{HowTo} turn on/off your monitor (Time based, PIR/Button, App)

MadScientist

This is how my setup looks like at the moment:
alt text
Relay: Black = GND, white = Vcc 3.3V, green = IN
PIR: Black = GND, red = Vcc, green = out

Gray, blue, puple = ds18b20 temperature sensor.

I actually haven’t had a false trigger yet and the Pi is running for more than an hour now. I will keep it running the whole day. Have a multimeter connected to the relay, set to continuity test, so I should hear a beeping sound every time the relay gets triggered.

cruunnerr

@MadScientist

sounds like a good plan :)

edit:
i also made changes to the scripts so now u were able to end them via “ctrl+c”.
Don’t know if i did everything correct but it works here. :)
I am just electronics technician and no programer ^^

hoofta

I got really excited to see this post when it was shared a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, I have yet to get it to work. I am using a PIR sensor along with Paviro’s module. My issue is that I am using an LG TV which, when the signal is no longer received from the HDMI port, a “no signal” screensaver bounces around. So my goal is to get the screen to just go to black while the raspberry pi does not enter a power-save mode.

I have attempted to use the “screen_off/on” option original provided instead of the “monitor_on/off” but it doesn’t seem to be working properly.

I have tested that the PIR is connected but in my test it keeps teling me that motion is detected when there is no movement. I am doing this through a python script. I am fairly new at this so if anyone can please let me know what else I can provide you to help me get this thing working with the PIR sensor. Thanks.

MadScientist

@hoofta Couldn’t you use a relay (like me) but instead of disconnecting the power you just trigger the power on/off button?

hoofta

@MadScientist I am not sure if I could or not. Could you elaborate on how you have yours setup?

MadScientist

@hoofta My mirror isn’t done yet but in my case the relay will disconnect the power from the power supply to the LCD. I have no idea what TV you’re using but you could solder 2 wires to the power button of your TV and connect them to a relay, which will be triggered by a PIR motion sensor.

cruunnerr

@hoofta said in {HowTo} turn on/off your monitor (Time based, PIR/Button, App):

I have attempted to use the “screen_off/on” option original provided instead of the “monitor_on/off” but it doesn’t seem to be working properly.

As described u need to use the “pir.py” script from point 2.2.
But then (and i forgot to write that) u need to change the shell script names in the script or keep the “monitor_on” as name.
Sorry for my english, i hope u understand.

So, to help u out:
u already creates the “screen_on.sh” and “screen_off.sh”, right?

then u need to change the following lines in the “pir.py” script like this:

def turn_on():
	subprocess.call("sh /home/pi/screen_on.sh", shell=True)

def turn_off():
	subprocess.call("sh /home/pi/screen_off.sh", shell=True)

The idea to connect the power button of the TV to a relay is a good start. So u could save much money.

But then the relay must do an impulse instead of being on or off static.

To do this u could use the normal pir.py script from point 2.2 (without any changes).
But the content of both *.sh files should look like this:

nano monitor_on.sh :

gpio -g write 27 1
sleep 1
gpio -g write 27 0

nano monitor_off.sh :

gpio -g write 27 1
sleep 1
gpio -g write 27 0

chmod +x monitor_on.sh
chmod +x monitor_off.sh

Connect the relay with two wires parallel to the power button of your tv.
On the relay use “C” and “NO”

hoofta

@cruunnerr I did see originally where the monitor_on/off.sh needed to have the word “monitor” replaced with “screen” in the pir.py script. I am not sure I am confident enough to solder in a relay to the power switch on my TV. :-/

What script do you use to confirm your PIR is hooked up correctly and receiving the proper signal/input?

cruunnerr

@hoofta said in {HowTo} turn on/off your monitor (Time based, PIR/Button, App):

What script do you use to confirm your PIR is hooked up correctly and receiving the proper signal/input?

Just use the pir.py script from the tutorial ;)

every movement will show some dots in your terminal

hoofta

@cruunnerr Right, sorry about that. I forgot you included it. When I did that during initial setup, the dots scrolls across without stopping. Motion or not, dots keep generating.

cruunnerr

then u probably connected it wrong and the gpio which is used in the script is set to high (1). u can check this…

type gpio readall to see the GPIO Breakout.

