Server and local-command to easily control rc-switches on Raspberry Pi (RPI).

This project delivers two components to control elro (or elro-based) remote-control switches (rc-switches):

• a local command that can control the rc-switches directly (local-command)
• a server-deamon to control the rc-switches via TCP/IP

So fo example, an Android/IOS/WindowsPhone-App could be written (not done yet) or you can use a home-automation visualization (visu) to control the switches via server-deamon.

Hint: This projcect is based on the following tutorial http://www.raspberrypi.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=32177 . It automates the steps from the tutorial and extends it by setting up a server-deamon.

The preconfigured setup will require to connect your 433MHz-Transmitter to GPIO-pin-23 of your Raspberry Pi (RPI Pinout, http://www.hobbytronics.co.uk/raspberry-pi-gpio-pinout).

If you connect the Transmitter to another pin, you can later change the pin in software easily!

• Clone this git-repository
  • git clone https://github.com/Brootux/rc_switch_server.py.git
  • change into the new directory cd rc_switch_server.py
• run the installRCS.sh bash-script (as root or with sudo)
  • ./installRCS.sh
  • maybe you have to run sudo chmod 755 installRCS.sh first!
• You can now use the local-command (rc_switch.py) and server-deamon sould run (you can control that by typing ss -a, an entry like *:6700 should be there)
• Do the last steps, recommended by the install script:
  • Add in /etc/rc.local BEFORE the exit 0 the line sudo -u pi /usr/local/bin/gpio export 23 out
  • Restart RPI by sudo shutdown -r now

The local command excepts the following syntax:

rc_switch.py [system_code] [unit_code] [on/off]

The system_code has to be five numbers with dots between them. On/Off means 1/0.

Examples:

• rc_switch.py 0.1.0.0.0 1 1 (switch A of system-code 01000 on)
• rc_switch.py 0.1.0.0.0 1 0 (switch A of system-code 01000 off)

Hints:

• You can change hardware-pin of your 433Mhz-Transmitter for local-command in the file /usr/local/bin/rc_switch.py after installation!
• You should rerun gpio export [GPIO-Pin] out and/or manipulate the gpio-export command in /etc/rc.local when using another GPIO-Pin!

The server-deamon can be controled via the service command:

• sudo service rc_switch_server start
• sudo service rc_switch_server stop

The server-deamon defaultly listens on the following ip/port configuration:

• ip = 0.0.0.0 (can be accessed from outside of the pi)
• port = 6700

Hints:

• You can change ip/port in the file /usr/local/rc_switch_server/server.py after installation!
• You can change the hardware-pin of your 433Mhz-Transmitter for server-deamon in this file too!
• You should rerun gpio export [GPIO-Pin] out and/or manipulate the gpio-export command in /etc/rc.local when using another GPIO-Pin!

Any Client, that wants to control a rc-switch has to send a string in the following format to the server-deamon:

[system_code];[unit_code];[on/off]

The system_code has to be five numbers with dots between them. On/Off means 1/0, examples:

• "0.1.0.0.0;1;1" (switch A of system-code 01000 on)
• "0.1.0.0.0;1;0" (switch A of system-code 01000 off)

You can turn on/off more than one switch by sending multiple lines, examples:

• "0.1.0.0.0;1;1\n0.1.0.0.0;2;1" (switch A and B of system-code 01000 on)
• "0.1.0.0.0;1;1\n0.1.0.0.0;2;0" (switch A of system-code 01000 on and B of system-code 01000 off)

Hints:

• There is a example implementation for a client in /usr/local/rc_switch_server/rc_switch_client_simulator.py wich takes 1 argument (on/off) and connects to server running on local host. The default system_code and unit_code are 00001 and 1!