Make Your Own Smart Bulb
by ssiddharth in Circuits > Assistive Tech
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Make Your Own Smart Bulb
This instructable contains the details you need to build your own Google Assistant compatible smart bulb both on software and hardware fronts.
Parts Needed
Here is all that you need to build the bulb by yourselves.
Electronics parts:
1. 1- Bulb socket (model varies from country to county, pick the one used in your place).
2. 1- 230-5V 3A 15W AC-DC converter module (you can use a lower wattage converter depending on the number of Neopixels).
3. 1- Nodemcu (wemos mini versions are preferable due to their size).
4. 1- Neopixel ring.
5. Bunch of connector wires.
6. 1- 10000 microfarad 25v electrolytic capacitor.
7. 1- 1 nanofarad ceramic capacitor.
Tools required:
1. 1- Soldering iron with flux and solder.
2. 1- Hot glue gun.
Making the Connections
1. Solder the live and neutral terminals of the AC-DC converter to the female receptacles of the bulb socket.
2. Solder the electrolytic and ceramic capacitors to the 5V terminals of the AC-DC converter. Mind the polarity of the electrolytic capacitor. Dashed lines on the capacitor denote the -ve leg.
3. Solder the 5V and Ground of the AC-DC converter to the 5V and Ground terminal of the Nodemcu and also to the Vcc/Supply and Ground of the Neopixel ring.
4. Solder the Data input pin on the Neopixel ring to pin D6 on the Nodemcu.
Software for the Bulb
To interface the bulb with Google Assistant, first we need to create a Smart home environment using Google Actions.
I have already made my own repo detailing all the steps.
https://github.com/shivasiddharth/google-actions-smarthome
The repo also contains the code for the Nodemcu. Choose the NodeMCU-Wemos-RGB-LEDs Arduino file.
I have made my best effort to replicate the characteristics of an off-the-shelf commercial bulb. It can remember the last set values, includes temperature based color setting, etc.
Putting It All Together
Using hot glue gun put everything together. Try and make the footprint as small as you can. You can start to see a rough shape of a bulb now.
Final Touch and Demo
Finally, have my own smart bulb.