Automatic scheduled alarm blind opener

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21

this is the exact same design I had in mind

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22

In that case you have some choice in the size of motor, but a stepper will probably be the best type. Core has a number of steppers providing a range of torque values. It is unfortunate that you canā€™t get access to some for testing, as swapping from one to another until you get the right amount of torque would be relatively easy. If you have a simple scale, such as a fishing scale, then you can set up a small jig to see how much torque is needed for the blind cord. You can then calculate the torque adjustment through the gearing, and see what is required from the motor.

Or, you can just choose a motor and be prepared to adjust the gearing if it turns out that the torque is inadequate. This is a suitable motor/driver to start with:

There are many possible combinations of controller and driver. If you havenā€™t decided on the MCU then you should choose a universal module. This one has sufficient drive for the above motor and includes multiple interfaces (including USB for simplifying development:

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23

hey I might go with the first motor you sent.

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24

also am i able program the motor to turn on and off at a designated time? For example if I wanted the blinds to roll open at 8 am and close at 6pm

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25

Core has a large range of RTC modules. If you choose one that supports I2C then it can connect to any of the popular MCUsā€¦ For instance:

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26

Great! Thank you. I will order the items today.

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27

just a quick questions, so the controller is to control the torque of the motor?

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28

The controller determines the speed, direction and distance of the motor movement. The driver manages the current, which is in part determined by the voltage. The current, together with the motor characteristics, determines the torque.

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29

thank you so much, I will purchase all items this week. I really appreciate your help.

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30

hey guys, I had a few questions,
which adunieo board do you guys recommend to use for the motor
I also need a batter pack to to run the motor, which one do you guys recommend?

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31

Hi Mohamed,

Instead of an Arduino, Iā€™d recommend the Raspberry Pi Pico so you can use Micropython, if you have got the Makerverse motor driver there is code that is easy to use!
If you have another motor driver Iā€™d go with the Uno - its a favourite amongst makers and there are lots of examples!

Iā€™d consider having a look at a battery bank like this to power your project: USB Power Bank Fast Charge 10000mAh | Core Electronics Australia
As long as your project is drawing a bit of power it will remain on.

Just make sure to set your current limit to 1.7A,

To power the motor youā€™ll want to use the 2.1A USB port and the Arduino can use the excess power or the 1A USB port.

Liam

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32

hey Liam, sorry for the late reply. I had just finished exams and now free to work on the project.
I need to order the pard this holidays. With the project I am allowed to download a code or get a professional to write the code for me. After buying all the parts do you think I would be good to go with just writing the code.
thanks you for your help.

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33

Hi Mohamed,

Iā€™d definitely try coding it yourself - itā€™ll help a ton later if you can understand how it works plus itā€™s soooooo satisfying finishing a project.
Learning how to do something by yourself is also a skill thatā€™s very valuable, Google and other peoples projects are goldmines (you donā€™t have to understand exactly what each line does).

Iā€™d ask around as well - STEM teachers, classmates(bouncing problems in person or through video is much easier than messages) if not, the forum is helpful if you can collate a bunch of in-depth questions :smiley:

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34

the only problem is I am very tight in time and I donā€™t know anything about coding, I donā€™t know where to start. How will I code the motor to turn on/off automatically at a scheduled time, and how will I code it to do the x amount of rotations to roll the blinds up/ down. I feel very lost in with this projects an not very sure where to start. Thank you

35

Start with examples that do a part of the job. Then combine them together with the particular settings that you need.
For something to happen at a particular time:
Alarm Clock - Arduino Project Hub
For a stepper motor to move:
Stepper One Revolution | Arduino