Mailbox Motion Sensor

Want to know when someone opens your mail door? Well look no further, this device will do that for you.

IntermediateFull instructions provided10 hours1,400

Things used in this project

Hardware components

Particle Argon

Breadboard (generic)

LED (generic)

Photo resistor

Jumper wires (generic)

Software apps and online services

Google Sheets

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1IZL3vHtXl_j3U2KqzGMNd5W0jBk_XYso5zuUJixk5go/edit?usp=sharing

IFTTT Maker service

https://ifttt.com/applets/106588073d

Google Youtube

https://youtu.be/xGSVWpLg1Zc

Hand tools and fabrication machines

Wire Stripper & Cutter, 18-10 AWG / 0.75-4mm² Capacity Wires

Story

Have you ever been waiting for a single piece of mail that you've really been looking forward to? Well the IOT Project group 45 has just the thing for you. We created a motion/light sensor that will let you know in real time when your mailbox opens.

This is done using two Particle Argons and some fancy circuitry. One argon with the light sensor sits in the mailbox and the other argon sits at home in your bedroom, living room, etc. When the maildoor is closed the beam of light is broken. When the mail door opens, the beam of light is intact which sends a signal to the in-home argon which triggers an LED to alert you that your mail door is open.

This triggers an event called "maildooropen" which sends this message to the other argon via the internet. Once the other argon receives this message, it sends another message back, "rogerroger", which tells the other argon that the message has been received.

Code

int led = D6;
int boardLed = D7;
int photosensor = A0;

int intactValue;
int brokenValue;
int beamThreshold;

bool beamBroken = false;

void myHandler(const char *event, const char *data); 


void setup() {
    pinMode(led,OUTPUT);
    pinMode(boardLed,OUTPUT);

    Particle.subscribe("rogerroger", myHandler);
    
    digitalWrite(boardLed,HIGH);
    delay(2000);

    digitalWrite(boardLed,LOW);
    digitalWrite(led,HIGH);
    delay(500);

    int off_1 = analogRead(photosensor);
    delay(200);
    int off_2 = analogRead(photosensor);
    delay(1000);
    
    digitalWrite(boardLed,HIGH);
    delay(100);
    digitalWrite(boardLed,LOW);
    delay(100);
    digitalWrite(boardLed,HIGH);
    delay(100);
    digitalWrite(boardLed,LOW);
    delay(100);

    digitalWrite(boardLed,HIGH);
    delay(2000);

    digitalWrite(boardLed,LOW);

    int on_1 = analogRead(photosensor);
    delay(200);
    int on_2 = analogRead(photosensor);
    delay(300);

    digitalWrite(boardLed,HIGH);
    delay(100);
    digitalWrite(boardLed,LOW);
    delay(100);
    digitalWrite(boardLed,HIGH);
    delay(100);
    digitalWrite(boardLed,LOW);
    delay(100);
    digitalWrite(boardLed,HIGH);
    delay(100);
    digitalWrite(boardLed,LOW);

    intactValue = (on_1+on_2)/2;
    brokenValue = (off_1+off_2)/2;
    beamThreshold = (intactValue+brokenValue)/2;

}


void loop() {
    if (analogRead(photosensor)>beamThreshold) {
        if (beamBroken==true) {
            Particle.publish("mailboxopen", "intact", PUBLIC);
            
            beamBroken=false;
        }
    }

    else {
        if (beamBroken==false) {
            // Same deal as before...
            Particle.publish("mailboxopen", "broken", PUBLIC);
            beamBroken=true;
        }
    }
}


void myHandler(const char *event, const char *data)
{


    if (strcmp(data,"intact")==0) {
        digitalWrite(boardLed,HIGH);
    }
    else if (strcmp(data,"broken")==0) {
        digitalWrite(boardLed,LOW);
    }
    else {
    }
}

int led = D6;
int boardLed = D7;
int photosensor = A0;
int power = A5;

int intactValue;
int brokenValue;
int beamThreshold;

bool beamBroken = false;

void myHandler(const char *event, const char *data); 

void setup() {
	pinMode(led,OUTPUT); 
	pinMode(boardLed,OUTPUT); 
	pinMode(power,OUTPUT); 


	Particle.subscribe("maildooropen", myHandler);


void loop() {
	if (analogRead(photosensor)>beamThreshold) {
		if (beamBroken==true) {
			Particle.publish("rogerroger", "intact", PUBLIC);
			beamBroken=false;
		}
	}

	else {
		if (beamBroken==false) {
			Particle.publish("rogerroger", "broken", PUBLIC);
			beamBroken=true;
		}
	}
}


void myHandler(const char *event, const char *data)
{
	
	if (strcmp(data,"intact")==0) {
		digitalWrite(boardLed,HIGH);
	}
	else if (strcmp(data,"broken")==0) {
		digitalWrite(boardLed,LOW);
	}
	else {
		
		
	}
}

Credits

Grantland Adams

1 project • 2 followers

Shyam Patel

1 project • 1 follower

Mailbox Motion Sensor