Sunbell / inBlindz / Screenline Venetian blinds

ESPHome
1

I’ve 9 windows @ my parent’s home, with venetian blinds inside the glasses. The’re motorized, and are controlled via 9 different actuators.
First very BIG problem is that those actuators have to be charged (here the actuators)
I’ve also another remote control, who switch on/off all the others actuators (situated near every window).
here is the “main remote”.

Now, don’t tell me why 12-15 years ago my parents has not opted for a wired, fed line for all windows, despite also the cost of all 10 remotes…
I wish to attach all the curtains to a 12v cc transformer, and control it over homeassistant.

I’ve found a control unit by Sunbell, who is too expensive! (they should take all the remotes back with a good discount…)
The manual of the control unit, at pag.18 and 19 specifies some infos about the relay who should control the unit.

…After this BIG preamble, i’ve measured the output of the remote (who is attached to a window).
It outputs +10v (maybe the battery is empty) with arrow UP, and -10v with arrow DOWN.

Also, a “pulse” of the button, make it working (it lights up) until the blind goes full open or closed (seems there is a sort of limit switch).
Instead a long press, make it tilt to let in the light until you relase it, and the blind stops.

Note that the blind tilts every time you inverts the packing direction, so the same movement is done also with the single pulse but you have no control over it, if you don’t push (pulse) it again to stop the movement.

So i think that giving power with right timing can do the job. I am skeptic about the “limit switch”.
How does the control unit know when it’s fully packed or open?
Do you think it could work?

2

Ok, i’ve opened a controller, it has a 3.7v battery, outputs 10v to the blind, and is recharged with 5v.

I’ve tried to move the blind with some wires connected to the 3.7v battery, and it works as expected (too slow because of the 3v).
All behaviours can be reproduced with a bit of programming.

The last thing is to identify the limit switch signal.
When the curtain is fully packed or extended, seems like the motor strains.
could there be a variation of energy absorption, which is interpreted as the end of the stroke?
how do i detect it? The controller stops itself turning off the button light :thinking:

:pray:

3

No further hints here?

…i am still there. After a suggestion from b_weijenberg, the blinds seems the same as inblindz, who is supported by RFX433XL RXCOM module.
Searching around, the RFXCom uses a protocol who name ‘BlindsT13’ for inblindz, who suits well also for Screenline motors
Source: here

So seems possible to control it over 433Mhz (i should feed every actuator with 3,7v, instead of the batteries), so i’ve bought a cheap transmitter & receiver trying to decode/encode the remote signal.

I have A LOT OF NOISE, so had disabled raw data acquisition and played around rempte_rc5 signal (who appears when the remote is pressed):

[17:38:30][D][remote.rc5:086]: Received RC5: address=0x1F, command=0x3F
[17:38:30][D][remote.rc5:086]: Received RC5: address=0x00, command=0x40
[17:38:30][D][remote.rc5:086]: Received RC5: address=0x00, command=0x40
[17:38:30][D][remote.rc5:086]: Received RC5: address=0x00, command=0x40
[17:38:30][D][remote.rc5:086]: Received RC5: address=0x00, command=0x40
[17:38:31][D][remote.rc5:086]: Received RC5: address=0x00, command=0x40

all commands give this output, randomly changhes to other 2 command addresses. I have tried to send it, in every mode and possible combination without success.
NOTE: i have selected 5 blinds on the commander, it gives the first command, and then 5 others to the blinds (1+5). If i select 4 blinds on the remote, it gives 1+4 strings.

So i’ve decided to build a Faraday Cage to isolate the receiver with aluminium foil… Has not worked.
Since i wish to decode RAW signals from the remote, i have built another faraday cage with a fine metallic grid… it does not works too!!!

here is the log (noise) of 1 acquiring second:

[14:16:35][D][remote.raw:041]: Received Raw: -152, 196, -267, 339, -204, 373, -133, 1311, -898, 146, -1742, 92, -303, 138, -633, 216, -135, 233, -347, 229, -271, 285, -135
[14:16:35][D][remote.raw:041]: Received Raw: -57, 781, -2006, 137, -304, 122, -1291, 63, -717, 147, -233, 240, -758, 131, -316, 350, -618, 234, -224, 102, -313
[14:16:35][D][remote.raw:041]: Received Raw: -116
[14:16:35][D][remote.raw:041]: Received Raw: -832, 127, -778, 87, -331, 74, -911, 264, -606, 204, -115, 289, -246, 221, -351
[14:16:35][D][remote.raw:041]: Received Raw: -152, 1137, -123, 2258
[14:16:35][D][remote.raw:041]: Received Raw: 332, -2428, 37, -207, 379, -47, 406, -235, 941, -1272, 934, -445, 365, -129, 292, -876, 156, -344, 50, -436, 401, -268, 443, -168, 859, -471, 132, -228, 388, -536, 542, -918, 708, -595
[14:16:35][D][remote.raw:041]: Received Raw: -653, 270, -250, 182, -158, 319, -130, 155, -809, 253, -45, 41, -1026, 101, -224, 699, -175
[14:16:35][D][remote.raw:041]: Received Raw: -98, 1924, -163, 3532, -78
[14:16:35][D][remote.raw:028]: Received Raw: -123, 62, -1708, 117, -261, 121, -297, 62, -1167, 353, -661, 48, -257, 253, -283, 209, -329, 1376, -11, 1025, -162, 3730, -34, 2964, -130, 700, -111, 440, -101, 679, -693, 22, -381, 196, -254, 266, -289, 196, -175, 298, -156, 176, -363, 
[14:16:35][D][remote.raw:041]:   105, -234, 324, -621, 151, -126, 261, -205, 249, -213, 137, -217, 181, -703, 126, -178, 248, -250, 174, -160, 279, -192, 125, -1063, 371, -610, 405, -589, 857, -27
[14:16:35][D][remote.raw:041]: Received Raw: -567, 175, -213, 151, -300, 119, -187, 205, -218, 152, -773, 94, -253, 209, -655, 593, -223, 223, -46, 250, -219, 207, -147, 289, -88, 24, -498, 61, -305, 353, -620
[14:16:35][D][remote.raw:041]: Received Raw: -330, 80, -286, 230, -219, 191, -133, 276, -193, 258, -336, 83, -550, 128, -588, 762, -284, 93, -185, 292, -91, 362, -619, 118, -158, 367, -74, 761, -621
[14:16:35][D][remote.raw:041]: Received Raw: -245, 330, -53, 359, -153
[14:16:35][D][remote.raw:041]: Received Raw: -1065, 151, -217, 149, -323, 153, -174, 189, -274, 125, -1393, 416, -610, 620, -181, 350, -106, 270, -106
[14:16:35][D][remote.raw:041]: Received Raw: -117, 865, -160, 510, -205, 1440, -74, 828, -224, 1545, -129
[14:16:35][D][remote.raw:041]: Received Raw: -1914, 91, -1450, 356, -624, 217, -79, 279, -259, 214, -202, 69, -54, 2482, -52, 868, -135
[14:16:35][D][remote.raw:028]: Received Raw: -238, 252, -153, 239, -110, 314, -82, 269, -143, 275, -92, 700, -104, 1877, -199, 272, -84, 216, -350, 227, -136, 264, -131, 275, -87, 747, -84, 684, -103, 641, -165, 249, -140, 234, -1135, 111, -779, 98, -1405, 345, -1022, 140, -311, 134, 
[14:16:35][D][remote.raw:041]:   -328, 122, -234, 2144, -97, 314, -137, 330, -103, 310, -156, 715, -99, 347, -34, 778, -127, 671, -238, 200, -157, 250
[14:16:35][D][remote.raw:041]: Received Raw: -26, 831, -1070, 186, -289, 195, -208, 241, -187, 47, -416, 91, -1383, 179, -136, 225, -180, 9, -373, 253, -147, 217, -181, 323, -555, 344, -594, 242, -106, 1436, -301, 1644, -275, 2450, -600
[14:16:35][D][remote.raw:041]: Received Raw: -102, 140, -2361, 104, -2816, 91, -245, 144, -272, 247, -216, 115, -231
[14:16:35][D][remote.raw:028]: Received Raw: 85, -1069, 61, -1149, 228, -150, 267, -156, 267, -131, 327, -99, 263, -144, 858, -30, 249, -106, 692, -288, 223, -468, 103, -528, 217, -473, 290, -528, 286, -971, 314, -323, 181, -305, 176, -363, 213, -401, 236, -344, 267, -1525, 250, -234, 
[14:16:35][D][remote.raw:041]:   203, 
[14:16:35][D][remote.raw:028]: Received Raw: 1421, -218, 378, -1059, 444, -224, 258, -204, 305, -295, 197, -338, 324, -173, 212, -319, 247, -310, 266, -252, 443, -219, 307, -229, 263, -212, 279, -256, 226, -247, 288, -205, 295, -156, 247, -170, 225, -216, 199, -183, 213, -222, 233, 
