Socket Hop
Raspberry Pi fills in for a remote control device, switching the power on and off at an electrical outlet.
Using Raspberry Pi to control an electrical outlet
Lead Image © Deanna Boldrick, 123RF.com
I'm sure I'm not the only person who jumped at the chance to buy a machine like the Raspberry Pi, then wondered what to do with it. It isn't the first time I've bought something that seemed like a good idea then been stuck for how to use it. A couple of years ago, I noticed a sign on a petrol pump advertising a similarly fascinating device: a remote-controlled power sockets at UK£ 5 for a pack of three (Figure 1). The device plugs into a wall socket, and you can plug an electrical appliance into it. A remote control that comes with the device lets you turn the power to the appliance on or off. The device thus lets you use the remote to control the power to any appliance (such as a lamp or a coffemaker), as you would for a garage door opener or a TV set.
I bought the device and tried it with a few random appliances, stuck it in the cupboard, and forgot about it. When pondering a project for my Raspberry Pi, I hit upon the idea of combining these two impulse purchases. Could I get the Raspberry Pi to imitate the behavior of the remote so that I could turn appliances on and off with it?
I made up a lot of this as I went along, and I'll describe the episode chronologically, so you can share my sense of discovery.
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