[SOLVED] Help needed to add an indicator light to garage door opener

I, like a lot of people have a garage door opener. And, like a lot of people likely wonder if the garage door is closed after they drive away. Did I or did I not activate the switch? So, it would be nice to have an indicator light that would tell me the switch was used in.. say the last 4~10 minutes.

So.. would like to have some help with the schematic required. Seems simple enough but what I think I want

• When door opener is used > a timer is activated that turns on a small LED

The time does not need to be precise but I do not know what is available. My initial thoughts went along the lines of some temporary storage that was charged on using the opener that would decay (by lighting a small LED) over some time.. but open to ideas.

The garage door opener is run by a 9 volt battery and would be the power supply for any additions.

Thank you for any advice

Wait, what? You want to detect if the button on the remote was pressed, not if the door is actually closed?

So, you press the button on the remote, the door opens, the light comes on. Then you either press or don't press the button and the light is STILL on, right? So, that light doesn't tell you if the door is open or not.

Basically, it sounds like you want a one-shot. Look at using a 555 timer. You could also do this with a large RC driving a transistor switch.

Or, you could just wait 2 seconds after you press the button and use the optical sensors in your head to SEE if the door closes.

I alway back in to my garage, when I drive out, by habit I press my door closer (on the visor).. and halfway around the next block.. wonder, did I press the door closer? I am embarrassed to admit to how many times I have made a “U” turn. Just to check.
So.. essentially I am looking to install something that shows me I “have” pushed the remote “recently”.
I have considered a timer, that is triggered when the remote is activated (currently there is a red LED that lights while the switch is pressed. But, this would not work (I don’t think) because the power source turns off as soon as the closer is no longer pressed. So, then I’m looking at a relay to keep the timer running. But then how does it reset for the next time.. Another idea, when the remote switch is pressed it send some power to a temporary battery/storage and the indicator LED is powered from that, decaying over time.Too many “buts” and I do not know what is available so hoping for some help.
Someone also suggested using an App that would tell me when/if the door was open, sadly, my opener, a SEARS probably 20 years old is unable to use that technology.

ESP8266 wireless solution, probably get it done for $ 15 total. You can remote the
client in any room ion the house.

On youtube do a search for "ES8266 remote switch"


Regards, Dana.

danadakk said:

ESP8266 wireless solution, probably get it done for $ 15 total. You can remote the
client in any room ion the house.

On youtube do a search for "ES8266 remote switch"


Regards, Dana.

Click to expand...

Oh, yeah, and you'll also need a satellite up-link and down-link so that you'll be able to transmit the information to your car.

barry said:

Oh, yeah, and you'll also need a satellite up-link and down-link so that you'll be able to transmit the information to your car.

Click to expand...

Actually just a 50' rotating parabolic dish on top of car would do....

Or use SMS via his home router on an ESP8266, SMS to his cell phone would do. This is being done thru 3'rd
party, there are also ways around that.


Fire alarms being done this way. Only downside is latency to SMS delivery to cell. Some reporting long delays.


Looks like I missed the "drive away" component of the design.

Thanks Barry for picking up my error.


Regards, Dana..

Hi,

an MCU would be the first thing coming into my mind as it is versatile and can be adopted to your needs.

To avoid the use of large capacitor and resistor values, a dedicted timer IC might be suitable e.g. CD4541B/HEF4541.

For both solutions you need some kind of logic provoding power e.g. in combination with a high side switch.

BR

Here's a simple analog circuit that may do what you want (LTspice simulation below).
Pushing the remote push-button (represented here by S1) applies 9V (green trace) to charge up the capacitor C1 (red trace) through diode D1 and resistor R3.
This turns on the N-MOSFET (M1) when supplies current to the LED (yellow trace).
The diode prevents discharge back through the remote circuit so C1 discharges through R1 until the MOSFET turns off (about 4 minutes in the simulation).

The maximum time achievable is limited by the various component leakage currents (that's why a ceramic capacitor is used for C1, an electrolytic would likely have too much leakage), and those leakages plus component tolerances will cause the actual time to probably vary significantly from the simulation (which should not be a problem in your application).

The circuit is connected directly to the battery, but the circuit only has a very small leakage current when off, so will have no effect on the battery life.

R2 controls the LED current and can be varied, if desired, to adjust its brightness to the desired level.

crutschow said:

Here's a simple analog circuit that may do what you want (LTspice simulation below).
Pushing the remote push-button (represented here by S1) applies 9V (green trace) to charge up the capacitor C1 (red trace) through diode D1 and resistor R3.
This turns on the N-MOSFET (M1) when supplies current to the LED (yellow trace).
The diode prevents discharge back through the remote circuit so C1 discharges through R1 until the MOSFET turns off (about 4 minutes in the simulation).

The maximum time achievable is limited by the various component leakage currents (that's why a ceramic capacitor is used for C1, an electrolytic would likely have too much leakage), and those leakages plus component tolerances will cause the actual time to probably vary significantly from the simulation (which should not be a problem in your application).

The circuit is connected directly to the battery, but the circuit only has a very small leakage current when off, so will have no effect on the battery life.

R2 controls the LED current and can be varied, if desired, to adjust its brightness to the desired level.

View attachment 169551

Click to expand...

Really. This is what im talking about. All this nonsense about microcontrollers and Wifi modules to perform the simplest of tasks. Over-engineering, people.

crutschow said:

Here's a simple analog circuit that may do what you want (LTspice simulation below).
Pushing the remote push-button (represented here by S1) applies 9V (green trace) to charge up the capacitor C1 (red trace) through diode D1 and resistor R3.
This turns on the N-MOSFET (M1) when supplies current to the LED (yellow trace).
The diode prevents discharge back through the remote circuit so C1 discharges through R1 until the MOSFET turns off (about 4 minutes in the simulation).

The maximum time achievable is limited by the various component leakage currents (that's why a ceramic capacitor is used for C1, an electrolytic would likely have too much leakage), and those leakages plus component tolerances will cause the actual time to probably vary significantly from the simulation (which should not be a problem in your application).

The circuit is connected directly to the battery, but the circuit only has a very small leakage current when off, so will have no effect on the battery life.

R2 controls the LED current and can be varied, if desired, to adjust its brightness to the desired level.

View attachment 169551

Click to expand...

Thank you. This may be exactly what I need.

I thought you were some distance away and needed confirmation
that door was actually closed while driving away in a vehicle ?

What am I missing ?


Regards, Dana.

danadakk said:

I thought you were some distance away and needed confirmation
that door was actually closed while driving away in a vehicle ?

What am I missing ?

Click to expand...

This--

Ralph6410 said:

essentially I am looking to install something that shows me I “have” pushed the remote “recently”.

Click to expand...

Yes, I just want to know I pushed the remote. I am assuming the door closed behind me.