Hi, this is Wayne again with a topic “Limit TV Time with an Arduino-Controlled Relay”.
Most of us spend far too much time in front of the tv, so i designed a system that will let you automatically limit how much the tv can be on the system works by connecting a relay to the input cable of the tv. The relay is controlled by an arduino microcontroller when certain conditions are met. The arduino, activates, the relay and the tv is able to receive the input signal. The control circuit for this project is very simple: it’s basically just an arduino with a 5 volt, 30 milliamp relay the coil of the relay is connected to one of the digital pins and one of the ground pins on the board.
A diode is added to protect against voltage spikes when the relay turns off. The first thing that you need to do is get a connector cable that matches the input terminals on your tv and the signal source. In this example, i’m going to be using rca cables because they’re the easiest to work with start by cutting the connector cable in the middle then strip off about two inches of the outermost layer of insulation.
To expose the first layer of internal wires. Separate these and twist them together next strip off about half of the next layer of insulation, to make the relay board start by soldering. The relay onto a small piece of perf board, then solder on the diode, so that it connects to the coil of the relay. The innermost set of wires can just be soldered back together by attaching them to adjacent holes and connecting them with a bead of solder.
The outer set of wires in each cable will be connected together and soldered to the relay. Lastly, add a wire to each side of the relay coil so that you can connect it to the arduino. Now, it’s time to decide on how the system will be programmed. The simplest kind of system is just a window timer. This will allow the tv to be on between a set start time and a set ending time each day. This can be done just within the arduino code. You can also add a start, switch to activate the tv for a set amount of time that way, you’re not always restricted to certain hours of the day. Another option is to create a passcode with a remote so that only certain people can turn on the tv to see an example of how to use a tv remote to control an arduino.
You can check out my project on remotely controlling your appliances, but my favorite way to control the tv is with exercise. You can easily set it up to only let the tv be on while you’re pedaling on an exercise bike, or you can use a diy heart monitor to base it on how long you’ve had an elevated heart rate. That day, once you have your chosen sensors in place, connect them to the input pins on the arduino. Next find a large insulated project enclosure that can fit all the parts cut slots in the back panel for all the wires and cables then attach the boards to the inside of the housing, with a small drop of hot glue, set up your box with a control Circuit near your tv, then plug one end of the cable into your tv and plug the other end into your signal source. This system is a novel way to cut back on the amount of tv that we consume. Try it out and have fun thanks for watching and check back next week for more diy hacks and how to’s you .