Well again Thank you!!! I used this modified it only using the light sensor to turn a Sonoff S31 on for my counter lights... simple and I love the way this can be modified and used!!!! Your work is just so useful, all the time!!!
You are welcome... and thanks! Glad you got it working. I do try to design and describe my projects so that they can hopefully be understood and adapted for other uses, like yours! Thanks for taking time to let me know that you got it working. And as always, thanks for watching!
You are most welcome! Hopefully you found something useful that will help with your own project. Thanks for watching... and taking the time to leave a comment!
Another excellent and informative video. To be honest when I first discovered your channel recently my interest was more about WLED and Home Assistant. However, after watching this video, I just discovered about 4 more project ideas where I will be able to use a variation of your implementation, great work!
Thanks. But as I mentioned in my video, that microwave motion sensor is kind of a "special use" case and probably isn't the best choice for controlling something like a light... unless you also have some sort of secondary trigger. I think you'd find that due to the 360 degree detection and the ability to detect through walls, it could cause something like a light to turn on when you really didn't intend for it to. In my case, where the lights are actually triggered by a door opening and the microwave sensor is used only to keep the lights on as long as motion is still detected, it was an ideal use case. But other motion sensors may be a better choice depending upon the use case. Just FYI.. I did also reply to you over in Discord, but don't know if you have notifications enabled so that you know when I do respond to you there.
I think it has some special use cases... like my garage. Probably not the best device for something like motion-controlled lighting, since the detection occurs through walls. But it solved my particular problem perfectly.
The microwave motion sensor is kinda spooky. I absolutely love its sensitivity, but I just wish there was a way to make it more directional. You didn't mention how often activity inside the house turns on the lights in the garage. There are so many applications where directionality is important. I've used one to announce someone approaching my front door, but have added PIR sensors to reduce false reports. I could have some "fun" trying some Venn-diagram-type coverage areas with multiple RCWLs to help exclude high-traffic areas within the house, and I'm guessing you could, too. Amazon has a six-pack of these sensors for less than $10, so the cost of the sensors isn't exactly too burdensome. But if I did this, a crow on my roof might prevent me from being notified of a delivery...
Well, that's the thing in my case. I don't use the motion detectors to turn on the lights... only to keep them on if they are turned on first by one of the doors opening. Otherwise, the lights would be coming on constantly when we moved around part of the kitchen. As it currently works, it might cause the auto-off timer to extend for another 45 seconds after we pass through the kitchen, but as long as the area just inside the door to the kitchen is cleared for 45 seconds, the garage lights will turn off and won't come back on with further motion.... only if a door is opened. Worst case, Home Assistant sends me a notification if the garage lights are left on for more than 15 minutes and I can tap the notification to shut them off.. and they stay off regardless of motion detection, again until a door to the garage is opened. But you are right.. the range, sensitivity and the 360 degree coverage do not make these the idea solution for controlling something like turning on a light. But for my particular use case... to keep the lights on once as long as motion was still occurring... it was a perfect solution. PIR sensors are actually pretty good and I use them in other places inside the house where the temperature is pretty consistent. It was the warm temperatures in the summer where the PIRs quit working... but the microwave sensor continues to work great!
@@ResinChemTech couldn't you just line the back wall of the enclosure with aluminum foil to stop the microwaves and make the sensor more directional? I might buy one and try this out. I suppose it would probably be best to place the foil just behind the sensor though, you wouldn't want too much foil to where it stops the wifi signals.
That is an interesting discussion. I tried to make it more uni directional but I never came to a good result. Interesting to hear some successes around this radar sensor.
You are welcome! I've been very happy with my 'upgraded' version over the original. The temperature, humidity, light level detection and motion are much improved. Thanks for watching and taking time to leave a comment.
Hey Seth! Thanks. I'm sure it's way too many details (and way too long) for most, but that's why I always include the chapter links so people can skip the parts they don't care about. Thanks for watching. Good to hear from you again!
this is great. i need a better way to track motion/activity in the garage and a couple of spots in the basement, so im going to give this a shot in a week or two. ive got about 10 D1 minis sitting around and a 3d printer looking for something to do, so this will be a fun one!
Thanks! The new microwave motion sensor has worked great in my garage where warmer temperatures caused issues with the PIR sensors. Just be aware that these sensor do detect in 360° and penetrate walls to some extent, so they aren't ideal in some situations depending on what you are attempting to do with them. But I thought it was a fun project and a big improvement over my original garage multi-sensor. Let me know what you think.. or of course if you have any questions. Good luck... and thanks for watching!
@@ResinChemTech good to know, i assumed they were about 180 degrees off the front. Ill have to position them carefully but i think i can make them work.
Great video, thanks for sharing. Your calm manner of speaking and well-structured videos are a pleasure to watch. I had issues with this particular radar sensor, namely false triggers. This was on an ESP32, I suspect it has something to do with WiFi, it doesn't happen on an Arduino. I am switching to a LD2410C, more expensive but configurable in software and it still supports a digital output. Bonus: it can detect motionless targets as well. It operates at a higher frequency and won't interfere with WiFi
Yeah... this particular radar sensor isn't the right option for some projects. I probably wouldn't recommend it for actually controlling a light due to the 360 range and the wall penetration. But for my use case (just to keep the lights on and not actually switching them on), it was ideal and a huge improvement over the PIR sensors which effectively quit working in warm temperatures. For me, an occasional rogue trigger or a trigger by walking in the kitchen doesn't have an impact since this sensor isn't what is actually turning the lights on. But you are correct that there are many options, including presence detectors. The new Aqara FP2 is a very interesting device, but I haven't been able to test it yet. Thanks for taking time to comment and share both your experience and an alternative idea.
Thanks! I really appreciate the kind words and the fact that you took the time to share them and post a comment. I hope you find the content useful in your own projects.
