Chapter 2. Appliance Remote Control

One of the basic tasks in many home automation systems is controlling power to appliances. These could be lights, a heater, an exhaust fan, or just about anything else that runs on mains power. The problem, of course, is that it's dangerous to mess with mains-level power directly and you may even be in violation of your local building code if you don't have the necessary qualifications. This project uses a general-purpose appliance remote control that can be obtained from a local hardware store. It can be easily modified to link it to an Arduino for software control of devices around your house, without having to touch any mains-level wiring.

This technique isn't limited to just controlling appliances, though, and is a great way to modify just about any device with a remote control so that it can be linked to an Arduino. Any device with push-button control can be modified so that an Arduino can simulate button presses and have the device respond as if you'd pressed the buttons yourself. You could do the same thing with a TV remote control or a garage door opener. One of the authors has even done it with the temperature preset buttons on a gas-powered continuous hot-water service and on the control panel for his electric curtain tracks. You can see the parts needed in Figure 2-1 and the complete schematic in Figure 2-2.