TimerSocket - Control your electrical socket using Android and Arduino

Introduction

This project was presented by Álvaro Justen and Diego Dukão on 2012-07-27 at FISL13, in Porto Alegre/RS, Brazil.

Architecture

Android <-[HTTP]-> Computer <-[Serial]-> Arduino <-[electrical]-> Socket

• Your Android phone talks with a computer (using Wi-Fi, 3G or whatever you want)
  • Android makes HTTP requests that are answered by a python script (http_server.py)
• The computer talks with Arduino using USB (we use python-serial library for this)
• The Arduino controls a relay that switches a socket on and off.

If you have an Ethernet, Bluetooth or Wi-Fi shield, you can completly remove the computer and your Android will talk directly to Arduino.

Usage

Just follow these steps:

Arduino

• Make the circuit to control the relay
• Connect the relay module to Arduino digital pin 7
• Upload the software (arduino/TimerSocket/TimerSocket.ino)

Computer

• Connect Arduino to an USB port
• Install the library python-serial (apt-get install python-serial)
• Run python computer/http_server.py

Android

• Connect in the same network of your computer
• Build the application APK
• Install on your phone
• Open it
• Configure the computer's IP address in the application
• Done!