Funny you should mention that. I have a video coming up where I use a small OLED screen connected to an ESP32. It probably won't be released for a month or so (still working on blog article, Github repo, etc.), but you might keep an eye out for it. It's pretty amazing what you can do these days with a few components that cost less than $10 each! Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave a comment!
Thanks! I think my wife might disagree with your statement! It gets a bit cluttered and messy when I'm in a middle of a project. Then I clean it up and toss out stuff... only to have it become a mess again during the next project. But thanks for watching and taking time to comment!
Great video. I was thinking about doing something like this and I'm pretty sure I'm going to do something very similar if not identical to what you've done here. Thank for all you do.
Thanks! Let me know how it goes.. or if you find ways to make additional improvements. The RCWL microwave motion sensor has continued to work great for my use case to keep the lights on after they are first turned on by a door switch. But as others have discovered, they aren't the best for actually controlling the lights, as motion is detected in 360 degrees... including through walls! Thanks for watching and taking time to leave a comment!
Hello, Great and Informative Video. Keep it up ! Do you happen to know, how long I can extend the sensors from the ESP board? I´d like to mount my ESP inside, while my sensors should be outside. It will be around 3 Meters cable length in between. Or do i have to test for resistance in the connecting Cable. Thanks.
I really can't say what a maximum distance would be, but as some point voltage drop due to wire resistance is likely to cause a problem. Obviously, the larger gauge wire that you can use, the better. I would recommend that you bench test it first with something like a breadboard. Hook up the sensor with the approximate length of wire you think you will need and see if it functions as expected. That way it is easy to try different lengths and gauges of wires until you find a combination that works reliably. Unfortunately, there are too many factors involved for me to give you a definite yes or no answer. My guess is that if you use something like 18 gauge wire, it will _probably_ work fine. But it isn't something I've done so you will likely just have to test first to be sure.
Thanks for the video. I'm planning on doing a project with the rcwl-0516, but I only want the sensor to detect 180 degree in front of it. Can I put like a sheet of metal to block the back of the sensor so it won't detect behind it ?
I haven't tried it myself, but others have reported using something like aluminum foil to block/direct the sensor to a certain area. If you do try it, please let me know what you find, the material you used and how well it blocked the signal. I'll be interested to know and can also share what you find with others when they ask a similar question.
Thank you for the detailed description of the RCWL sensor. I have had bad luck with the RCWL sensor. I am now wondering if I was using 3.3v instead of 5v.
You're welcome! While most of these small sensors are built to run on either 3.3V or 5V, the RCWL-0516 does require a minimum of at least 4V. Running off of 3.3V would likely cause issues (if it powers at all). I think it also causes confusion because it does have that 3V3 output pin, so unless you look carefully at the specs, it is an easy assumption that the board would run with 3.3V. So far mine has been a great improvement over the PIR sensors in the garage... especially in the warmer temperatures of the summer. Thanks for watching... and taking the time to leave a comment. I appreciate it. Don't hesitate to reach back out if I can help with any future projects.
I didn't replace the light switch, but added a Shelly relay (flashed with Tasmota) behind the switch to control the overhead lights. The video description has a link to another video that covers the garage lighting system in detail, including the Home Assistant automations, but here is that link as well: ua-cam.com/video/9_RyQoQ2WNQ/v-deo.html That video used the previous version of the sensor and an additional PIR sensor, so this new updated sensor not only works more reliably, but simplifies some of the Home Assistant automations as only one motion sensor is needed.
Love your videos and projects, yeah I'm geek. What would be interesting gbis to build a smart hub for all of the different smart home protocols. 1 hub with all instead of many hubs. Doesn't matter to me if it cost 4 times the price of one hub, issue is de-cluttering home from all those single protocol hubs
Well for me, that's exactly the role Home Assistant plays. It is the centralized "hub" that lets me bring all those different protocols and devices from different manufacturers together. Yes, depending on your hardware, you might need an additional hub/dongle/radios for things like Zibgee, Z-Wave, etc. But there are already hubs out there (like Aeotec as one example) that have all the various radios in one hub. Even Amazon has added Zigbee to their latest Echo devices and Home Assistant now also has a hardware device with Zigbee built-in. The issue is that while wifi, Zigbee and Z-Wave are the "big 3" in terms of communication protocols (you could throw Bluetooth in there as well), many manufacturers find ways to make their products proprietary with only their hubs/apps, even though they are using one of the standard protocols. But honestly, many times there are ways around that, and Home Assistant can support many of these as long as you have a single compatible hub. Of course, that's the big promise of Matter isn't it? It is supposed to let all these different devices speak to each other, using one centralized hub as the controller. But we've been promised these sorts of things before... For me, using Home Assistant and a single Zigbee hub, I've integrated upwards of 100+ devices... none using the manufacturers proprietary hubs or their data-collecting mobile apps (but that's sure not how I started!). Today, I still buy a lot of devices that say "hub required", but that just isn't true if you just know how to integrate them to Home Assistant and your own hub.
always a nice detailed video. I'm interested just to have the humidity sensor for my purpose for now. I have 2 questions. 1. would you recommend AHT21 instead? 2. I presume I can use D1 Wemo minis? I'd like to add an LCD too so that I can read up the humidity and temperature rather than checking it on HA. Thanks EDITED: and I didn't realise that it seems if don't specify the SCL and SDA pins in the code, it will assume that you're using the default PINs, is that correct?
