Technologist and Freetronics customer Peter has documented a very simple and popular method of safely controlling AC mains outlets using an Arduino board. Instead of making his own AC-switching circuits using relays and other hardware, he has simply hacked the remote transmitter from a remote-controlled power socket set as shown below. By using a 74HC595 shift register module that controls switching transistors connnected to the button circuitry in the remote - the Arduino can now command the remote power sockets. Easy and safe - perfect!
Kudos to Peter for making something so simple and useful. For more information, visit his blog here. And we're on twitter and Google+, so follow us for news and product updates as well.
To make inserting a 74HC595 shift register into your prototypes easy and fast, use our EXPAND: shift register module:
It makes adding more outputs to your microcontroller simple - with a labelled breakout board and blue power LED, you can't go wrong. And if you're not sure how they work, our Quickstart guide will have you up and running in no time. For more information and to order, click here.
