How you make it work
First step: flashing firmware and set up network connection to access web-interface
- Have the hardware ready (esp32 board and RF module(s))
- You can do all the wiring now or later.
- Make sure, that all the wiring is solid and be suspicious of cheap breadboards.
- Connect wires to the correct pins for the configured GPIOs
- Download and flash the esp32-firmware
- Set up network connection
- its easy to just use the menu-tool. it can not only flash firmware, but also set up the WLAN connection
- if you did not use menu-tool you can connect to WLAN AP web-interface for setting up the network connection there
- you can also use a terminal on USB to set up network connection with CLI
- Open the web-interface
- the web-interface is self-documenting using mouse-over tool-tips. this has all the information you need and its the most up-to-date
You can now do all further set up work from inside the web interface.
Second step: Make it control your Fernotron receivers
- set up the ESP32-GPIOs where your RF module(s) are connected to
- one GPIO for RF data transmitter line
- one GPIO for RF data receiver line(if you want that)
- one GPIO for user button (to authenticate adjusting shutter end points)
- if using CC1101 transceiver module: four GPIOs for its SPI interface
- Scan the ID of your original programming central.
- You can also find the ID on a label located behind the batteries, and can enter it manually
tronferno can now control all your Fernotron receivers registered to the original programming central
Third step: Copy the data from your original programming central
You have to enter the data manually, like you would do when replacing the original programming central with another one.
- set up number of groups and receivers
- set up names of groups and receivers
- enter geo coordinates for your place (for astro timers)
- set up internal timers
- you basically program all the timer again
- the astro times may slightly differ from the original
- there are alternative astro time tables (option astro-correction)
tronferno will now show only the groups and receiver which are used. it will now only calculate and report positions for these groups/receivers, which saves resources.
Optional step: Set up position tracking
- measure the run times of each shutter
- register existing Fernotron transmitters
- give each transmitter a name
- tell tronferno to which receivers a transmitter is registered
tronferno can not show the current positions and move the shutter to a wanted position.
Optional step: Home Server Integration
- Integrate with home server
- Set up MQTT client
- (Auto)-create device configuration for home server
- For fhem, there is also an optional module tronferno-fhem which can be used instead of MQTT. It communicates with FHEM via USB or IP/TCP. This module was written before tronferno-mcu had MQTT and a web-app. Its no longer that useful.
- Backup your settings
- Update firmware to get bug-fixes and new features.
if your home-server supports it, you can now control your shutters using voice commands (with alexa)