Introduction: Garage Monitor 3001

About: I like to tinker with just about anything, sometimes it works out in the end. Have fun looking at the projects, try tearing something open and let me know how it goes. cheers, -Joe
Problem: My garage is detached from my house, difficult to see if the doors are open from the house. Or maybe I am in a hurry to ride to work and forgot to close the door.

Solution: Parallax BS2 based monitor. I can check the status of my garage doors form the web, and with a plugin to Nagios I get paged if it open more than 15 minutes.

This is an update to an earlier garage monitor I made, just tailored to this use.

Step 1: Parts

Parts:
Parallax Basic Stamp 2
Parallax Board of Education
Parallax PINK
Parallax 4x20 Backlit LCD
Radioshack Project Box
Piece of Plexi Glass
4 pole terminal block
SPST Toggle Switch
DC Power Jack
DC Power supply for BS2

18 AWG Speaker Wire
12" Cat 5 Ethernet cable
2 x RJ45 Plugs
Magnetic NO Switches for doors

** Cat optional.

Step 2: Tools

Screw Driver
Dremel
RJ 45 Crimper
Wire Stripper
PC with serial port/or adapter.

Step 3: Put Everything in the Case

I find it easier to start on a project if I can at least get everything in a case and then begin programming it.

I cut a piece of plexi glass with a dremel stylus for the top so you could see the 4 line lcd.

I chose not to put an RJ45 jack in the box as I couldn't make a neat enough cut with a dremel. So I ran the cat 5 cable through the box and then crimped the plugs after I was done.

I wired the LCD display to pins 0 1 2
The Reed switches to pins 3 4
The pink to pins 13 14

Step 4: Program the Code

Now as I said before I find it easier to work on a project when it is more than a pile of wires.

Only problem, I don't have a lot of room to attach a serial cable. So I made a little extension cord for the programming sessions.

The code is attached for the bs2.

Step 5: Upload Web Page to Pink

The pink needs a corresponding html page to display the status. Upload it to the pink via ftp.

Step 6: Installation

Wire it up in the garage. I used 18AWG speaker wire to run from the box to the sensors, its cheap...

I don't have wired internet in the garage, so I used an old linksys wireless bridge WET11 is the model I believe.

Step 7: Proxy the Pink

I don't have any idea if the pink was made to be secure, nor do I want to find out.

So I use a php script to grab the script from my web server using curl, which doesn't allow anyone to put in any post variables.

Script is attached.

Step 8: Its Done

Now you can check the status of your garage from anywhere.

If anyone wants it, I can make the nagios plugin available for paging.