You can use the AHT21 if you prefer. It is slightly smaller and has a wider temperature range, but I don't believe it is supposed to be any more accurate than the AHT20. Either will work fine. Yes, you can use the D1 Mini (or ESP32) if you prefer... as long as the D1 Mini has the necessary number and types of GPIO pins for your connections, including a display if you opt to add that. There are a number of displays that are supported by ESPHome. I used an ILI9341 touch screen in another project with ESPHome (DIY Amp), but by no means is the only option. The ILI9341 uses SPI, so it might require stepping up to an ESP32 for best performance. The AHT10 platform in ESPHome is using I2C.. so it does use the specified board's default pins for I2C unless you specify different pins under the i2C definition in the ESPHome file ( esphome.io/components/i2c.html ) Good luck with your project.
For what it's worth, Lewis over at Everything Smart Home has just released a presence detector that shows a lot of promise. I haven't tested one yet, but it might be the thing a lot of us have been waiting on. If you haven't seen it, you might try checking out his channel for details.
Assuming you 3D printed your own controller housing? Any appetite on creating a video about that process? I've seen several videos (looking to purchase my own soon) but I have yet to see any addressing exactly what you're doing - planning, design, how you're measuring the prints to snap in just right. Just a thought! Thanks for the videos!
Yeah.. I did 3D print it. My designs and prints are anything but fancy. I just use the online Tinkercad that pretty much just let's me create basic geometric shapes.. but that usually works for enclosures. I just use a set of digital calipers.. and unless it is something I've designed before, it generally takes me 3 or 4 attempts to get it right! You can also find a lot of things already designed for you on Thingiverse, so sometimes I just use someone else's design and print that, as opposed to going to the effort of designing my own! Honestly, there are probably a lot of other videos out there with folks that are much better at design than I am. I pretty much just print rectangles! But thanks for the comment and thought! By the way... if you like to build DIY projects, I do highly recommend a 3D printer... not just for enclosures, but you'll occasionally want a bracket, spacer or some other component that you can't find "off the shelf". A 3D printer solves that problem!
An alternative to the Common Cathode RGB LED could be a "pl9823 addressable led" - they are available in 5mm and 8mm and uses only 1 pin. I have a multi sensor in the bathroom. I choosed a esp32 so I could get the data from my Xiaomi Mi Smart Scale into Home Assistant with Bluetooth. And with the love Bluetooth is getting from Home Assistant right now it might be an idea to consider using a ESP32. Thanks for all your great content :-)
I should probably looking at using the ESP32 more often! In this particular case, I was just trying to replace the old version with basically the same thing, but with some different components to solve the motion issue I was having during warm days. If I were to build something for inside (like you did), then it would probably look quite a bit different... with things like air quality, etc. I'll have to take a look at the pl9823. Frankly, in this case, I didn't even consider anything else. Primarily because I had to buy a pack of 100 when I created the first version and I think I had only used 4 since then! So, I still have over 90 LEDs left! But thanks for the suggestion. I have another idea in mind where a single addressable LED would be perfect.
Thanks for putting out this video. Very well made and very useful. I have a similar setup with a Wemos D1 Mini and microwave sensor (no other types of sensors yet). The sensor puts out a lot of false triggers when it's rainy outside. I have it mounted under the roof of the porch (about 10ft above ground, not exposed to rain). However, when it does rain it seems to go off constantly. Have you deployed it outside or inside your garage? What has your experience been in a live environment?
Mine is installed on an interior wall of the garage, as I show in the video. It's range is just about to the edge of the outside walls, so I haven't really noticed much impact from the outside weather, but I also would not notice false triggers... as I am not using this to trigger the lights.... just to keep them on if there is continued motion once the lights have been triggered by door opening. That's why I mentioned that even though this is great sensor with a great range, the manner in which it detects motion... and the 360 degree coverage, including through walls, makes it ideal for certain cases, but a poor choice for others. In some instances, like directly controlling a light (without some sort of second trigger), it might be the ideal sensor to use.
@@ResinChemTech Thank you for your reply. I guess we do have to be careful about where and how we install this one. I've also read that there could be interference from the ESP8266 WiFi causing false positives. I'll have to re-design or ultimately pick another radar module altogether.
Aht 20 or aht 10 does not work ,it says "communication failed with aht10" With the above same project . Can you please rectify the problem as i am doing this as a project for school.please
Changes are made each month (sometimes multiple times a month) for both Home Assistant and ESPHome. Often this could mean a change in how a component is configured. With nearly 200 videos, blog articles and Github gists/repos, it is impossible for me to go back and update all my code every time a change is made. You should always check the official documentation for current configuration information. For the aht* sensor, you can find it here: esphome.io/components/sensor/aht10.html I do know that a change was made to the aht* sensor a few months back, well after I made this video (another user was having the same issue as you). This was resolved by adding a 'variant' to the YAML configuration. Check out the above documentation and trying adding the 'variant' option to your configuration. This resolved the issue for the other user.
Sir great video but a question comes in my mind that is...when u say RCWL-0516 can detect motion through walls...so it would also dected motion through floor and can trigger even when someone walks downstairs or upstairs..., how would solve that problem of false trigger
Well, as I stated in the video, this isn't the right type of sensor for certain projects because it does penetrate walls. It probably isn't the best choice for something like the primary control of a light. I only use it to keep the lights on as long as motion is still present... but I actually turn on the lights using a door sensor. But the door can then be closed, and as long as the RCWL-0516 continues to detect motion, the lights remain on. But you do have some other options. As shown in the video, you can shorten the range via use of a resistor (R-GN pins) so you can adjust it so the range doesn't pick up distance on a different floor. You can also build some sort of enclosure and use aluminum foil or other metal to block the signal in certain directions (it won't penetrate metal). Again, this is sort of a special use case motion sensor and it isn't the right choice in every situation. it depends on what you are trying to do. For me, it was a perfect solution. In others, a normal PIR sensor or presence sensor is a better option.
Another good one. I have the diods and lm393 photoresistors on order. I'll have to look on your blog and through your videos but, what is the parking sensor you have there? I've been looking into that recently due to larger vehicle purchases and teenage kids. I just haven't found the right one yet
Yeah... I didn't notice the parking assistant going off behind me when filming, but only once I started editing. Probably should have shut it down during that time. But the parking assistant is one of my wife's favorites. It's not necessary, but I do bring it into Home Assistant via MQTT... primarily as a secondary vehicle presence sensor. I think I saw a reply where you found it, but the video is here: ua-cam.com/video/MzMva6lHiAU/v-deo.html And a written version (blog) of the project can be found here: resinchemtech.blogspot.com/2021/07/parking-assistant-with-mqtt-and-vehicle.html Let me know if you decide to build it... or if you have any questions!
I hear ya' on the RPi prices! You could probably do something similar with an ESP8266/32 and some LED strips... using ESPHome or Home Assistant to turn the LEDs green, yellow or red based on measured distance, kinda' stoplight-style. I just used a Pi at the time (back when they were cheap) as I wanted to learn to use that matrix display and also get a little better at my Python programming. It would definitely be a cheaper project with an ESP and some WS2812b LEDs!
Yes it does! In the interest of time, I didn't show it, but the motion triggers when walking in the kitchen just on the other side of the door. But for me, that's OK as motion isn't what triggers the lights. And it is also the case where the range might need to be adjusted for a particular install. And while I didn't try it, I'm guessing you might be able to add some sort of shielding (aluminum foil?) on the back side of the sensor if you want to block detection in that direction.
Love this sensor the only issue I'm having is the motion sensor turns off and then right back on any idea what would cause this? Maybe a bad sensor? It's way on the other end of the house but I'm watching in HA clear then detect... every couple seconds.
As you are aware, this sensor has a pretty long range (>5m), detects in 360 degrees and through walls. What's more, it detects movement of any objects... not just heat-based objects like PIR. In my case, I was actually detecting motion of a bush outside my garage wall when it was windy... causing the motion detector to act very similar to what you are describing. If you are seeing something like this, you may need to add a resistor to shorten the detection range or move the sensor to a different location. Now, it is entirely possible that you could have a faulty sensor or some other type of electrical issue is causing the behavior you are seeing. But I'd check and see if there might be anything within range of this sensor (inside or on the other side of walls) that it might be detecting as movement. If possible, you might try testing by moving it somewhere centrally in the house (well out of range of any exterior movement) and see if the sensor 'stabilizes' a bit when you know that there is nothing moving within about 20 feet in any direction. This is a great motion detector... for particular situations. But due to both its range, sensitivity and ability to penetrate walls, it isn't the right sensor for other situations. Let me know what you find.
Good catch! Yes, I de-soldered the existing pins and flipped them around so that the front of the board was flush with the enclosure so that the photoresistor and adjustment potentiometer were more easily accessed. I forgot to include that step in the video, so thanks for bringing it up. I'll add a note about that to the blog article. Thanks for watching... and for having a sharp eye!
I got my Amazon delivery today so I’m starting to build things. Noticed that when I was test fitting. Looked closer at the video and noticed how you solved the problem I was having.
Yeah... sorry about that and the fact I didn't mention it in the video. But I have updated the related blog article now. This is why I prefer that my components come without the pins pre-soldered... so that I can install the pins in the configuration that I need. Good luck with the build and let me know if you have any questions or problems!
Not that I've noticed... but in my use case, it is not triggering to turn the lights on... but only to keep them on once they are triggered by the door sensor. So, it is possible that it might not have triggered and I wouldn't have noticed it. But I just checked both of them (I now have a second one in a different location) and they both triggered motion and have never been reset in the month or more that they have been in use. I also don't see anything in my Home Assistant history that indicates that they went offline or quit triggering on motion. Let me know if I can help out any further, but I don't think I've seen that issue. And thanks for watching... and subscribing! I appreciate it!
@@ResinChemTech your channel have a lot of content and you very detail in your video. I really understand how hard and time consuming to produce a tutorial video. To subscribe and click the notification bell is the least i can do on your effort. I think i will add a mosfet to control power to the microwave sensor and to be cycled daily. Previously i experienced few of my esp8266 become unavailable and need to be reset. And from the forum suggest to add reset. Accidentally i noticed in one esphome device setting, there is 2 or 3 other devices name. After deletes the other device nama i never experience device unavailable again.
Yes, basically. The AHT21 has a broader temperature range... but hopefully my garage will never see 185°F, which is the top end of the AHT20! If you have a situation where you want to measure higher temperatures, then the AHT21 might be needed. Otherwise, from a functional standpoint, they should be about the same.
Well again Thank you!!! I used this modified it only using the light sensor to turn a Sonoff S31 on for my counter lights... simple and I love the way this can be modified and used!!!! Your work is just so useful, all the time!!!
You are welcome... and thanks! Glad you got it working. I do try to design and describe my projects so that they can hopefully be understood and adapted for other uses, like yours!
Thanks for taking time to let me know that you got it working. And as always, thanks for watching!
THanks so much for this! Im working on a very similar project using the ESP32 Cam as the controller.
You are most welcome! Hopefully you found something useful that will help with your own project.
Thanks for watching... and taking the time to leave a comment!
Very helpful. Thank you.
Great
Another excellent and informative video. To be honest when I first discovered your channel recently my interest was more about WLED and Home Assistant. However, after watching this video, I just discovered about 4 more project ideas where I will be able to use a variation of your implementation, great work!
Thanks. But as I mentioned in my video, that microwave motion sensor is kind of a "special use" case and probably isn't the best choice for controlling something like a light... unless you also have some sort of secondary trigger. I think you'd find that due to the 360 degree detection and the ability to detect through walls, it could cause something like a light to turn on when you really didn't intend for it to.
In my case, where the lights are actually triggered by a door opening and the microwave sensor is used only to keep the lights on as long as motion is still detected, it was an ideal use case. But other motion sensors may be a better choice depending upon the use case.
Just FYI.. I did also reply to you over in Discord, but don't know if you have notifications enabled so that you know when I do respond to you there.
Nice multi-sensor upgrades. I especially like the upgrade to the microwave sensor - I'll have to contemplate how I could use it.
I think it has some special use cases... like my garage. Probably not the best device for something like motion-controlled lighting, since the detection occurs through walls. But it solved my particular problem perfectly.
@@ResinChemTech Living in condos with a shared wall, I guess I could use them to know when my neighbors are home and which room they are in, LOL.
The microwave motion sensor is kinda spooky. I absolutely love its sensitivity, but I just wish there was a way to make it more directional. You didn't mention how often activity inside the house turns on the lights in the garage.
There are so many applications where directionality is important. I've used one to announce someone approaching my front door, but have added PIR sensors to reduce false reports. I could have some "fun" trying some Venn-diagram-type coverage areas with multiple RCWLs to help exclude high-traffic areas within the house, and I'm guessing you could, too. Amazon has a six-pack of these sensors for less than $10, so the cost of the sensors isn't exactly too burdensome. But if I did this, a crow on my roof might prevent me from being notified of a delivery...
Well, that's the thing in my case. I don't use the motion detectors to turn on the lights... only to keep them on if they are turned on first by one of the doors opening. Otherwise, the lights would be coming on constantly when we moved around part of the kitchen. As it currently works, it might cause the auto-off timer to extend for another 45 seconds after we pass through the kitchen, but as long as the area just inside the door to the kitchen is cleared for 45 seconds, the garage lights will turn off and won't come back on with further motion.... only if a door is opened. Worst case, Home Assistant sends me a notification if the garage lights are left on for more than 15 minutes and I can tap the notification to shut them off.. and they stay off regardless of motion detection, again until a door to the garage is opened.
But you are right.. the range, sensitivity and the 360 degree coverage do not make these the idea solution for controlling something like turning on a light. But for my particular use case... to keep the lights on once as long as motion was still occurring... it was a perfect solution. PIR sensors are actually pretty good and I use them in other places inside the house where the temperature is pretty consistent. It was the warm temperatures in the summer where the PIRs quit working... but the microwave sensor continues to work great!
@@ResinChemTech couldn't you just line the back wall of the enclosure with aluminum foil to stop the microwaves and make the sensor more directional? I might buy one and try this out. I suppose it would probably be best to place the foil just behind the sensor though, you wouldn't want too much foil to where it stops the wifi signals.
That is an interesting discussion. I tried to make it more uni directional but I never came to a good result. Interesting to hear some successes around this radar sensor.
That was super informative, I'm looking to do a very similar multi-sensor. Thanks for taking the time to share your knowledge ! 🍻
You are welcome! I've been very happy with my 'upgraded' version over the original. The temperature, humidity, light level detection and motion are much improved.
Thanks for watching and taking time to leave a comment.
Amazing details … LOVE it!,
Hey Seth! Thanks. I'm sure it's way too many details (and way too long) for most, but that's why I always include the chapter links so people can skip the parts they don't care about.
Thanks for watching. Good to hear from you again!
this is great. i need a better way to track motion/activity in the garage and a couple of spots in the basement, so im going to give this a shot in a week or two. ive got about 10 D1 minis sitting around and a 3d printer looking for something to do, so this will be a fun one!
Thanks! The new microwave motion sensor has worked great in my garage where warmer temperatures caused issues with the PIR sensors. Just be aware that these sensor do detect in 360° and penetrate walls to some extent, so they aren't ideal in some situations depending on what you are attempting to do with them.
But I thought it was a fun project and a big improvement over my original garage multi-sensor. Let me know what you think.. or of course if you have any questions. Good luck... and thanks for watching!
@@ResinChemTech good to know, i assumed they were about 180 degrees off the front. Ill have to position them carefully but i think i can make them work.
Great video, thanks for sharing. Your calm manner of speaking and well-structured videos are a pleasure to watch. I had issues with this particular radar sensor, namely false triggers. This was on an ESP32, I suspect it has something to do with WiFi, it doesn't happen on an Arduino. I am switching to a LD2410C, more expensive but configurable in software and it still supports a digital output. Bonus: it can detect motionless targets as well. It operates at a higher frequency and won't interfere with WiFi
Yeah... this particular radar sensor isn't the right option for some projects. I probably wouldn't recommend it for actually controlling a light due to the 360 range and the wall penetration. But for my use case (just to keep the lights on and not actually switching them on), it was ideal and a huge improvement over the PIR sensors which effectively quit working in warm temperatures. For me, an occasional rogue trigger or a trigger by walking in the kitchen doesn't have an impact since this sensor isn't what is actually turning the lights on.
But you are correct that there are many options, including presence detectors. The new Aqara FP2 is a very interesting device, but I haven't been able to test it yet. Thanks for taking time to comment and share both your experience and an alternative idea.
Hi, excellent video and blog. Please keep up the good work. Cheers Dave.
Thanks! I really appreciate the kind words and the fact that you took the time to share them and post a comment. I hope you find the content useful in your own projects.
Love this project. I'd like to use the ESP32 and use one of the small screens to display the temp and humidity on the box in the garage.
Funny you should mention that. I have a video coming up where I use a small OLED screen connected to an ESP32. It probably won't be released for a month or so (still working on blog article, Github repo, etc.), but you might keep an eye out for it. It's pretty amazing what you can do these days with a few components that cost less than $10 each!
Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave a comment!
@@ResinChemTech I'll be looking forward to it. I'm still in the infantile stage of this stuff. Thanks for taking the time.
great videos! Your garage is clean to me!
