For some time, I had that curtain in my workshop. I sometimes use it when I want
to change the background of my videos, because is very easy to use that effect.
But as you can see, like this is very ugly because it stands there in the corner.
For now I was using it on these sliding rollers and when I don’t use it, I put it on the side.
That’s ugly and it messes up the curtain. That’s why today I will go from this, to this.
An automatic motorized curtain with rollers that will go up and down and can be controlled with my
smartphone. And this is pretty cool, right? I’ll share with you as always, for free, the 3D printed
parts, the schematic and the code, so check electronoobs.com. So guys, let’s get started.
What’s up my friends, welcome back. My background wall is around 2.5 meters wide.
I bought these wooden bars from a local home depot for just 7 dollars. I measure the diameter.
Then I make this simple design in Blender. I print it out and now it could have a bearing on top.
This part can be later fixed in place on the wood bar. Then I’ve designed this other part.
This will get fixed in place on my room ceiling and it will secure in place this bearing support.
That’s for the right side. But on the left side we need something more,
and as you can see the 3D design is a bit more complicated.
First, I’ve made this case. To rotate the bar I want to use a step motor because is
easy to use and very precise. But to increase the torque I’ve also printed these gears.
One will go to the step motor shaft and the other one will be screwed on top of an 8mm threaded rod.
That rod will be connected to another plastic support like this,
and once again this will support the other side of the wood bar.
Now all we have to do is to keep in place this screw and rotate this gear and together with it ,
the wood bar and that will pull up or down the curtain. For that I've designed this gear case.
It can have the step motor below here and another bearing on the side.
Inside we can have the gear and the motor would be able to rotate it increasing the torque. But
only one bearing is not enough because like that the screw will move around and we don't want that.
That’s why on the side we have another part of this case.
This one has another space for another bearing, so like that the screw is supported on both sides
so it won’t wobble around. Inside this case we could place the electronics.
THen we have a cover that is very easy to put in place.
This part will get screwed on the ceiling and then we can slide the gearbox on it like this.
That’s how we attach this on the workshop ceiling. So go below and download all these 3D files.
They were all printed with PLA filament.
Together with the 3D parts we need 3 bearings like this one, the 608zz.
WE need a threaded rod of 8mm, nuts, washers and some M3 screws.
As for the electronics, we need a NEMA 17 stepper motor. This one is quite big so it
should have enough power. To control it we need a driver. The cheap version would be these A 49 88
drivers. But these are very loud. For silent and smooth movement I always use the TMC2202 drivers.
They only cost a few more dollars. To control the driver I will use an Arduino NANO
and to receive data from the smartphone I will use a Bluetooth module like this one, the HC-05 or 06.
To supply everything I will use a 12V DC adaptor connected to this power jack.
And that’s pretty much all we need so let’s start assembling this motorized curtain controller.
We start with the threaded rod. It should be around 9cm long.
On one end I add a nut, then the wood bar support and then another nut and tight them.
Tight it very well so it won’t get loose. Now I add one bearing and yet another nut.
Then I pass this rod through one side of the gear case like this. Inside I add a washer,
then another thicker washer, then the big gear, another washer and another nut
and we tight this on the gear. On the other side I get the small gear and the stepper motor.
On the gear we add a threaded insertion like this.
I use my soldering iron for that. Nowe I place the gear on the motor shaft and I tight a screw.
The motor will go here below the gear case and it will be in contact with the big gear.
I add 4 screws for the stepper motor. I adjust the position of the motor so the
small gear will be in good contact with the big one and then I tight the screws.
At this point we can add some vaseline to the gears before we close the case.
Now get these 3D printed parts. Using small screws we first join together these two parts.
On the small part we add some threaded insertions on the sides.
Now we can merge this part of the case with the rest of the gearbox.
To close it, we add screws on the sides. Then we add another bearing followed by another nut.
Now the gear system is done.
So inside this case we can place the electronics and then close it with this cover. Below I add
this power connector. This will supply 12V. On a piece of prototyping PCB, I add the Arduino,
the driver and the Bluetooth module. First I cut the PCB to size so it will fit inside.
THis is the schematic for this project so download it from below before you make the connections.
I solder everything and make connections with small wires. My PCB is ready. By the way, this
prototyping PCB is my own design. Because I always buy these green ones from AliExpress for example.
But it will cost you a lot cheaper to just make this 100 by 100 mm PCB and order it from PCBWay,
because 10 PCBs are just 5 dollars. They are double sided, black and with no margins,
just as I wanted. You can download this design from my website if you want it.
Anyway, the electronics are prepared and connected together.
I place it inside the case. I solder wires from the 12V jack to the PCB.
THen I connect the step motor wires to the driver. I’ve soldered wires to a hall sensor.
It will go connected oh these pins on the PCB. I will glue this hall sensor here and
use it as a limit stop when the curtain is up and that would be the start position.
Now that everything is connected inside, I upload the final code that you can download from below.
Also download this Android App that I’ve designed, copy it to your smartphone using
a USB cable and then install it. Let’s make a test. I connect 12V and turn on the Arduino.
In bluetooth, I search for new devices and I pair toi the HC-05 module using 1234 or 0000 password.
Now I open my App. Press the bluetooth icon and select the HC05 module
and you will see that the LED will stop blinking.
I can rotate the motor up and down. When I press the home button, as you can see, the motor will
rotate in one direction till I place a magnet in front of the hall sensor. When that happens,
it stores the home position and we can use it normally. Use the arrows on the app to lower
or rise the curtain. So everything seems to work ok. I take down the old background. I place the
curtain flat on my living room floor. Then I add the wood bar and use staples to fix it in place.
I add another bar on the other side as weight.
I screw in place on the ceiling, the left case with the motor. THen I add the right side.
I add the bearing and fix the curtain with the wood bar in place. Now I pass a plastic cover
for the wires, and through this, I pass the supply wire with 12V. Now everything is ready for a test.
Start the app, connect to the Bluetooth module and move the curtain up and down.
It works very well and is very easy to use it.
Then, press the home button and the curtain will go up till it touches
with the magnet the hall sensor, and it stops, and that will be the 0 position.
Then I use the arrows to extend the curtain at its maximum length.
When we are at full extension we can press the set max button
and the new maximum length will be stored to the Arduino. Now adjust the height however you want.
So guys, do you like my project? You have everything you need below ready for
download from electronoobs.com Maybe you could improve the design and make it battery based.
Feel free to make any improvement. I hope you have learned something new,
consider giving me a like or comment below. Thanks again and see you later guys.