[14:16:35][D][remote.raw:041]:   -128, 301, -208, 142, -276, 176, -221, 135
[14:16:35][D][remote.raw:041]: Received Raw: 157, -2184, 316, -349, 219, -300, 209, -339, 151, -433, 224, -399, 200, -265, 148, -1203, 341, -164, 774, -287, 320, -2380, 189, -294, 324, -1170, 5, -1358, 103, -227, 676, -154, 227, -155, 210
[14:16:35][D][remote.raw:028]: Received Raw: 105, -2259, 2690, -144, 292, -285, 223, -156, 254, -201, 201, -209, 187, -211, 217, -167, 257, -193, 200, -215, 222, -190, 221, -229, 205, -193, 184, -293, 113, -287, 179, -273, 137, -270, 214, -141, 352, -561, 686, -309, 176, -185, 319, 
[14:16:35][D][remote.raw:028]:   -298, 79, -222, 312, -84, 253, -339, 66, -1714, 210, -555, 193, -334, 55, -241, 300, -69, 199, -632, 564, -192, 175, -208, 175, -230, 168, -127, 329, -133, 155, -1134, 54, -724, 83, -326, 91, -969, 329, -138, 205, -289, 132, -2250, 116, -277, 118, 
[14:16:35][D][remote.raw:041]:   -242, 519, -299, 565, -265, 105, -199, 216, -197, 175, -214, 137, -265, 117, -236, 200, -612, 211, -189, 208, -164, 228, -183, 255, -177, 254, -221, 121, -297, 287
[14:16:35][W][component:204]: Component remote_receiver took a long time for an operation (0.07 s).
[14:16:35][W][component:205]: Components should block for at most 20-30ms.
[14:16:35][D][remote.raw:028]: Received Raw: 257, -119, 344, -172, 232, -247, 229, -231, 227, -246, 226, -246, 1818, -153, 178, -200, 209, -137, 1461, -172, 215, -94, 707, -180, 209, -207, 157, -234, 195, -204, 211, -234, 85, -313, 136, -252, 107, -307, 121, -283, 102, -308, 135, 
[14:16:35][D][remote.raw:041]:   -245, 192, -210, 181, -233, 185, -223, 173, -242, 191, -208, 117, -301, 68, -315, 157, -248, 45
[14:16:35][D][remote.raw:041]: Received Raw: 245, -180, 159, -1173, 22, -447, 258, -74, 408, -326, 210, -326, 398, -2938, 110, -565, 137, -393, 728, -857, 316, -189, 814, -275, 213, -267, 198, -92, 343, -117, 395, -220, 297, -896, 428, -611, 94, -65, 554, -264, 182
[14:16:35][D][remote.raw:041]: Received Raw: 298, -103, 291, -345, 214, -303, 162, -334, 611, -183, 272, -226, 850, -119, 370, -191, 287, -335, 228, -393, 214, -318, 284, -1316, 406, -178, 310, -202, 282, -294, 160, -217, 162, -473, 182, -679, 202, -311, 280, -229, 306, -218, 194
[14:16:35][D][remote.raw:028]: Received Raw: 277, -1018, 16, -1152, 1615, -125, 325, -172, 253, -194, 1117, -172, 277, -156, 307, -197, 277, -155, 303, -191, 277, -184, 277, -247, 188, -236, 153, -250, 190, -284, 207, -229, 39, -361, 129, -216, 188, -198, 154, -232, 187, -178, 198, 
[14:16:35][D][remote.raw:041]:   -196, 196, -251, 117, -252, 167, -232, 150, -237, 161, -235, 178, -203, 223

It’s impossible to catch a remote raw signal.
Last try will be on a mountain :joy:
Any advice? i’m stuck
…here is the faraday cage… i don’t know why it doesn’t work

faraday
faraday945×2048 238 KB

4

I had the same issue when trying to capture the codes for my blinds, different ones than yours, I suspect there is an issue with Esphome and RAW capture, I ended up downloading RFLink and installing on and old Arduino Mega. Using the same receiver in my case RXB6, on the RFLink had very little noise compared with ESPhome. If you have a Mega available worth trying RFLink out, you don’t have to use any special receivers, and the captured code can be used in ESP transmitter once you have them.

RFLink and ESPHome show raw data differently, you just have to add a “-“ symbol in front of every second number.

5

Thanks for the reply. I have not an arduino, just an ftdi programmer (serial to usb) and some raspberries and esp32.

I don’t know if i can make the receiver and RFLink working with a raspi or the adapter. I’ll give a look.

Any advice is appreciated :slight_smile: