Hey community,
I have regular blinds switchers and I’d like to swap them to smart ones. I’m wondering if there’s a smart switch for outdoor blinds from IKEA or comparable with their infrastructure. Any advise would be greatly appreciated!
Tell us more about:
- what switch is currently switching the blinds
- any kind of circuit diagram for current configuration
- what voltage is being used
- motor voltage and current
- vendor references
- pictures of installation
Hi @donkjr , appreciate your response.
Currently, the blinds are operated by a very primitive wall switch. It has two buttons without a fixation feature, so someone has to stand by the wall and hold a button for 3 minutes until the blinds are fully closed or opened 
. I’d like to replace it with something smarter that can integrate into a comprehensive smart device system like IKEA’s.
I’m not entirely sure, but I think it’s a low-voltage control—12V. The motor might be 220V, but I’m not certain.
I’ve found Eve Shutter Switch option but it seems excessively expensive and doesn’t fit into a popular smart device system
Can you suggest anything better?
Better could mean a lot of things, including cost, performance size, location etc. 
In your case, you can connect to the up/down switch and automate those functions:
You first have to decide what “better” means to you. [devil in the detail]
That could be:
- A system like below (full automation and integration with home automation)
- Local and/or Remote control that replaces the manual Up/Down switch with a function that fully opens or closes the shade without human intervention.
- Simple remote control of the Up/Dwn functions you have.
Each of 1-3 has cost, function, and skills implications.
To provide more advice we would need to know more about the limits of what you want the new design to do.
You also have to consider your available skills, tools and materials.
I have found that generally simpler is cheaper. Simpler usually means lesser function.
I also would admit that seldom have I DIY’d a solution that is substantially cheaper than the purchased version.
That said my versions typically provide higher function, quality, and maintainability along with the fun of building them.
If you google “window-shade controller” you will find lots of ideas.
I started building a controller because I could and I like solving new problems!
The justification to my wife was that both the shades and controller were expensive and there was no Google Home-supported system at the time.
The tough part for me was to mechanically interface to the shade, a problem you already have solved.
Although prototyped I never installed this in the house. It may provide you with some perspective on what a completely automated system may need.
This approach uses:
- Sonoff control to interface [Google Home] with the shade U-processor
- Nano to control the up/down movement
- Count the motor shaft pulses
- Communicate with the Sonoff control
- Detect and calculate shade position
- Manage the control panel
- A DC motor H switch to provide forward/reverse motion of DC gear motor
- Fully-up and shaft-rotation sensors
- Control panel and remote fob
Scheme-it-export-Shade-Controller-2024-04-14-07-01.pdf (153.9 KB)
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Thanks @donkjr , agree, I should’ve give more context to ‘better’.
I’ve already have the blinds and the motor installed. So all I need is to replace a switch so I could open and close the blinds:
- by schedule
- remotely from my phone
- have a wall switch that doesn’t require me to hold a button for 3-5 min until the blinds are shut or open
- possibly make some scenarios depending on weather (nice to have);
Another requirement is that it must be connected to Apple Home and/or IKEA smart home system.
Thanks!
Then in my assessment, you would need a design that does these things
Controller:
- U-processor to:
- Control the up/down movement
- Count the motor shaft pulses or monitor endstop sensors
- Communicate with homekit/akia via wifi.
- Detect and calculate shade position
- Manage the control panel
- Fully-up and shaft-rotation sensors (you must add this to the mechs).
- Control panel and remote fob
- Motor control H switch
- enclosures
- power supply
Alternate parts:
- A purchased device and associated app with a switch contact to interface with Homekit/Akia that will work with Homekit/Akia.
- Full up and full down sensors in the window frame.
You could find and choose parts for a design like the above and get some sense of cost.
Workplan:
- design and build the hardware: U-processor + motor driver +control panel. This can be discrete elements or a PCB.
- write & test the firmware
- buy or design and fab enclosures
- design and install sensors in blind or window
The big challenges are:
How do we sense position in the current blinds? Stepper, timed open close, shaft pulses, end-stops
How to interface with Homekit/Akia. [I don’t use either so I cannot provide any help]. This is why I used Sonoff it provides the interface and software to home automation.
I encourage you to Google blind/shade control to get other perspectives.
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