Thanks! I think my wife might disagree with your statement! It gets a bit cluttered and messy when I'm in a middle of a project. Then I clean it up and toss out stuff... only to have it become a mess again during the next project.
But thanks for watching and taking time to comment!
Great video. I was thinking about doing something like this and I'm pretty sure I'm going to do something very similar if not identical to what you've done here. Thank for all you do.
Thanks! Let me know how it goes.. or if you find ways to make additional improvements. The RCWL microwave motion sensor has continued to work great for my use case to keep the lights on after they are first turned on by a door switch. But as others have discovered, they aren't the best for actually controlling the lights, as motion is detected in 360 degrees... including through walls!
Thanks for watching and taking time to leave a comment!
Hello, Great and Informative Video. Keep it up !
Do you happen to know, how long I can extend the sensors from the ESP board?
I´d like to mount my ESP inside, while my sensors should be outside.
It will be around 3 Meters cable length in between.
Or do i have to test for resistance in the connecting Cable.
Thanks.
I really can't say what a maximum distance would be, but as some point voltage drop due to wire resistance is likely to cause a problem. Obviously, the larger gauge wire that you can use, the better.
I would recommend that you bench test it first with something like a breadboard. Hook up the sensor with the approximate length of wire you think you will need and see if it functions as expected. That way it is easy to try different lengths and gauges of wires until you find a combination that works reliably.
Unfortunately, there are too many factors involved for me to give you a definite yes or no answer. My guess is that if you use something like 18 gauge wire, it will _probably_ work fine. But it isn't something I've done so you will likely just have to test first to be sure.
Thanks for the video. I'm planning on doing a project with the rcwl-0516, but I only want the sensor to detect 180 degree in front of it. Can I put like a sheet of metal to block the back of the sensor so it won't detect behind it ?
I haven't tried it myself, but others have reported using something like aluminum foil to block/direct the sensor to a certain area. If you do try it, please let me know what you find, the material you used and how well it blocked the signal. I'll be interested to know and can also share what you find with others when they ask a similar question.
Thank you for the detailed description of the RCWL sensor. I have had bad luck with the RCWL sensor. I am now wondering if I was using 3.3v instead of 5v.
You're welcome! While most of these small sensors are built to run on either 3.3V or 5V, the RCWL-0516 does require a minimum of at least 4V. Running off of 3.3V would likely cause issues (if it powers at all). I think it also causes confusion because it does have that 3V3 output pin, so unless you look carefully at the specs, it is an easy assumption that the board would run with 3.3V.
So far mine has been a great improvement over the PIR sensors in the garage... especially in the warmer temperatures of the summer.
Thanks for watching... and taking the time to leave a comment. I appreciate it. Don't hesitate to reach back out if I can help with any future projects.
How do you control the state of your light switch? What did you replace your light switch with?
I didn't replace the light switch, but added a Shelly relay (flashed with Tasmota) behind the switch to control the overhead lights. The video description has a link to another video that covers the garage lighting system in detail, including the Home Assistant automations, but here is that link as well: ua-cam.com/video/9_RyQoQ2WNQ/v-deo.html
That video used the previous version of the sensor and an additional PIR sensor, so this new updated sensor not only works more reliably, but simplifies some of the Home Assistant automations as only one motion sensor is needed.
@@ResinChemTech got it! Thank you
Love your videos and projects, yeah I'm geek. What would be interesting gbis to build a smart hub for all of the different smart home protocols. 1 hub with all instead of many hubs.
Doesn't matter to me if it cost 4 times the price of one hub, issue is de-cluttering home from all those single protocol hubs
Well for me, that's exactly the role Home Assistant plays. It is the centralized "hub" that lets me bring all those different protocols and devices from different manufacturers together. Yes, depending on your hardware, you might need an additional hub/dongle/radios for things like Zibgee, Z-Wave, etc. But there are already hubs out there (like Aeotec as one example) that have all the various radios in one hub. Even Amazon has added Zigbee to their latest Echo devices and Home Assistant now also has a hardware device with Zigbee built-in. The issue is that while wifi, Zigbee and Z-Wave are the "big 3" in terms of communication protocols (you could throw Bluetooth in there as well), many manufacturers find ways to make their products proprietary with only their hubs/apps, even though they are using one of the standard protocols. But honestly, many times there are ways around that, and Home Assistant can support many of these as long as you have a single compatible hub.
Of course, that's the big promise of Matter isn't it? It is supposed to let all these different devices speak to each other, using one centralized hub as the controller. But we've been promised these sorts of things before...
For me, using Home Assistant and a single Zigbee hub, I've integrated upwards of 100+ devices... none using the manufacturers proprietary hubs or their data-collecting mobile apps (but that's sure not how I started!). Today, I still buy a lot of devices that say "hub required", but that just isn't true if you just know how to integrate them to Home Assistant and your own hub.
always a nice detailed video. I'm interested just to have the humidity sensor for my purpose for now. I have 2 questions. 1. would you recommend AHT21 instead? 2. I presume I can use D1 Wemo minis? I'd like to add an LCD too so that I can read up the humidity and temperature rather than checking it on HA. Thanks
EDITED: and I didn't realise that it seems if don't specify the SCL and SDA pins in the code, it will assume that you're using the default PINs, is that correct?
You can use the AHT21 if you prefer. It is slightly smaller and has a wider temperature range, but I don't believe it is supposed to be any more accurate than the AHT20. Either will work fine.
Yes, you can use the D1 Mini (or ESP32) if you prefer... as long as the D1 Mini has the necessary number and types of GPIO pins for your connections, including a display if you opt to add that. There are a number of displays that are supported by ESPHome. I used an ILI9341 touch screen in another project with ESPHome (DIY Amp), but by no means is the only option. The ILI9341 uses SPI, so it might require stepping up to an ESP32 for best performance.
