Boncuk
New Member
Ok so you want to make a better switch.
1. The problem starts with powering it. It would be a real dogs breakfast to have a cord coming out of the lightswitch going to a wall adapter so you need to find a teeny weeny power supply that can fit inside the wall plate.
I don't see a problem powering a mixed voltage device in a wall outlet. The circuit would normally require +12V (for the bistable relay which is not available for lower coil voltages.) I split the power supply to -5V and +6.5V to power the MCU and the relay with limited voltage (11.5V). I also don't see a problem using a separate PVC pipe for a low voltage cable to supply the circuit.
2. Who's got 12 light switches in a row in their home?
It's a matter of room count. Of course, if your home has just one room one light switch might suffice.
3. Projects involving the mains are not suited for beginners or noobs, you would also run into local certifications so it wouldn't be easy to export as a kit. Transformer-less supplies also tend to run hot, plus their probably a bad idea when combined with a metal touchplate.
Connecting the mains side of the switch is nothing else than connecting a "normal" light switch with the difference that mains neutral can be connected to the PCB or directly to the light.
I also stated already that I don't intend to use a transformer-less power supply for safety considerations.
I never mentioned to sell the circuit as a kit, but publish it 'open source' as suggested by bryan1.
4. Efficiency, well a mechanical switch is pretty near 100% efficient, a touchswitch is not.
Admitted, a mechanical switch is 100% efficient not consuming any power, except when the switch resistance increases due to burnt contacts. The entire circuit (without LEDs) consumes about 60mW in standby and 500mW for a brief moment (when the relay is energized).
I guess having two LEDs illuminate the touch area will be cheaper than new wallpapers, since dirty hands will cause visible (and ugly) color changes around the light switch when searching for it in the dark.
5. Light switch manufactures in Thailand must enjoy selling to an audience that busts their stuff. It's possible to make an unbreakable light switch by mere mortals, it would probably cost less than a hi tech solution. Cheap light switches here are less than $1 retail, wholesale must be pennies.
Not only light switch manufacturers, but every electric and electronic manufacturer enjoys selling his stuff in Thailand. For an example, my lovely little stepdaughter has managed to push all control buttons inside the enclosure of her stereo. They are still working by poking a toothpick through the holes to hit the buttons.
My neighbor switches TV channels using grip pliers after having ripped apart the big knob.
6. Such stuff already exists. And there are oodles of em.
**broken link removed**
Not a good example! On top of the page it says "DISCONTINUED"
Last not least, I invited forum members to suggest improvement - not talk into me to use a better quality mechanical light switch.
Regards
Boncuk
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