I built a working DC system using HA and some servo motors to drive 3D printed blast gates, with relays to control the DCs and sensors to see which tool is in use etc.
Works ok, but…
Due to some existing constraints (I cannot 3D print using the higher quality materials I need for my blast gates to work reliably - this is at a ‘makerspace’ where we have multiple printers but all use PLA which is just not good enough)… I think I need to convert to a system using existing metal mechanical sliding blast gates, and add a control system to each one.
I don’t think my old system, which used servo motors, will work. What I need is to use stepper motors and limit switches. I have most of the parts already.
My question is, can anyone point me to yaml files or projects that they have seen which use this using the standard d1_mini chips? I read up and found a fair amount of stuff on using HA with stepper motor control (4988 chips), but nothing about using limit switches to control end motion. I can’t build this without that.
I would think that it should be not to complicated to add two limit switches to the system, but can’t find any examples to help me do this.
All advice appreciated…
My imagination is not good enough to have clear idea about what you are looking for. Anyway, use of steppers would probably be my last choice for a system that has only two positions. Servos can be set also for linear movement. Normal dc-motors and limit switches should do that as well. Limit switches are simple gpio binary sensors on esphome.
Perhaps the end stop cover component would help? It is meant for blinds but as you are looking I think for something that has open/closed/and states in between it may do what you want.
These would be add as binary sensors. Depending on the voltage could be connected directly to the esp or through an optocoupler.
I assume that the limit switches would connect to the voltage pin of the d1_mini and to a gpio pin, so the voltage would be provided by the esp chip itself.
Using a stepper motor would mean connecting the blast gate to a threaded rod which the motor would turn - one way to open, one way to close, limit switches at both ends. Fairly straightforward.
Servos are a bit tricker because there needs to be about 4 inch range of motion, and the servos I have 3/4" long arms, so a pivot bar and arm would be needed to multiply the travel distance. This adds to the complexity and adds points of failure. The yaml code is easy - it would be exactly what i already have done, only the mechanical gets more complicated.
I could use dc motors of course but I just have a few steppers and am a bit more used to using them in arduino environments.
But given the fact that it seems like stepper support is fairly weak in HA, a dc motor might be an alternative.
I normally pull the pin high and then connect it to ground to trigger it.