The AHT10 platform in ESPHome is using I2C.. so it does use the specified board's default pins for I2C unless you specify different pins under the i2C definition in the ESPHome file ( esphome.io/components/i2c.html )
Good luck with your project.
Wonder when there'll be reliable and affordable PRESENCE sensors...
For what it's worth, Lewis over at Everything Smart Home has just released a presence detector that shows a lot of promise. I haven't tested one yet, but it might be the thing a lot of us have been waiting on. If you haven't seen it, you might try checking out his channel for details.
Assuming you 3D printed your own controller housing? Any appetite on creating a video about that process? I've seen several videos (looking to purchase my own soon) but I have yet to see any addressing exactly what you're doing - planning, design, how you're measuring the prints to snap in just right. Just a thought! Thanks for the videos!
Yeah.. I did 3D print it. My designs and prints are anything but fancy. I just use the online Tinkercad that pretty much just let's me create basic geometric shapes.. but that usually works for enclosures.
I just use a set of digital calipers.. and unless it is something I've designed before, it generally takes me 3 or 4 attempts to get it right! You can also find a lot of things already designed for you on Thingiverse, so sometimes I just use someone else's design and print that, as opposed to going to the effort of designing my own!
Honestly, there are probably a lot of other videos out there with folks that are much better at design than I am. I pretty much just print rectangles! But thanks for the comment and thought!
By the way... if you like to build DIY projects, I do highly recommend a 3D printer... not just for enclosures, but you'll occasionally want a bracket, spacer or some other component that you can't find "off the shelf". A 3D printer solves that problem!
@@ResinChemTech much agreed, thank you! Will check out the references above.
An alternative to the Common Cathode RGB LED could be a "pl9823 addressable led" - they are available in 5mm and 8mm and uses only 1 pin.
I have a multi sensor in the bathroom. I choosed a esp32 so I could get the data from my Xiaomi Mi Smart Scale into Home Assistant with Bluetooth.
And with the love Bluetooth is getting from Home Assistant right now it might be an idea to consider using a ESP32.
Thanks for all your great content :-)
I should probably looking at using the ESP32 more often! In this particular case, I was just trying to replace the old version with basically the same thing, but with some different components to solve the motion issue I was having during warm days. If I were to build something for inside (like you did), then it would probably look quite a bit different... with things like air quality, etc.
I'll have to take a look at the pl9823. Frankly, in this case, I didn't even consider anything else. Primarily because I had to buy a pack of 100 when I created the first version and I think I had only used 4 since then! So, I still have over 90 LEDs left! But thanks for the suggestion. I have another idea in mind where a single addressable LED would be perfect.
Thanks for putting out this video. Very well made and very useful.
I have a similar setup with a Wemos D1 Mini and microwave sensor (no other types of sensors yet).
The sensor puts out a lot of false triggers when it's rainy outside. I have it mounted under the roof of the porch (about 10ft above ground, not exposed to rain).
However, when it does rain it seems to go off constantly. Have you deployed it outside or inside your garage? What has your experience been in a live environment?
Mine is installed on an interior wall of the garage, as I show in the video. It's range is just about to the edge of the outside walls, so I haven't really noticed much impact from the outside weather, but I also would not notice false triggers... as I am not using this to trigger the lights.... just to keep them on if there is continued motion once the lights have been triggered by door opening.
That's why I mentioned that even though this is great sensor with a great range, the manner in which it detects motion... and the 360 degree coverage, including through walls, makes it ideal for certain cases, but a poor choice for others. In some instances, like directly controlling a light (without some sort of second trigger), it might be the ideal sensor to use.
@@ResinChemTech Thank you for your reply. I guess we do have to be careful about where and how we install this one. I've also read that there could be interference from the ESP8266 WiFi causing false positives. I'll have to re-design or ultimately pick another radar module altogether.
Aht 20 or aht 10 does not work ,it says "communication failed with aht10"
With the above same project . Can you please rectify the problem as i am doing this as a project for school.please
Changes are made each month (sometimes multiple times a month) for both Home Assistant and ESPHome. Often this could mean a change in how a component is configured. With nearly 200 videos, blog articles and Github gists/repos, it is impossible for me to go back and update all my code every time a change is made. You should always check the official documentation for current configuration information. For the aht* sensor, you can find it here: esphome.io/components/sensor/aht10.html
I do know that a change was made to the aht* sensor a few months back, well after I made this video (another user was having the same issue as you). This was resolved by adding a 'variant' to the YAML configuration. Check out the above documentation and trying adding the 'variant' option to your configuration. This resolved the issue for the other user.
Good job 👍
Thanks... it is much appreciated.
Sir great video but a question comes in my mind that is...when u say RCWL-0516 can detect motion through walls...so it would also dected motion through floor and can trigger even when someone walks downstairs or upstairs..., how would solve that problem of false trigger
Well, as I stated in the video, this isn't the right type of sensor for certain projects because it does penetrate walls. It probably isn't the best choice for something like the primary control of a light. I only use it to keep the lights on as long as motion is still present... but I actually turn on the lights using a door sensor. But the door can then be closed, and as long as the RCWL-0516 continues to detect motion, the lights remain on.
But you do have some other options. As shown in the video, you can shorten the range via use of a resistor (R-GN pins) so you can adjust it so the range doesn't pick up distance on a different floor. You can also build some sort of enclosure and use aluminum foil or other metal to block the signal in certain directions (it won't penetrate metal).
Again, this is sort of a special use case motion sensor and it isn't the right choice in every situation. it depends on what you are trying to do. For me, it was a perfect solution. In others, a normal PIR sensor or presence sensor is a better option.
