind which is supposed to be a somfy motor but its very noisy. Has anyone else found this? I thought a premium motor would be more refined and make less noise.