Coop Automation V1 - Automated Run Door

Arduino/ESP32-powered automated chicken coop door (V1)

• Chip: Sparkfun ESP32 Thing (programmed w/ Arduino)
• Motor: 12V DC 30RPM gearmotor
• Motor controller: TB6612FNG
• Power supply: 12V/5V wall adapter w/ ATX connector

The ESP connects to our home wi-fi, looks up sunrise/sunset times using sunrise-sunset.org’s API, keeps time w/ ntp.pool.org, and runs the motor to open/close the door. The door automatically opens at sunrise and closes at sunset. A user on the home network can also browse to the ESP’s IP address to connect to a web interface to view the system time, scheduled sunrise/sunset times, and manually open/close the door.

Hardware:

• Drawer slide rails for the door to move up/down
• 2x4 scrap with a hole chiseled out for the motor
• Motor shaft coupler w/ plastic end caps used as a winch bobbin
• 1/4” nylon cord
• Screw eyes
• Weatherproof housing: two plastic take-out containers that I Frankenstein’d together with hot glue, persistence, and prayer
• Scrap door hinge to provide a rounded corner for the rope to slide

Version Notes

Honestly, given how buggy this first iteration was, it’s probably bad development to even call it a “version” but all of the pieces were there! The door was only programmed to open and close on fixed time intervals (10 seconds), which was a completely arbitrary length of time. I ran it once, then realized that in order to change the motor time interval, I would have to run out and reprogram the whole thing anyway. So total system overhaul after that test run to make adjustability a key feature, not just for my debugging/developing purposes, but also to adapt to physical changes in the environment or changing human schedules/habits.

[[projects/ChickenCoop/index|index]]

tags:   project-ChickenCoop  |