Garage Door Opener

[JaceTheAce]

Someone just posted a great garage door opener hack:

HTC Evo 4G Hack – User Makes a Garage Door Opener App! | HTC Evo 4G Hacks!

[App][Project][Cool] JsChiSurf's "OpenSezMe" Android Garage Door Opener Application - xda-developers

 

[Psychokitty]

I've been thinking about how to control everything in my home via my Droid for a while, now. I don't have the knowledge to do direct control by making the optimal, most efficient use of the most appropriate technology for the project, so I am limited to a PC interface. There are all kinds of apps (pre-existing GUIs) to use to interface with the PC, but it's the hardware-to-PC that is cumbersome for me.
So far I can turn on lights remotely and got my x and y working on my outdoor camera motors, but it's all ghetto-switched hard-lined into a laptop. (Cameras are wifi but motors aren't).
After messing around (mostly for the fun of it), I would gladly invest a few hundred in a fairly complete system. Even if I knew what I was doing and how to do it better, I'm convinced it would be one hell of a job to complete.

 

[watersrules]

meh.. I'll just push the button in my car, or walk 3 steps to the code pad..

 

[OriginalGeek]

meh.. I'll just push the button in my car, or walk 3 steps to the code pad..

walk? WALK?! How barbaric!

 

[takeshi]

Key point.. The average garage door opener is not going to be able to be controlled by a Droid.

Be imaginative . . .

Being imaginative has nothing to do with it. It's not possible. However, something like the solution posted above is certainly possible but it requires proper interfacing. Note how the person's garage door opener has a webserver if you follow the link and read. The average Genie or Craftsman garage door opener does not. It's not a simple solution where anyone can just download an app from the Market and open their standard garage door. Apps by themselves can't overcome hardware limitations.

My RC car remote is 2.4 GHz, I wounded if I could control that with my phone...

There's a bit more to it than just frequency. I mean, microwaves use 2.4 GHz as do some cordless phones (and many other devices).

I can't imagine why I'd want to fish my droid out of my pocket, find an open an app or browser, and then find the right button to open the garage door all as I'm driving up to my house.

I don't think anyone's trying to tell you why you would but others certainly would. I'd rather just use HomeLink but I don't have a garage at the moment anyway.

There were a couple of commercial attempts, but failed to take hold. Don't know why.

I'm sure security with a BT solution is a major concern.

 

[ZiggyZing]

I figured this would be possible considering the hardware in the droid. It can send out a wifi signal, I'll bet someone could come up with a way without scanning....there is probably a way to have it send out the frequency of your door with a button in app.

That's exactly what I was thinking too but wouldn't your garage door opener need to connected to your home network?

Which maybe possible to do, if it had an IP Address and the proper software and configurations. And you can just enter the IP Address, Subnet Mask, and DNS. then setup the network into the app, if they can do that it would be pretty cool but we probably won't see this theory put into action for awhile.

If they can make up remote apps to control your home networks devices like iTunes, networked Tivo, Google TV, etc. then we probably will see a network based garage door in the near future.

But we will also have to take Wireless security into consideration, you'll have to set up of course a WPA-2 pass and it would need a hardware based firewall, as well as MAC address authentication. Because if someone is experienced enough to hack into your network they probably will be able to open the garage door.

 

[Psychokitty]

Wrong forums for such technical discussion, I guess.

 

[saji82no]

I am not 100% confident in my knowledge of standard garage door opening technology, but I think it would take a substantial amount of hacking your phone to persuade it to transmit and receive radio frequencies in the range of the garage door opening devices. I forget which "ABC" agency is in charge of such things, but they issue very strict requirements for device manufacturers that limit which frequency ranges they may and may not produce. Ultimately these are policies that both insure security for government channels, and regulate broadcast frequencies to provide better quality communication. Imagine if for instance your garage door opened on an FM frequency, then one da it may start opening randomly when I new radio station in town begins broadcasting close to or at its frequency. Likewise imagine your phone had the ability to broadcast in a range similar to an FM range, you may constantly experience "noise" when listening to the radio if someone calls you and the communication is sent via a close frequency. Now these are very over simplified scenarios but possible, and are the reasons the frequency ranges are regulated. So in short, its most likely possible that our phones were engineered purposely in a manner that they just simply can not broadcast atwith frequencies that they are not legally allowed to.

