You might say that controlling power from wall outlets, or “mains power” as it’s often called, is the most fundamental of home automation tasks. Mechanical outlet timers have been doing this for many years, and there are all kinds of WiFi-based smart outlets on the market that you can purchase and enjoy
While smart outlets are fascinating on one level—and actually pretty amazing considering how the technology has advanced in the last decade or so—Tindarians generally go for something with a lot more extensibility. If you don’t want to start entirely from scratch, the MPRSx8 board is an excellent option to get you on the right path.
The board includes 8 independent relay channels, and runs an ESP8266 module off of converted mains power for control, or you can supply your own 12 volt power. Cleverly, the control area is separated out from the mains voltage section of the PCB, marking out an area to be avoided. Pins on the ESP8266 module, which is included as an option, are broken out, so you can use it as a development board, integrating sensors, lights, or other accessories on your device as desired.
Besides use as a home automation device, it should be noted that these 8 relays can control DC power or other “non-mains” sources of power. Given its WiFi capabilities and programmability via the ESP8266 module, this would also make a good solution for certain robotics and remote control applications.
