Gate Controller

I have always wanted the ability to remotely open or close my gate. Along with this, I wanted to know the state of the gate (opened or closed) from anywhere, ensuring that I– or someone else– did not forget to close it. While being able to see the gate’s status is great, it’s even better to receive a notification if the gate has been left open for a specified amount of time.

In this article, I will describe how I achieved this by building a smart gate opener or a Wifi gate remote.

Initial Setup

The gate motor is a Centurion Systems D5 EVO motor. It does not have any “Smart” capabilities for remote operation beyond the range of the RF remote it comes with. My goal was to integrate a smart solution without interfering with the functionality of the existing remotes. Essentially, the gate motor should continue to operate as before, but with the added ability to control it remotely.

The D5 EVO controller runs on a 12V lead-acid battery, providing a perfect and stable 12V
DC power source. It has Trigger, Pedestrian and Status interfaces, which allow for triggering
the opening/closing of the gate as well as monitoring its status.

Note: It’s recommended to install a sensor to ensure that the is no obstruction and you do not remotely close the gate on someone’s car.

Hardware used

To achieve this functionality, I designed a Gate Controller Board that integrates with the gate motor. This small module plugs into a Sonoff SV device, allowing easy integration with the existing D5 controls. The Sonoff SV enables communication over WiFi with Home Assistant, while the controller board handles the interface with the gate’s main controls.

The advantage of this setup is that the gate motor continues to operate normally. Nothing changes for the existing remotes, which means they can still be used without any interference from the added controller board. Additionally, no extra equipment is required to monitor the gate’s status.

Installation Details

• The Sonoff SV is powered directly by the gate’s DC power source.
• The ‘Trig‘ connection on the Sonoff SV is wired to the ‘Trigger‘ interface on the gate.
• The ‘Status‘ connection on the controller board is wired to the ‘Status‘ interface on the gate, allowing the system to determine whether the gate is open or closed.

Notably, there is no need to add reed switches or additional sensors to determine the gate’s state.

If required, the ‘Ped‘ connection can also be wired to the Pedestrian interface on the gate. This enables the option to open or close the gate partially for pedestrian access.

Simplifying DIY Home Automation with Home Assistant

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This solution provides a seamless upgrade to a conventional gate motor, offering modern remote control and monitoring capabilities while maintaining compatibility with existing hardware.

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Software Configuration

Sonoff Firmware

This installation uses ESPHome as the firmware for the Sonoff SV. ESPHome simplifies integration with Home Assistant, making it easy to configure and manage the device. Additionally, it allows for seamless upgrades whenever new versions of ESPHome are released.

While it is technically possible to run other custom firmware on the Sonoff SV, I have chosen ESPHome because I use it for all my projects. Its flexibility, ease of use and ‘local access’ approach make it an ideal choice for this application.

Home Assistant Configuration

Once the sensor is implemented and connected to the WiFi network, Home Assistant
should detect that there is a new ESP controller. If not, you can manually add it by going to Settings –> Devices and Services –> Add Integration (Blue button bottom left).

Then select ESPHome from the list of possible services to integrate:

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Here you need to enter the IP Address of the Gate Controller. If Home Assistant successfully connects to it, it will prompt you for the API Encryption key that was specified in the ESPHome configuration. If that is entered successfully, the component can be added to the dashboard.

Home Assistant Cover Implementation

The Gate can be implemented as a Cover in Home-Assistant. This allows you to see the status, and open/close it using the respective buttons in Home-Assistant:

Compatibility

This unit works perfectly with the Centurion D5 EVO (the older 12V DC Motors).

It’s possible that it will work with other brands of Gate Motors as well, but it need to be tested to confirm.

Please note that this unit is NOT compatible with the Centurion D5 Smart, or 24V DC Motors.

Installation Manual

For the full installation manual, please click here.

Next Steps

With this integration you are now able to see the status of the gate, as well as opening or closing it using your phone. Next steps may be to add automations like:

• Sending a message when it’s opening/closing.
• Sending a message if the gate has been left open for x amount of time.
• Notifying you if the gate opens at specific times (like late at night).
• Capturing a photo on a camera pointing at the gate when it opens.
• Turning on lights if the gate opens at night.

The possibilities are endless of what can be done. This article will not go in depth on how to set this up, but future articles will outline some of the possibilities.

Hope this was useful. Feel free to send questions if something is not clear, or even if you require more information about anything.