SMS Module Project

[Biggles]

Hello All

It's been a while but I know that the pool of knowledge here is far and wide.

I have a little project in my head and to achieve it I need to send a txt message to an SMS module which in turn will drive a make and break a set amount of times.

So for example if I send a text and the command in the text is to close and open the relay say 5 or 10 times or what ever, what do I need to to look for to achieve this?

 

Also would a module to do this be availiable working on a WiFi network, this would have to addressable in the same way that the SMS number would be unique to each module. So for example if on WiFi, box 1 wouldneed to receive commands for it only and box 2 and 3 etc.

Cheers

 

Kevin

[Arthur Brown]

"Hive" Control your home from your phone. Can anyone explain why a penguin would like it "nice and warm inside" -it's a change channel advert.

[nicknorman]

Hello All

It's been a while but I know that the pool of knowledge here is far and wide.

I have a little project in my head and to achieve it I need to send a txt message to an SMS module which in turn will drive a make and break a set amount of times.

So for example if I send a text and the command in the text is to close and open the relay say 5 or 10 times or what ever, what do I need to to look for to achieve this?

 

Also would a module to do this be availiable working on a WiFi network, this would have to addressable in the same way that the SMS number would be unique to each module. So for example if on WiFi, box 1 wouldneed to receive commands for it only and box 2 and 3 etc.

Cheers

 

Kevin

I can't think of anything that could do this "out of the box" but something like a raspberry pi 3 (which has built in wifi) linked to a phone/SMS module could. But it would need bespoke software.

[Tony Brooks]

That was my thought as I read the post as well.

 

For simplicity and easy to write can you get the basic (Like BBC Basic) language for the Pi. I do not see the speed of operation being critical enouh to demand assembly language.

[Tacet]

Whilst we're waiting for Bizzard to provide an elegant solution, could the message start a complete-revolution motor (like a windsceen wiper) - with its cams tripping contacts? You'd need as many motors as options required, of course.

[oarfish]

If you already have wifi, you don't need additional SMS / mobile at all. A simpler networking design would be to use MQTT and a cloud service like AWS IoT / Azure / etc. Protocol uses little bandwidth and for hobbyist levels of traffic would be free.

That way you can easily address your devices individually without messing about with additional sim cards etc. Disclaimer - I do this for a living https://presciense.com/.

[nicknorman]

If you already have wifi, you don't need additional SMS / mobile at all. A simpler networking design would be to use MQTT and a cloud service like AWS IoT / Azure / etc. Protocol uses little bandwidth and for hobbyist levels of traffic would be free.

That way you can easily address your devices individually without messing about with additional sim cards etc. Disclaimer - I do this for a living https://presciense.com/.

 

Good point. I'd presumed this was for a boat or some other remote location without a fixed broadband connection, but maybe not. The OP wasn't giving much away!

[Stormbringer]

Custom build your own using a pi or arduino..relays and SMS boards readily available for both.

[Tony Brooks]

I do like Tacet's contribution. Real robust old school and you can see what has gone wrong - unlike any computer solution.

[WotEver]

 

I do like Tacet's contribution. Real robust old school and you can see what has gone wrong - unlike any computer solution.

 

A few years back someone passed me a box and asked me if I could do anything with it. "What does it do?" I asked. "It's for flashing lights for my disco".

 

When I looked inside, there was a rheostat driving a motor with a bunch of cams on the spindle, each of which operated a microswitch, each of which operated one or more relays - there must have been around 20 relays in total - a huge spaghetti monster of wiring and two long lengths of choc-block on the back of the box.

 

I gave it back and built him a simple 4 channel sound to light box which he thought was amazing.

[nicknorman]

I do like Tacet's contribution. Real robust old school and you can see what has gone wrong - unlike any computer solution.

Computers never go wrong, it is only the humans who built and programmed them that go wrong!

[Paul C]

Hello All

 

It's been a while but I know that the pool of knowledge here is far and wide.

 

I have a little project in my head and to achieve it I need to send a txt message to an SMS module which in turn will drive a make and break a set amount of times.

 

So for example if I send a text and the command in the text is to close and open the relay say 5 or 10 times or what ever, what do I need to to look for to achieve this?

 

Also would a module to do this be availiable working on a WiFi network, this would have to addressable in the same way that the SMS number would be unique to each module. So for example if on WiFi, box 1 wouldneed to receive commands for it only and box 2 and 3 etc.

 

Cheers

 

Kevin

 

The SMS part is easy - you can buy boxes with inputs and outputs controllable by (and which can send data to..) SMS. But it would simply allow an "on" or "off" digital output.

 

I am not sure why you'd then need to switch this 5-10 times, or what the timing is - what's this for? But so long as the times under consideration (ie on for 1 second, off for 1 second, etc) are realistic, some kind of electronic circuit could be used for this, no doubt using a little timer and an incrementer of some kind.

 

If you simply wanted something to be alternately turned on/off until you sent a further signal via SMS, then you could save the effort of an electronic circuit and come up with something much simpler using a car indicator relay (make sure the load is reasonable, to make it flash at the right speed, or use a trailer relay or something like that).

