TIME REQUIRED:
1–2 Hours
DIFFICULTY:
Easy
COST:
$90
MATERIALS
» Particle Boron LTE microcontroller I used
the CAT-M1 version for North America; there’s
also a CAT-1/3G/2G for Europe and a 2G/3G
global version.
» Garage opener remote control Be sure to
get the right frequency for your gate or garage
opener — commonly 315MHz or 390MHz.
» Breadboard, small
» Resistor, 2k
Ω
» Transistor, NPN I used a 2N3904; equivalent
options include the BC547.
» Jumper wires, male-male: 3" (2) and 6" (2)
» MicroUSB power cord and AC adapter
» Project enclosure box large enough to hold the
breadboard, opener, and Boron antenna
TOOLS
» Soldering iron and solder
» Wire cutters
» Wire strippers
» Computer with internet connection
» Website access for creating and hosting a new
HTML page
MIKE SENESE is the
executive editor of Make:, and
a hobbyist problem solver.
A family member of mine has a basic electric
gate at the start of their street that can only
be activated by a keypad or standard garage-
opener remote. When visitors arrive, the
residents have to walk down close enough to use
their clicker, or trust telling the guest the access
code. Something better would be nice, but a
remote-access upgrade would require installers
digging trenches to each of the residents’ houses
and running wiring, or installing a modern but
pricey wireless option with monthly data charges.
I’ve occasionally thought about ways to enable
a low-cost, long-range option for them, and was
considering assembling a LoRa-based system
after we published our articles on that topic in
Make: Volume 76. Then Particle announced its
free cellular-data plan this past spring, offering
the foundation for a simple and effective solution.
The ensuing build is a bit Rube Goldberg-
esque, but works like a charm: A browser-based
web button activates a pin on an LTE-connected
Particle Boron microcontroller, causing it to send
a current through a connected transistor, which
closes the circuit of a dedicated remote garage
opener, allowing it to transmit the “open gate”
signal. All the pieces are housed inside a basic
project box and stored inside the cowling of the
gate opener, close enough for the signal to open
the gate. The opener mechanism’s spare AC
outlet supplies the necessary power to keep the
board online. Now the gate can be operated from
inside the house —or from anywhere else in the
world with internet access.
1. SET UP THE PARTICLE
Set up your Particle cloud account and the
Particle Boron microcontroller per their
instructions, using the included antenna
(be careful to not crush the antenna socket
when inserting it). When it’s communicating on
cellular data, you’ll see the pulsing teal light in
the center of the board (Figure
A
).
2. PREP THE REMOTE
If you’re using a new remote, go to your gate or
garage and follow the normal pairing method for
it and your opener apparatus.
Back at your workbench, open the remote and
remove the circuit board from the housing. On
73
make.co
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