Automate Your Ambiance
MorningRope is a silent, ESP32-powered curtain opener that lets you schedule or voice control when natural light enters your home.
Adding some light bulbs to a smart home setup is an easy way to brighten up a room, but what can you do if you want more natural light? Well, sure, you can pull open the curtains. However, that can’t be set to happen on a schedule, or by voice command, through a platform like Home Assistant. So if you want to be gently awakened by sunlight every morning, you are out of luck.
Or at least you would be if it were not for a creation called MorningRope, developed by Daniel of Valar Systems. MorningRope is a smart curtain opener that uses two buttons and HTTP requests to open or close your curtains on command.
The device is designed to work with automation platforms such as Node-RED, Home Assistant (via ESPHome), or any system capable of sending HTTP requests. Once integrated, a simple tap in an app or even a scheduled routine can pull your curtains open at sunrise or close them at night.
To make the system work, a motor is mounted discreetly on the wall behind one of the curtain panels. Each curtain panel has a small carriage attached to its back, and a continuous string is threaded through these carriages and into the motor. When a command is issued, the motor winds or releases the string, smoothly pulling the curtains open or shut.
At the core of the system is a custom PCB featuring an ESP32 microcontroller and a Trinamic TMC2209 stepper driver. According to Daniel, the motor is completely silent, and if the system encounters a stall, the TMC2209’s back EMF detection automatically halts movement to prevent damage.
However, MorningRope is not universally compatible. It only works with backtab curtains, which slide with low friction along a rod. Grommet-style curtains introduce too much resistance, causing the string to slip before the panels can move. With backtabs, the system is reliable even for wide windows up to 140 inches.
For DIYers, Valar Systems offers a hardware kit, with optional 3D-printed components and instructions for printing them yourself. Installing the device is straightforward: mount it to the wall using adhesive or screws, wait for the adhesive to cure, and connect it to your smart home system. Once set up, a simple HTTP request is all it takes to let the morning light in.