DIY project with the versatile Arduino board
Every morning at four o'clock, the Ubuntu system in my office switches on an ancient Debian PC with 6TB of disk space to grab a backup of important data via rsync. It uses the popular home networking protocol X10 to switch on the power on the backup PC via the power grid. The backup PC boots automatically, because its Boot After Power Loss BIOS option is set to On. Once the SSH server on the running Debian system responds, the backup starts. After the final act, the PC shuts down, and the controlling Ubuntu box cuts the power.
Because my X10 setup fails for some reason in an estimated 1 out of 100 cases, I have now converted the PC on/off control to an Arduino board (around US$ 20) with an attached Relay Board (US$ 12). The controlling Ubuntu machine uses the USB port to send a command to the microcontroller, which listens on a serial interface.
The microcontroller's firmware switches the signal on an output pin, which I have connected to one of two relays on an extra board [1]. Figure 1 shows the set up with a simple circuit on a breadboard. For test purposes, it even uses light-emitting diodes to indicate whether a specific output pin on the Arduino is on or off.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
US / Canada
UK / Australia
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
First Release Candidate for Linux Kernel 6.14 Now Available
Linus Torvalds has officially released the first release candidate for kernel 6.14 and it includes over 500,000 lines of modified code, making for a small release.
-
System76 Refreshes Meerkat Mini PC
If you're looking for a small form factor PC powered by Linux, System76 has exactly what you need in the Meerkat mini PC.
-
Gnome 48 Alpha Ready for Testing
The latest Gnome desktop alpha is now available with plenty of new features and improvements.
-
Wine 10 Includes Plenty to Excite Users
With its latest release, Wine has the usual crop of bug fixes and improvements, along with some exciting new features.
-
Linux Kernel 6.13 Offers Improvements for AMD/Apple Users
The latest Linux kernel is now available, and it includes plenty of improvements, especially for those who use AMD or Apple-based systems.
-
Gnome 48 Debuts New Audio Player
To date, the audio player found within the Gnome desktop has been meh at best, but with the upcoming release that all changes.
-
Plasma 6.3 Ready for Public Beta Testing
Plasma 6.3 will ship with KDE Gear 24.12.1 and KDE Frameworks 6.10, along with some new and exciting features.
-
Budgie 10.10 Scheduled for Q1 2025 with a Surprising Desktop Update
If Budgie is your desktop environment of choice, 2025 is going to be a great year for you.
-
Firefox 134 Offers Improvements for Linux Version
Fans of Linux and Firefox rejoice, as there's a new version available that includes some handy updates.
-
Serpent OS Arrives with a New Alpha Release
After months of silence, Ikey Doherty has released a new alpha for his Serpent OS.