Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
Summary
In this chapter, we saw how to build our own home automation system based on Arduino.
We went through the three different stages of the process: prototyping your idea on a bread-
board, designing and producing the PCB, and finally building a 3D-printed case for the
project.
Let's have a look at the major takeaways from this chapter. First, we defined exactly what
we wanted to achieve and chose the components for the project accordingly. As an ex-
ample, we used a low-power Arduino system that is made to run on a battery.
Then, we built a prototype of this project on a breadboard, and literally built an Arduino
system from scratch. We then also tackled the software part of the design by using a low-
power library for Arduino.
After that step, we built a PCB based on the components we used for the breadboard proto-
type. We saw how to design a PCB and how to send it to a manufacturer in order to have it
built for you. Finally, we saw the process of designing and building a 3D-printed case for
your project.
As this is the end of the topic, I want to summarize what we did in this topic. We first saw
the basics of home automation using the Arduino platform. We built wireless home auto-
mation projects based on Arduino using technologies such as XBee, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth.
Then, we connected home automation projects to the Internet using a cloud service called
Xively. This idea of connecting every object in your home to the Internet is called the
In-
ternet of Things
, and I believe that in the future it will be a central element in any home
automation system.
Finally, in the last two chapters of the topic, we saw how to create our own home automa-
tion systems around Arduino, either by hacking existing devices or by creating your own
device from scratch. Especially in this last chapter, I really wanted to show you the differ-
ent steps that you can apply to any of your projects: prototyping with existing components,
designing a board, manufacturing it, and finally producing a customized 3D-printed enclos-
ure for your system.
I hope that the projects found in this topic will give you the desire to go further and build
even more projects to automate your home using the Arduino platform. The possibilities
are nearly limitless, and I really encourage you to experiment and create your own designs