That being said, there is no reason why one couldn't create an external device that say plugs into say the headphone jack and converts an analog audio signal to say a radio signal in the 200-400MHz range or whatever range would be required. However like one poster mentioned, new garage door opening devices use a rolling signal protocol. From the minor amount of research I've done on thi subject, what this means is that your opener does not broadcast he same signal everytime. When the button is pressed and the signal received by the opening motor control unit, the CU shifts "codes" along a specific proprietary developed table and the opener remote is sent a signal to shift as well.

Mind you, this is all a presumption from the limited research I've done.

One would not only need to develop the app to run the peripheral device, but also the device. Likewise thi developer must include all manufacturers code tables and the protocols they use to "shift". That data would be very difficult to come by as its sort of a trade secret so to speak, and if it were publicly available, the security of their systems would be seriously compromised.

Now, I would ask myself why would someone want such technological capabilities? As one poster put it, why fumble with pulling your phone out and unlocking it to open your door while driving? Although it may be helpful for say a latch-key-kid, I think the real advantage is for people who think like me and desire devious ways of utilizing high technology. I.E. having the ability to open garage doors attached to houses that are not my own. Imagine if this app were capable of running down lists of "codes" and blamo! Your neighbors garage door opens, or that random guys garage opens, or the schoolyard bullys door opens and you jack his bike, or short on cash? Take a late night jaunt around the neighborhood opening garage doors and steaing tools, cars, bikes, etc.

 

[timandjane]

Since there are apps to make Droid a remote control, I was wondering if there is an app that would allow you to use Droid as a garage door opener? It would just have to send out a signal.

maybe you are interrested in this: YouTube - Intelligent house internet programmable relay PLC haussteuerung This is internet operated programmable relay with software for Android and military grade encryption for property security. YouTube - PLC SPS Steuerrelais Android GSM handy Steuerung Programmierbare Relais easy einfache Programmierung YouTube - Inteligentny dom sterowanie przez kom

 

[EP24]

Control Your Garage Door Opener with Your Smartphone

There is your answer.

 

[damiandouglas]

There is probably an ap for that...Garage doors are coming into the technology age just like most things.

 

[RazzleFnDazzle]

I have used the btmate setup from BT Mate — Simple, Low-Cost Android Garage Door Opener and More . It cost me about 10 dollars to create the bluetooth garage door opener (newegg.com had the headset on sale for $5 after rebate). I never did anything like this before, but it took me about 30 minutes (I imagine if you have done anything like this before it would be only a matter of a couple minutes). My main issue was soldering. I didn't solder anything and just electrical taped everything together to get it to work. Works amazing.

 

[fstbusa]

Has anyone looked into this? It's only about $60 for the web server card.

tuxgraphics.org: Smartphone garage door opener

 

[RazzleFnDazzle]

There is also a youtube video which shows how I was able to do this... Open and Close Your Garage Door with Your Android Phone - No Programming Needed! - YouTube

That is pretty cool. I do have my spare rooted evo around that maybe I'll try this out just to show off how cool of a setup I can have. I didn't really like the GDMate app though (It bothered me to have to open the app to open the door) so I wrote a widget for it instead. smcgrath, If you want to check it out you can find it here for a dollar. Let me know if you buy it and I'll refund the money.

 

[RazzleFnDazzle]

Has anyone looked into this? It's only about $60 for the web server card.

tuxgraphics.org: Smartphone garage door opener

This looks pretty cool. I was debating doing wifi instead of bluetooth. I was thinking of running a computer server to open the door instead of bluetooth but decided against it (Seemed like a lot of work for something I won't use and I didn't know if the door was open. Also I'd have to leave my computer on all the time). I guess if you have a spare phone around though you could do what smcgrath did. I think from his video essentially the phone in the garage became a webserver over wifi as well.

If you do go with the link you provided please let us know how it turned out (If it was easy for you to setup and what not and how well it worked).

 

[tttaaappp]

No need for IR, using bluetooth you can control your garage door opener.
HTTP://www.tapitopen.com
get the app, the device, and presto!
You can control 2 doors at any time, give access to as many android users you'd like, and best of all, always have access to your house...even if you're not in your car.

 

[fstbusa]

No need for IR, using bluetooth you can control your garage door opener.
HTTP://www.tapitopen.com
get the app, the device, and presto!
You can control 2 doors at any time, give access to as many android users you'd like, and best of all, always have access to your house...even if you're not in your car.

I want something that does it OTA using a webserver or something. Bluetooth has horrible range compared to my current RF garage remote.