@@ResinChemTech Thank you Sir for your prompt reply I will certainly try to mix different sensor to achieve my desired automation
Another good one. I have the diods and lm393 photoresistors on order. I'll have to look on your blog and through your videos but, what is the parking sensor you have there? I've been looking into that recently due to larger vehicle purchases and teenage kids. I just haven't found the right one yet
Found it.. ua-cam.com/video/MzMva6lHiAU/v-deo.html
Yeah... I didn't notice the parking assistant going off behind me when filming, but only once I started editing. Probably should have shut it down during that time. But the parking assistant is one of my wife's favorites. It's not necessary, but I do bring it into Home Assistant via MQTT... primarily as a secondary vehicle presence sensor. I think I saw a reply where you found it, but the video is here: ua-cam.com/video/MzMva6lHiAU/v-deo.html
And a written version (blog) of the project can be found here: resinchemtech.blogspot.com/2021/07/parking-assistant-with-mqtt-and-vehicle.html
Let me know if you decide to build it... or if you have any questions!
@@ResinChemTech With the current RPi prices I'm not sure I can justify it, for sure not WAF. I have a few ideas. Thanks for the response!
I hear ya' on the RPi prices! You could probably do something similar with an ESP8266/32 and some LED strips... using ESPHome or Home Assistant to turn the LEDs green, yellow or red based on measured distance, kinda' stoplight-style.
I just used a Pi at the time (back when they were cheap) as I wanted to learn to use that matrix display and also get a little better at my Python programming. It would definitely be a cheaper project with an ESP and some WS2812b LEDs!
Does the motion sensor trigger when there is motion on the other side of the wall behind it or through the door going into your house?
Yes it does! In the interest of time, I didn't show it, but the motion triggers when walking in the kitchen just on the other side of the door. But for me, that's OK as motion isn't what triggers the lights. And it is also the case where the range might need to be adjusted for a particular install. And while I didn't try it, I'm guessing you might be able to add some sort of shielding (aluminum foil?) on the back side of the sensor if you want to block detection in that direction.
Love this sensor the only issue I'm having is the motion sensor turns off and then right back on any idea what would cause this? Maybe a bad sensor? It's way on the other end of the house but I'm watching in HA clear then detect... every couple seconds.
As you are aware, this sensor has a pretty long range (>5m), detects in 360 degrees and through walls. What's more, it detects movement of any objects... not just heat-based objects like PIR. In my case, I was actually detecting motion of a bush outside my garage wall when it was windy... causing the motion detector to act very similar to what you are describing. If you are seeing something like this, you may need to add a resistor to shorten the detection range or move the sensor to a different location.
Now, it is entirely possible that you could have a faulty sensor or some other type of electrical issue is causing the behavior you are seeing. But I'd check and see if there might be anything within range of this sensor (inside or on the other side of walls) that it might be detecting as movement. If possible, you might try testing by moving it somewhere centrally in the house (well out of range of any exterior movement) and see if the sensor 'stabilizes' a bit when you know that there is nothing moving within about 20 feet in any direction. This is a great motion detector... for particular situations. But due to both its range, sensitivity and ability to penetrate walls, it isn't the right sensor for other situations. Let me know what you find.
Ohhhhhhhh nevermind WOW I didn't realize it was that sensitive....it's working exactly how it should!!! LOL
@@ResinChemTech Yes LOL I didn't realize just how long
Looks like you moved the pins on the light sensor from the front of the board to the back. Is this because it bumps against the side of the box?
Good catch! Yes, I de-soldered the existing pins and flipped them around so that the front of the board was flush with the enclosure so that the photoresistor and adjustment potentiometer were more easily accessed. I forgot to include that step in the video, so thanks for bringing it up. I'll add a note about that to the blog article.
Thanks for watching... and for having a sharp eye!
I got my Amazon delivery today so I’m starting to build things. Noticed that when I was test fitting. Looked closer at the video and noticed how you solved the problem I was having.
Yeah... sorry about that and the fact I didn't mention it in the video. But I have updated the related blog article now. This is why I prefer that my components come without the pins pre-soldered... so that I can install the pins in the configuration that I need. Good luck with the build and let me know if you have any questions or problems!
I will, I have the blog article pulled up right now. Guess I’d better refresh the page.
Hai... new subscriber here. Do you experience that the microwave sensor didnot trigger on motion and need to cycle its power?
Not that I've noticed... but in my use case, it is not triggering to turn the lights on... but only to keep them on once they are triggered by the door sensor. So, it is possible that it might not have triggered and I wouldn't have noticed it. But I just checked both of them (I now have a second one in a different location) and they both triggered motion and have never been reset in the month or more that they have been in use. I also don't see anything in my Home Assistant history that indicates that they went offline or quit triggering on motion.
Let me know if I can help out any further, but I don't think I've seen that issue. And thanks for watching... and subscribing! I appreciate it!
@@ResinChemTech your channel have a lot of content and you very detail in your video. I really understand how hard and time consuming to produce a tutorial video. To subscribe and click the notification bell is the least i can do on your effort.
I think i will add a mosfet to control power to the microwave sensor and to be cycled daily.
Previously i experienced few of my esp8266 become unavailable and need to be reset. And from the forum suggest to add reset. Accidentally i noticed in one esphome device setting, there is 2 or 3 other devices name. After deletes the other device nama i never experience device unavailable again.
Does the aht20 and aht21 do the same?
Yes, basically. The AHT21 has a broader temperature range... but hopefully my garage will never see 185°F, which is the top end of the AHT20! If you have a situation where you want to measure higher temperatures, then the AHT21 might be needed. Otherwise, from a functional standpoint, they should be about the same.
@@ResinChemTech ah thanks, the price are the same on AliExpress 😄
This sensor can be detect any objects or only human sir
It is not a human presence detector and will detect most types of motion or movement, regardless of source.
use a bme280 instead of AHT20