Live 3D from the real layouts. Switch between the 2, 4 and 8 channel boards (shown at their true size), flip them over or pull them apart.
Wi-Fi smart switches in three sizes
A robotics and automation company wanted smart switches for real homes: lights and fans controlled from a phone, and still from the switches already on the wall. We designed one platform and three boards from it, with 2, 4 and 8 channels. Prototypes of all three were built and work.
The brief
The client needed switch boards for homes in three sizes: a small one for two lights, a mid-size one with a fan, and a large one for a whole room with three fans or dimmers. Every board had to switch mains loads from a Wi-Fi controller, keep working from the existing wall switches, work right next to mains wiring, and be easy for their own team to build, install and keep developing.
One platform, three boards
One pin map for all three
The 2, 4 and 8 channel boards give the same controller pins the same jobs, so one firmware family runs on all three and the client keeps a single codebase.
Mains and logic kept apart
The mains side and the low-voltage side sit in separate zones of the board, so the Wi-Fi controller stays well away from mains wiring.
Fan speed, not just on and off
The 4 and 8 channel boards sense every zero-crossing of the mains, so the firmware can control fan and dimmer channels smoothly instead of only switching them.
The old switches still work
Each channel has a low-voltage input for the switch already on the wall, filtered against bounce and electrical noise, so the room still works the familiar way.
Made to be built and installed
Screw terminals for every wire, mounting holes placed where a screwdriver still reaches with every part fitted, and layouts that pass the design-rule check with zero errors.
What we did
- Circuit design for Wi-Fi switching of mains lights and fans
- Three two-layer layouts from one platform: 2, 4 and 8 channels
- Zero-cross sensing for fan speed and dimming
- A complete handover kit: fabrication files, schematics, parts lists, a solder guide, an installation guide and a firmware guide
- Photoreal renders and this live 3D view of all three boards
Result
Prototypes of all three boards were built and work. The client received the full design with its handover kit, so their team can build, install and develop the switches on their own.
Renders
Board colours are our showcase finish. Part numbers, values and the client's name stay private, as they do for every client.