 

[OstrichSaK]

I want something that does it OTA using a webserver or something. Bluetooth has horrible range compared to my current RF garage remote.

There's a write-up on using a security cam with an external I/O switch like a Foscam. The external switch is meant to trigger various things but you can actually wire it into your garage door opener and using a app like IPCamViewer Pro you can trigger this to control your door AND as an added bonus view live video to double check to see if the door was left open or not. I have a couple of the newer Foscams in the garage now for security and they don't have the external switch. I plan to swap these out with this other style Foscam with the switch and have an eye on both overhead doors as well as back door and all windows with the ability to control both doors separately. All from my smart phone from anywhere with an internet connection. I love technology.

 

[fstbusa]

There's a write-up on using a security cam with an external I/O switch like a Foscam. The external switch is meant to trigger various things but you can actually wire it into your garage door opener and using a app like IPCamViewer Pro you can trigger this to control your door AND as an added bonus view live video to double check to see if the door was left open or not. I have a couple of the newer Foscams in the garage now for security and they don't have the external switch. I plan to swap these out with this other style Foscam with the switch and have an eye on both overhead doors as well as back door and all windows with the ability to control both doors separately. All from my smart phone from anywhere with an internet connection. I love technology.

Do you know which cameras have an I/O out? I looked thru the specs and didn't see that option.

 

[OstrichSaK]

Do you know which cameras have an I/O out? I looked thru the specs and didn't see that option.

This is the Foscam that has the external switch: FI8908W

We're running several of these now that do NOT have the switches: FI8918W

So buy the first camera and then use this link for the info on how to hook up. Once it's all connected IPCamViewer Pro has an option you can use to control that switch. You'll also want to pay attention to the part where you need to order another $5 or so part that will keep it from opening the garage door on boot if the camera loses power & then gets it back.

 

[win1forgipp]

Digging up an old thread. Found something very useful for garage door automatioon or anything else electronic that can be controlled via relays. They have a free app on the Play Store.

h ttp://w ww.controlanything.com/Relay/Relay/ANDROID_RELAY-STANDARD

 

[drmpf]

www.pfod.com.au has step by step instructions for building your own android controlled gargage door opener. Using my Android App (pfodApp) No android programming is required. Uses an Arduino base.

Can also be easily modified to control other things around the home.

 

[OstrichSaK]

pfod.com.au has step by step instructions for building your own android controlled gargage door opener. No android programming required. Uses an Arduino base.

Can also be easily modified to control other things around the home.

Thanks for sharing, I'll look into this.

I've been using the Foscam camera solution I posted a while back and after about a year or so I've got mixed reviews. It works well but there are downsides. One is that whenever the camera loses power, upon reboot it sends an 'all clear' signal which essentially opens up your garage door every time they lose power. To combat this I installed a UPS in my garage attic that they are both connected to. If power is lost the doors don't just automatically open. Seems to work for the most part but the next problem is these cameras are very susceptible to heat. Anytime it gets into the 90's (pretty regular in CO) the likelihood that one or both of the cameras will lose it's marbles is high. They basically quit working and the only solution is manually unplugging power and plugging it back in. This can be a PITA depending on where they are mounted. To top it all off these older cameras with the relay output are older technology so picture quality is noticeably worse compared to the newer models. There are essentially two newer models since these and they get progressively better with each one. I've got a few of the newest ones installed elsewhere and the PQ and performance is night and day difference. The newest ones also appear to be less temperamental about higher heat.

In summary if this other option works that doesn't involve the cameras at all I will be glad to move over to a different solution. It will likely be more stable (couldn't be any less to be honest) and will allow me to get the newer cameras installed in place of these.

 

[drmpf]

I just updated the Android Garage Door Remote control with a NO soldering version. So it is now all plug and play. No Android programming required and no soldering required.
see www.pfod.com.au
Here is a screen shot of the Android screen. What is very nice about this is that this screen's contents is specified by the code in the Arduino micro. The pfodApp used here just renders the micro-page supplied by the garage door controller.

 

[OstrichSaK]

I just updated the Android Garage Door Remote control with a NO soldering version. So it is now all plug and play. No Android programming required and no soldering required.
see pfod.com.au
Here is a screen shot of the Android screen

So you're the dev? Might have been helpful to reveal that information with your previous post. So make this work I need to use your app and an Arduino controller thingy? What if I have multiple garage doors? Can it be done with a single controller or do I need one for each garage door? Does your app have provisions for multiple garage doors?