USB 16-Channel Relay Control App V1.0

Board Screenshot

APP Screenshot

Description

This Python application provides a graphical user interface (GUI) to control a specific 16-channel USB relay board based on the QinHeng Electronics CH340 serial converter (ID 1a86:7523).

After an extensive reverse-engineering process, the specific command protocol for this board was identified, and this application was built to provide a stable, user-friendly, and cross-platform (Windows/Linux) control panel for it.

The project was a collaboration between the user and the Google AI Gemini.

Features

• Auto-Detection: Automatically scans and detects compatible USB relay boards by their specific hardware ID.
• Multi-Device Support: Configure and switch between multiple connected relay boards.
• Persistent Configuration: Saves device nicknames and custom relay labels to an .ini file.
• Customizable Interface:
  • Assign custom names to each of the 16 relays (e.g., "Main Lights", "Engine Pump").
  • Assign custom ON/OFF icons for each relay from an icons folder.
• Live Connection Monitoring: The GUI visually indicates if the selected board becomes disconnected and disables controls to prevent errors.
• Cross-Platform: Works on both Windows and Linux systems.

Requirements

• Python 3.x
• PySerial: pip install pyserial
• Pillow (PIL Fork): pip install Pillow
• A compatible 16-channel USB relay board with the CH340 (1a86:7523) chipset.

Hardware Command Protocol

The application controls the board by sending specific 17-byte hexadecimal commands over the serial port at a 9600 baud rate. The protocol was discovered to be an ASCII-HEX format.

• Example Command (Relay 1 ON): 3A 46 45 30 35 30 30 30 30 46 46 30 30 46 45 0D 0A
• Example Command (Relay 1 OFF): 3A 46 45 30 35 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 46 44 0D 0A

How to Use

1. Clone or Download the Repository:

   git clone https://github.com/peterpt/USB-Relay-Control.git
   cd USB-Relay-Control

2. Install Dependencies:

   pip install -r requirements.txt

3. Connect the Hardware:

   • Ensure the relay board's blue jumper is in the USB position.
   • Connect both the USB cable and the external 12V DC power supply.

4. Run the Application:

   python3 gui.py

5. First-Time Setup:

   • Go to Configure -> Devices....
   • The application will scan for connected boards. Your board should appear as a [New] device.
   • Select the new device and click "Configure...".
   • Give the module a nickname and assign custom labels to each of the 16 relays. Click "Save".
   • The main window will now display and control your newly configured board.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License