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The Candle controller 

The heart of Candle. It stores your data and manages your devices.

Browser based

Connect to the Candle with a tablet or laptop to manage your devices, create automations, or explore your data.

VOice control

Say bye bye to Alexa. Online voice services gather data about your private life, which reveals more than you think. Candle uses local voice control - no cloud connection required.

  • Candle Controller

    This version was created by jeweler Dinie Besems

    See more

  • Candle Controller

    This version was created by designer Jesse Howard

    See more

Making the Candle Controller

We don't sell it, you make it yourself.

1. Preparing the Micro SD card

Purchase all the parts mentioned in the shopping list below, and download the WebThings disk image for the raspberry pi. 

Plug the Micro SD card into your computer. Using the Etcher software you can 'flash' the disk image onto the micro SD card.

disk image
Download Etcher

2. Setting up the Candle Controller

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Power it up
Insert the SD card into the Raspberry Pi, and connect the power supply. After about 20 seconds it wil create a new temporary wifi hotspot.‌ 

On your laptop connect your wifi to this WebThings hotspot. A browser window will pop up automatically.

For a more detailed guide, click here.

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Follow the steps
Simply follow the steps and connect the Candle Controller to your wifi. We recommend you skip making a web address at mozilla-iot.org.

Once done, the temporary wifi hotspot will disappear and you can re-connect to your home wifi. Open a new browser window and visit gateway.local.

3. Install the Candle Manager add-on

Go to settings, then add-ons, and click on the (+) icon in the bottom right.‌ Find the "Candle Manager" add-on and click 'Add'.‌

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4. Create the receiver 

T‌he next step is to create the Candle Receiver. This is just an RF-Nano you plug into the Raspberry Pi. It will allow for encrypted communication with all the other Candle devices.

Getting to know the Candle Manager

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Open the Candle manager
If you refresh the web page, you should now see the Candle Manager option in the menu. Select it.

The Candle manager allows you to upload the programming code into your Candle devices.

When asked to do so, plug the RF-Nano into an empty usb port on the Raspberry Pi.

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Follow the steps
Select the 'Candle receiver' from the list, and click next. Then simply follow the steps until the upload is complete.

5. Install the MySensors add-on

The Candle devices communicate using the MySensors protocol. Install this add-on to teach the WebThings Gateway how to speak this language.

The Candle Receiver should now be available as your first 'thing'. Click on the (+) icon on the things overview page to add it.

 

6. Install the voice assistant (optional)

‌The Voco add-on will allow you to control your devices using your voice. It is 100% privacy friendly: it never communicates with any outside server.

T‌o install Voco please visit the detailed installation page:

Installing Voco

Done!

Have fun exploring all the capabilities of your new privacy friendly smart home controller!

More to explore: 

Build

You can now create the other Candle devices

Rules

T‌ry to create your first automation on the rules page. 

Logs

Try to create a log for some of your sensors.

Shopping list

‌ We recommend getting all parts except the RF Nano from a local store.


USB microphone
Feb 27, 2020

The great thing about using a USB microphone is that you can unplug it for extra peace of mind. It also allows you to upgrade…

Zigbee USB stick
Feb 10, 2020

The Conbee 2 USB stick allows the system to connect to a wide range of devices that use Zigbee to communicate.

Micro USB Cable
Aug 28, 2019

A basic Micro USB cable. You probably already have these in your home.

Raspberry Pi 4B
Jul 09, 2019

The Raspberry Pi 4B is the beating heart of the smart home. It's powerful enough to do voice control without assistance…

Micro SD card
Aug 10, 2018

Get at least an 8Gb card from a reputable brand, such as Sandisk. Do not buy this part from Aliexpress or other Chinese…

Controller power supply
Aug 10, 2018

The central controller needs a serious USB power supply that can deliver 3 amps. You can find power supplies that have been…

RF-Nano Arduino
Aug 10, 2018

The RF-Nano is an Arduino Nano with built-in wireless connectivity. It's the brain of all Candle devices.