Automatically open curtains using a radio remote control

[fnarcis]

Hello,

I'm a beginner in electronics and I'd like to build a system that makes my home curtains to automatically open using a radio remote control.
They have two ways of opening:
- controlling the light(they only move the angle - vertically)
- completely opened (half goes to the left, the other half to the right)
The movement will never be done in the same time.
I suppose I'm going to need 1 stepped motor.
Could anybody help me with any idea. A schema and ideas for the pieces would be grate.

Regards,
Narcis

 

[fnarcis]

I suppose my description was not good enough.
I attached a pdf document (50K) with a proper description an picture. Please don't hesitate to reply. Any summary or detailed schema is helpful.
What I mainly need to know is:
- what stepped motor should I use
- how to operate the motor using a remote control

If no ideea will come from the forum. I'll try to post some of my own and to request for you opinion. Of course I'll post also the final solution.

 

[andy1]

I was looking at Microchip website and they have a lot of useful articles on design with motor.

 

[fnarcis]

Could please post me a link. I was looking, but I did not found the motor applications. I was thinking about this application and I don't think anymore that a stepped motor should be used. It should be a normal one, that just needs to be started and stoped.

 

[metal]

Hello

If can cop designing with some logic, then using a small reed switch will enable you to open the curtains to the half, another one to open curtains completely.

The transmitter can be some kind of RF, or IR. When you first press the open button on your Tx, the motor will work, until it press the first reed switch, which in turn rests a flip-flop for example, pressing the Tx again, will make the motor play, and open the curtains completely.

I think using usual motors is much easier than controllinh stepper ones.

Regards

 

[fnarcis]

I had tried with a small stepped motor I had at home but it wasn't powerful enough. Could you give me an idea about the type of the motor I should use and a scheme for the mechanical part so I can use only one motor?

 

[TeeSee]

I would be inclined to go with a power window assembly from a car. All you would need to do is extend the length of the cable on the slidinng assembly.

The whole assembly including motor can be picked up from a wrecker quite cheaply.

TC