[Jess--]

I have made a few assumptions...

1. there will be several modules

2. the modules will not be in close proximity to each other

3. the modules could be anywhere in the world

 

To my mind the best approach would be an arduino paired with a gsm Module and a wifi module (if needed)

 

however to start using wifi (or any other type of internet connectivity) I suspect that a central server will also be needed.

 

SMS commands can be handled fairly easily and offer the individual addressing that you want (via their phone number)

 

by using a central server you can also have your modules get their commands via wifi or GPRS (mobile internet using the gsm module), then the modules could poll the server every few seconds to check for new commands by sending a unique identifier (IMEI No of the gsm module).

from the servers point of view there would be no difference whether the module was connected via wifi or gprs

 

Module --> Server - "IMEI634872348798237"

Server Response - "NC" (no command)

Module --> Server - "IMEI634872348798237,ACK" (acknowledge message received)

 

Module --> Server - "IMEI634872348798237"

Server Response - "Flash,2,5,2,10" (Flash output 2, 5 seconds on, 2 seconds off, repeat 10 times)

Module --> Server - "IMEI634872348798237,ACK" (acknowledge message received)

Module --> Server - "IMEI634872348798237"

Server Response - "On,3" (turn output 3 on)

Module --> Server - "IMEI634872348798237,ACK" (acknowledge message received)

the biggest technical problem I can see is getting the wifi module to connect (unless it connects to any open access point)

[Guest]

Computers never go wrong, it is only the humans who built and programmed them that go wrong!

Glad somebody didn't tell this to the ones I used to repair. Would have left me out of work for 20 years!

[nicknorman]

Glad somebody didn't tell this to the ones I used to repair. Would have left me out of work for 20 years!

It wasn't their fault, it was the fault of those who designed and built them - badly!

[ditchcrawler]

Whilst we're waiting for Bizzard to provide an elegant solution, could the message start a complete-revolution motor (like a windsceen wiper) - with its cams tripping contacts? You'd need as many motors as options required, of course.

This reminds me of the old GPO uniselectors

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GPO-UNISELECTOR-Type-4-31A-for-mounting-in-a-relay-set-case-Used-Recovered-/142201037807?hash=item211bd7a3ef:g:2L0AAOSwB09YRGDh

[WotEver]

[Guest]

It wasn't their fault, it was the fault of those who designed and built them - badly!

Aye true enough, was only messing. Capacitors were the big fail on many, and we used to bodge a better one onto the m/board. Trebled the life in some cases for a few pence.

I skipped an elderly IBM 486 just a few years ago that still worked perfectly from new. My kids hammered it, spilled stuff on it etc. and still it worked somehow.

[Jess--]

Aye true enough, was only messing. Capacitors were the big fail on many, and we used to bodge a better one onto the m/board. Trebled the life in some cases for a few pence.

I skipped an elderly IBM 486 just a few years ago that still worked perfectly from new. My kids hammered it, spilled stuff on it etc. and still it worked somehow.

IBM = Indestructible Bl***y Machinery

 

typed on an IBM Model M keyboard (if I hit it against a wall I would expect the wall to be the loser)

[mross]

There are off-the shelf solutions available which still involve some project work. It's worth searching on Google for M2M SMS.

 

Here's just one......https://www.isocketworld.com/en/iSocket-Smart-Relay-ISR57BGSM/

[ditchcrawler]

Takes me back to 1972

[cuthound]

Takes me back to 1972

Me to!

 

Particularly evocative for me were the alarm fuses shown, as these were common to the power equipment I worked on, as well as of course the noise of the Stowger equipment.

[Allan(nb Albert)]

If you already have wifi, you don't need additional SMS / mobile at all. A simpler networking design would be to use MQTT and a cloud service like AWS IoT / Azure / etc. Protocol uses little bandwidth and for hobbyist levels of traffic would be free.

 

That way you can easily address your devices individually without messing about with additional sim cards etc. Disclaimer - I do this for a living https://presciense.com/.

 

 

I suspect that this is the most helpful post so far.

 

I think it would be helpful if the O/P was more specific regarding what he is trying to achieve ...

[Paul C]

If its canal-boat related there's plenty of places on the canal network where a data signal won't get through, but an SMS message would. Thus, for reliability I'd recommend an SMS solution, especially if its low-bandwidth signals to be sent such as simple on-off to a device. But Biggles (OP) really needs to come back and offer a little more clarity on the project. I looked into SMS-linked boat electrics a while back, to turn off/on lighting and send back data such as battery voltage, temperature, humidity etc. A few narrowboats have an SMS-linked system on them but its not common.

[Biggles]

Hello all

 

Thanks for the interesting replies.

 

What I want to do is have a module in fact 10 of them that can top up electric meters. Currently they drop a £1 coin in which hits a switch once to add credit. What I want is to do away with cash and get them to pay electronically and I will send a txt or even through WiFi as there is WiFi in the building. This txt would contain the instructions to hit the switch the required number of times.