FAQ
A: An OpenTRV device is a simple, cost-effective, retrofit replacement for traditional Thermostatic Radiator Valves (TRVs). It automatically controls heating by adjusting temperature levels based on whether or not somebody is in a room, helping to save you money and keep you warm and comfortable.
A: See here
A: Actual energy savings will vary from user to user but it is estimated that with just the OpenTRV devices installed on your radiators, the average UK household can save a third of their heating bills (thus around £200 per annum). With the OpenTRV + Boiler Controller kit, UK households can expect to save around 50% of their heating bills so about £300 per annum. This is from a typical UK dual-fuel gas bill of £750 per annum of which 80% is on space heating and the rest on cooking and hot water.
A:
- OpenTRV web site http://opentrv.org.uk
- OpenTRV mailing lists http://lists.opentrv.org.uk
- OpenTRV announcements, interest and dev mailing lists
- OpenTRV continuous integration service
- OpenTRV AVR-based hardware/schematics: https://github.com/opentrv/OpenTRV-Arduino-V0p2/tree/master/Arduino/hardware
- OpenTRV AVR-based hardware test code info: https://github.com/opentrv/OpenTRV-Arduino-V0p2/blob/master/HARDWARE_TESTS.txt
- Damon's OpenTRV pages http://www.earth.org.uk/open-source-programmable-thermostatic-radiator-valve.html
A: OpenTRV is the name of the open source hardware and software project. Vestemi Limited is the new name for the company, previously called OpenTRV Limited, that is developing a radiator valve based on OpenTRV technology. Vestemi Limited is the name of the company formed to move the needle on carbon saving, via OpenTRV and other means.
A: There are two different ones: REV8 and REV10.
A REV8 requires an external power supply, 5V to 12V, and has three buttons and three LED lights on the board.
A REV10 has a large orange box on the board containing a power supply, and so can accept mains (220/240V) power. It also has connectors for an Arduino compatible GPRS modem for use when you are not using an internet gateway and still want to have connectivity. There are no buttons and there is only one LED light on a REV10.
Both the REV8 and REV10s have RFM23B radio modules on board and so can communicate with OpenTRV devices. Both have the main function of turning a boiler on and off in response to a call for heat from one of the paired OpenTRV devices.
REV10 schematic: https://github.com/opentrv/OpenTRV-Arduino-V0p2/tree/master/Arduino/hardware/REV10
Q: What connectors are on each board and how do I connect to them for serial and burning a bootloader?
A: Here's a start.
REV1, REV2 have an FTDI connector which talks to the board's hardware serial and can power the board with the right jumpers in place. The AVR has to be bootloaded before insertion into the socket.
REV7, REV8, REV11 use our IC2EXT connector V1, and you will probably want a dongle like this to talk serial and do In Circuit Programming (ie the AVR need not be removed to have a bootloader installed):
REV10 uses our IC2EXT connector V2, which can accept FTDI and ICP connectors directly, without a dongle.
More on IC2EXT:
https://github.com/opentrv/OpenTRV-standards/tree/master/standards/I2CEXT/tech-specs
The Walrus board https://github.com/opentrv/OpenTRV-Arduino-V0p2/tree/master/Arduino/hardware/walrus uses a CH340G chip to talk to the ATMega serially, and allows programmatic (via a GPIO line) switching between an ISP input (from a USBTiny programmer, for example) and the serial connection, and a variety of power options for the I2CEXT 14 and 20 pin connectors. Plus some breakout pins for monitoring what's going on - debugging, etc. This board was designed for our production testing and programming rigs.
A: An OpenTRV device is the name of the valve head that you screw onto a radiator valve. The PCB that goes into it is known as a REV7, and the combination of a REV7 and the firmware and plastics is known as TRV1.5, meaning the latest version in the TRV1 product line.
REV7 schematic ("valve" PDF): https://github.com/opentrv/OpenTRV-Arduino-V0p2/tree/master/Arduino/hardware/V0p2_Main_PCB_REV7_DORM1_and_REV8/20141127
A stats hub is a REV11 device that can receive data from OpenTRV devices and pass it on to other systems, such as a PC or a Raspberry Pi. With different firmware, a REV11 can also be a battery powered node that reports temperature, relative humidity etc. to a stats hub.
REV11 schematic: https://github.com/opentrv/OpenTRV-Arduino-V0p2/tree/master/Arduino/hardware/REV11
REV11 basic hardware test code: https://github.com/opentrv/OpenTRV-Arduino-V0p2/tree/master/Arduino/hardware/REV11/REV11HardwareTest
An internet gateway is the combination of a stats hub and a Raspberry Pi, plus software to communicate across the internet.
The boiler controller will turn your boiler on and off in response to a call for heat from an OpenTRV device. There are two types of boiler controller, a REV8 (without power supply built in hence needing an external power supply) and REV10 (with power supply built in, and capable of relaying stats via a plug in GPRS modem card also). Both of them have grey plastic enclosures.
A: OpenTRV devices don't need any special tools, but here's a good guide to the process in general. Just treat an OpenTRV device like any other TRV head.
http://www.diydoctor.org.uk/projects/thermostatic-radiator-valves.htm
A: This is due to a board error on the original manufacturing run. The problem is easily fixed with the solutions in the REV11 board errata.