What Is a PolyPlug and How Does It Work? | An Easy Explanation

Hello! In this article I will explain what a PolyPlug is and how it works so you can get started using them with your PolyCast5 to control cool stuff! So...

A PolyPlug is an outlet actuator (power switcher) designed to communicate with a PolyCast5.

You use your PolyCast5 to send an on/off command to the PolyPlug, then the PolyPlug will execute it. (It can do more, but this is the main idea.) This allows you to essentially turn any outlet on or off, as it has a built-in 15A relay to actuate the power coming out of the outlet. 

Now you may be wondering, "okay, but this isn't this just a cool smart plug?" Not at all! PolyPlugs don't use Wi-Fi or Bluetooth to communicate, which is super slow, annoying, and short-range. (You have to take out your phone, go to settings, connect to it, open whatever brand's app, wait for it to sync, click on/off.) No thanks! They use LoRa.

What's the difference?

• LoRa payloads send instantly with one click. No connection needed.
• The range is up to a kilometer.
  • Yep, you can control outlets from anywhere in your house (or neighbors houses) knowing the command was received instantly.
• Uses 915MHz penetrating frequency. Walls blocking your signal? Not anymore.

In addition, PolyPlugs are able to receive timing commands to do things like set schedules, loops, and modes. This means you can send a command once from your PolyCast5 (e.g. turn on from 7:00:00-7:00:30 every morning to make coffee) and the PolyPlug will do it forever. (Or until you tell it not to.) This makes it perfect for setting routines. It even comes with an away mode so if you connect it to a lamp or something you can turn it on and off at random intervals to make it look like there is a person there for when you're out of town.

But what if while you're out of town you need to do something like flip off the lights for your dog? Well, PolyPlugs also have Wi-Fi for even longer distance communication. Simply sync it with your network once, and you can control outlets from anywhere in the world. (So long as you have a Wi-Fi connection.) But like I said earlier, this is less convenient than LoRa as it will take a few seconds to send the command and get confirmation over MQTT. But certainly more distance!

Hopefully now you're convinced that this is pretty cool. But what if you're more of a DIY-er and want to use a PolyPlug's built-in, superior LoRa communication for your own purposes? Don't worry, all PolyPlugs come with numerous broken out GPIOs that will spell out the command they received in binary. Simply connect an Arduino or whatever else to the pins and you're in business! >< explain how and give arduino examples

Awesome!

Note: Like I've said, a PolyPlug is designed to control power. This means it will not be able to turn on and off any device. For example, maybe you have a really fancy lamp that uses a capacitive touch sensor to turn on and off. This means that only turning on the outlet power would not turn this on as it expects the user to press the fancy button (though it would turn it off).