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Interest for home-made keypad?

Hi all,

I've been working on a home-made keypad system to use with Homey. The idea is to have a keypad next to the front door, which I can use to open and lock the door. At the same time, Homey will know when we're at home or away, and act accordingly (switch on/off the heating, lights, etc). Ofcourse if Homey knows we're away, we can easily make an alarm system using motion sensors and a siren.

Anyway, I've got the prototype functioning. I'm currently exploring the options of a waterproof housing for the electronics, so I can deploy the prototype next to my door and use it on a daily basis. I'd prefer 3D printing the housing myself, but my printer is currently out of order.

The reason for this post, is to see if other people would be interested in this project as well. If so, I'll invest some time in documentation on how to make it happen.

Hardware requirements:
  1. A NodeMCU, a small wifi-enabled computer board. Can be purchased in The Netherlands for €12, but can be sourced from eBay for as low as €3. I sourced mine from here.
  2. A buzzer module. Price as low as €0,50. I bought mine here.
  3. A 4x4 membrane keypad, price €2 in The Netherlands, but cheaper on eBay. Mine is from here.
  4. Micro USB cable (for programming the NodeMCU, and powering the device when in use)
Total price when ordering from the Netherlands, including shipping costs, is €17. Please note, that you need a micro USB cable, USB adapter, and a housing for the device. You can get the stuff a lot cheaper on eBay if you have the patience ;-)

Skill requirements:
  • Basic soldering skills
  • Using Arduino IDE software to upload the software to the NodeMCU board.
  • Using Node.js and the athom-cli to upload the Homey app to your Homey.
No programming skills needed!

Software requirements:
  1. Arduino IDE 1.6 or higher
  2. Node.js and athom-cli to install the Homey app on your Homey
Short how-to:
  • Upload the sketch in the Arduino IDE to the NodeMCU board;
  • Upload the Homey app to your Homey using Node.js and athom-cli;
  • Go to the app's settings in your Homey, and keep ready the private key mentioned there;
  • Connect the device to a power source using a micro USB cable;
  • Connect your laptop/tablet/phone to the device's own wifi network;
  • In the web interface, select your wifi network, enter its password, and enter the private key;
  • Wait for the device to connect to your wifi network;
  • Add the device in Homey using the pairing wizard;
  • Manage your keypad codes in the Homey app;
  • Create your flows!
Note: I initially wanted to power the device with 4x AA batteries, but sadfully the power consumption of the NodeMCU is too high because it needs to keep a wifi connection. 4 AA batteries would last only a week or so.

IMPORTANT: the keypad is by no means a very safe thing to use! Although I implemented authorization techniques and the device connects to your (hopefully secured) wifi network, wifi signals are quite easy to intercept by the malicious. Use at your own risk.

Comments

  • Im not interated but will share my solution:
    i got this one:

    AD2000-m rfid keypad 12.50
    http://www.dx.com/nl/p/ad2000-m-access-control-id-stand-alone-single-door-system-w-keys-silver-grey-black-blue-242641

    connected to an Fibaro binary sensor  37.50

    rfid tags are stored in the keypad, triggers the binary sensor for scene activation/deactivation and keypad can also trigger an electronic lock for the door.

    Also not the best security (i did not attach the lock) but deactivates my sensors and activates light an temp settings.
  • RemcoHanninkRemcoHannink Member
    edited October 2016
    Hello,

    Very interesting your project.
    Are you planning to create your own Homey app for these panels? And battery powering of ESP8266 controllers is somewhat difficult cause they use quite some power.

    Iam working on a similar keypad to control everything in my home (Alarm, heating, radios, curtains and lightning).

    The setup is however somewhat different:
    • Two touchscreens with keypad on touchscreen and RFid reader.
    • Connected to an esp8266
    • With the RFid tag or with a PIN code I can switch between leaving home, coming home or going to sleep.
    • The ESP sends the status to the Homey via a http(s) request.
    • The control panel receives status information from Homey via http(s) messages. 
    • Use existing HTPP apps for communication
    The panels are located inside the house and connected to power.

    I have already purchased the following parts to buy this:
    • Nextion 3.5" touch displays
    • ESP8266-12 controllers
    • RC522 RFid controllers
    • ESP-easy software.
    I will keep this forum informed on my progress and I am very curious about your progress. Maybe we can have some synergy between the two.

    Gr. Remco




  • Hi, 

    Great project. Since I have a node MCU and keypad I will try this until I find a z-wave / rfid solution.
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