Chicken Coop

Opens and closes chicken door automatically based on readings from light sensor. Also turns on and off interior coop lights.

This project utilizes a light sensor to trigger door activity. An obstruction detector was added to this version which works very well. Interior lights are also driven by outside ambient light levels. when its getting dark outside, the interior coop light helps encourages them to settle in.

See relevant part descriptors in breadboard view notes.

I used a belt drive system so I could easily decouple the drive motor from the door in case we needed to bypass the system. The parts used for that are:

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B01MZZO8PP/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

the two pulleys included with the belt were used for a tensoner mechanism and the below link was used for the drive pulley

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B07C3WK2YK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Note: I had to drill out the drive pulley a bit because the motors drive shaft is 7mm.

Version 2 of the door used a steel track with raw roller blade wheel bearings. The tolerances were very tight and when the wooden door swelled this winter, the door would bind up. I removed the steel track and built a wooden track, then used whole roller blade wheels to suspend the door. This proved much to be much smoother and more reliable.