pi@MagicMirror_Test:~ $ gpio readall
 +-----+-----+---------+------+---+---Pi 2---+---+------+---------+-----+-----+
 | BCM | wPi |   Name  | Mode | V | Physical | V | Mode | Name    | wPi | BCM |
 +-----+-----+---------+------+---+----++----+---+------+---------+-----+-----+
 |     |     |    3.3v |      |   |  1 || 2  |   |      | 5v      |     |     |
 |   2 |   8 |   SDA.1 |   IN | 1 |  3 || 4  |   |      | 5v      |     |     |
 |   3 |   9 |   SCL.1 |   IN | 1 |  5 || 6  |   |      | 0v      |     |     |
 |   4 |   7 | GPIO. 7 |   IN | 1 |  7 || 8  | 1 | ALT0 | TxD     | 15  | 14  |
 |     |     |      0v |      |   |  9 || 10 | 1 | ALT0 | RxD     | 16  | 15  |
 |  17 |   0 | GPIO. 0 |  OUT | 1 | 11 || 12 | 0 | IN   | GPIO. 1 | 1   | 18  |
 |  27 |   2 | GPIO. 2 |  OUT | 1 | 13 || 14 |   |      | 0v      |     |     |
 |  22 |   3 | GPIO. 3 |   IN | 0 | 15 || 16 | 0 | IN   | GPIO. 4 | 4   | 23  |
 |     |     |    3.3v |      |   | 17 || 18 | 1 | IN   | GPIO. 5 | 5   | 24  |
 |  10 |  12 |    MOSI |   IN | 0 | 19 || 20 |   |      | 0v      |     |     |
 |   9 |  13 |    MISO |   IN | 0 | 21 || 22 | 0 | IN   | GPIO. 6 | 6   | 25  |
 |  11 |  14 |    SCLK |   IN | 0 | 23 || 24 | 1 | IN   | CE0     | 10  | 8   |
 |     |     |      0v |      |   | 25 || 26 | 1 | IN   | CE1     | 11  | 7   |
 |   0 |  30 |   SDA.0 |   IN | 1 | 27 || 28 | 1 | IN   | SCL.0   | 31  | 1   |
 |   5 |  21 | GPIO.21 |   IN | 1 | 29 || 30 |   |      | 0v      |     |     |
 |   6 |  22 | GPIO.22 |   IN | 1 | 31 || 32 | 0 | IN   | GPIO.26 | 26  | 12  |
 |  13 |  23 | GPIO.23 |   IN | 0 | 33 || 34 |   |      | 0v      |     |     |
 |  19 |  24 | GPIO.24 |   IN | 0 | 35 || 36 | 0 | IN   | GPIO.27 | 27  | 16  |
 |  26 |  25 | GPIO.25 |   IN | 0 | 37 || 38 | 0 | IN   | GPIO.28 | 28  | 20  |
 |     |     |      0v |      |   | 39 || 40 | 0 | IN   | GPIO.29 | 29  | 21  |
 +-----+-----+---------+------+---+----++----+---+------+---------+-----+-----+
 | BCM | wPi |   Name  | Mode | V | Physical | V | Mode | Name    | wPi | BCM |
 +-----+-----+---------+------+---+---Pi 2---+---+------+---------+-----+-----+

In the script the BCM pin 22 is used for the PIR. This is GPIO 3 and physically it is pin 15.

Please check if your pir is connected correctly.

Edit:

Oh, and take a look at your PIR. u can set the delay time from 0.3seconds up to 5 minutes. Maybe its set very high.
For using the soloutions of this tutorial the PIR adjust time should be set very low, as u can set the time within the script :)
https://www.mpja.com/download/31227sc.pdf

hoofta

@cruunnerr As many have said your patience and helpfulness is much appreciated. I did have the ground and the power swapped. I turned off the Pi swapped them and turned it back on and re-ran the test. Got the same thing. I grabbed another PIR and ensured I plugged it in properly. Hooray! (I guess I fried the other one by swapping PWR and GND) Your python test works and it activates MM for the proper amount of seconds after the time delay. Woohoo! Now I need to get it to go to a black screen instead of turning off since after the PIR Sensor stops sensing motion I then see the “NO SIGNAL” screensaver bounce around my TV. One step closer!

cruunnerr

:)

thank you very much ^^

I am very glad u found out what went wrong. :)
So now u should be able to use the “screen_on/off” files instead of the monitor_onoff

Just try out :)

hoofta

@cruunnerr I just redid step 2.2 with the alteration of screen_on/off.sh (instead of monitor) and the HDMI is still being disabled and giving me the “no signal” screensaver.

How do I know that the chmod +x steps are actually making the script executable?

cruunnerr

try the shell scripts without the python script.

sh monitor_off.sh should show a black screen (not turning HDMI off)
sh monitor_on.sh should disable the black screen.

if this is working for u, then your pir.py script seems not being correct.

the chmod +x step is necessary for the python script execute the shell scripts.

But first try the commands above. If this doesn’t work, then i have to think about and search for a solution.
But i tried it just a few seconds ago, and it works fine here

hoofta

@cruunnerr for me $ sh monitor_off.sh returns the following
sh: 0: Can’t open monitor_off.sh
I then inputted $ nano monitor_off.sh and it’s empty when I just inputted the commands from your instructions. ¯_(ツ)_/¯

cruunnerr

again one step closer :D

put in the content and save with “ctrl+x” and “y”

try everything agin and report if u got trouble again :)

edit:

oh sorry. Aren’t we using “screen_on/off”?? :D

so try

sh screen_off.sh should show a black screen (not turning HDMI off)
sh screen_on.sh should disable the black screen.

hoofta

I GOT IT! I stepped back a few steps with the module removed from the config.js file and it wouldn’t blank anymore so it made me think I had something wrong with the pir.py file.

I looked into Paviro’s files in the PIR-Sensor folder and found in the node_helper.js file a reference to tvservice -o/p. I found where my xscreensaver was located /usr/bin/ and I had the node_helper file execute the xscreensaver instead of the tvservice.

Bingo! No more “No Signal” bouncing around when the PIR-Sensor module kicks in! Many thanks to Cruunnerr for the help. Definitely could not have figured this out without you!

Mykle1

@hoofta

Good work, mate! I like it. :-)

PaulB

@cruunnerr,

Thank you so much! What a great ‘How-to’- Guide :)

You and your post helped a lot. :)