Pre-Release | Power Consumption

nunzioc · January 10, 2017, 5:30pm

Great write up, thank you!!

mheiselt · January 10, 2017, 10:26pm

Thanks for logging these numbers.

By the way, your cedar is looking really green. Maybe a bit too fresh to harvest?

karaelena · July 8, 2017, 6:11pm

Small update.

Total usage from Dec 22, 2016 thru June 22, 2017 was 62.2kWh.

jbmanning5 · July 8, 2017, 6:27pm

Hmm. $5.29 in elec operating costs, at my rate, thus far. I can live with that!

macrumpton · January 19, 2018, 7:37pm

Now all I need is an alexa controlled robot arm to press the button, as my glowforge is in the laundry/AC room aka the ironically coldest room in the house.

henryhbk · January 22, 2018, 10:33pm

These are probably cheaper…

Tom_A · January 24, 2018, 5:22am

“Alexa, push the button.”

“Would you like me to add the station “Push The Button” to your Pandora account?”

“No. Never mind. I’ll push the button myself.”

TAPshooter · June 23, 2018, 1:41pm

Here you go.

karaelena · June 23, 2018, 4:35pm

ESP-01 programmed/connected to SmartThings. Alexa connected to SmartThings and sees it as a switch. In the ESP is set to act as a momentary (0.75sec on/off cycle via a 5V DC-DC SSR).

johnbrooker · June 23, 2018, 5:59pm

I saw that, twice. Did that really happen, and if so how ?

timjedwards · June 23, 2018, 9:02pm

So if you toggle GF power sub-second, it acts like you’ve pressed the button?

karaelena · June 23, 2018, 9:18pm

No. Whats demoed in the video is two separate things. Main power is done via a Z-Wave switch. Button presses is done via a ESP-01 that acts as a momentary switch for the button. (The stock button still works.)

johnbrooker · June 23, 2018, 9:43pm

This is the detail that I don’t understand. How ?
John

karaelena · June 23, 2018, 9:55pm

The ESP-01 has a SSR connected to it. The SSR is is connected to the button on the machine. In the firmware I coded the ESP-01 is to only momentary close the pin connected to the SSR for short period of time which emulates a button press. To SmartThings & Alexa is shows up as a normal two outlet switch. One is configured to do a normal button press. The other holds the button down to emulate the Wifi reset.

When I tell Alexa, ‘Laser On.’ It talks to SmartThings and tells the switch to cycle on. The ESP basically pulses the SSR. If I tell Alexa, ‘Reset the Glowforge’ It talks to SmartThings and uses the second switch. Which is the same as the first, just instead of the 0.75 sec pulse- It holds for 15 sec.

johnbrooker · June 24, 2018, 6:55am

Quite a simple, but internal mod. One could even just connect it with a couple of croc clips across the button power leads ?
Nice one.

Houdini7 · June 24, 2018, 12:31pm

Well, the leads are rather difficult to get to w/o some disassembly. And remember that switch has LEDs in it too

While I would love to see a description / pics on how @karaelena did this, I’m not sure I want 100% control of a Laser in the hands of Alexa! :)

karaelena · June 25, 2018, 3:06am

To each’s own I guess. I did it cause I could mostly.

Personally, I like the ability to power up the unit from anywhere so that by the time I get physically in front of it, it would have already have done the homing dance is is ready to go. The verbal start is handy if I am using my laptop from someplace else in the house and the material is already loaded.

The remote power is especially handy in the sense that currently you can’t get job ETAs unless a unit is powered up in your account. This saved us when where at maker faire.

Houdini7 · June 25, 2018, 6:27pm

I agree w/ the powering it on part. I did that day 1 myself.
I just don’t want Alexa to “Fire The Laser” all by herself

I use this and my Home control software. I get an alert if there’s any power being consumed by the the Glowforge and I’m not at home