Festool CTL SYS vacuum with bluetooth remote

[hardware_freak]

Hey there,

I just finished my latest project which was to add the Bluetooth functionality from the bigger vacuums to the Festool CTL SYS.

I have recorded a short video:


You find more details here:https://github.com/jenskueper/festool-ctl-sys-bluetooth

I would really appreciate your feedback and I am happy to answer any questions!

Best regards from Germany,
Jens

 

[nclemmons]

Great job!  Your description makes it sound easy!

Have you considered building and selling them?  Looks like install would be easy if you offered the built boards.

Thanks for sharing!

 

[mrboult]

Nicely done! that's a great upgrade, thanks for posting. I wish I'd get around to this , but I'll wait to buy one of your boards and instruction kits

 

[six-point socket II]

Awesome!

Kind regards,
Oliver

 

[TinyShop]

Nice mod!

FWIW since I have no use for Bluetooth battery functionality, I use a Fastcap RCV (Remote Control Vac) with my CT SYS (and my larger Starmix extractor too - w/the suction set to no more than half to account for the RCV's max wattage limitation) and couldn't be happier. Total cost ~$18 delivered (I got a sweetheart deal on mine - they're normally ~$32 plus shipping). With careful packing of the cord and hose (hose first then cord) there's room for the receiver portion of the device in the dock - it just fits.

 

[Hollatime]

I picked up something similar to this at the BORG a while back. Mine came with 3 different outlets and one remote. One burned up fairly quickly connected to my dust collector, other two have held up over roughly a year of light use. Found in the outdoor section, think I paid like $30.

Not nearly as cool as the OPs solution and lacks the auto detect feature, but a quick and dirty option should that suit you.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Imemiter]

Very nice Jens.

 

[doubledot]

Hi Jens,

Great research work! I have been looking at similar fit for my CTL midi but due to renovating (and therefor daily use of the vacuum) I never got around to do the research

What I am wondering is the following:
you take the signal from the bluetooth module, through a ATtiny, into a solid state relay which triggers a 230V line. But, where does that connect to?

As in, for the vacuum are you actually activating his powercord-function on auto, or are you switched parallel to the control panel and powering the engine directly?

Hey there,

I just finished my latest project which was to add the Bluetooth functionality from the bigger vacuums to the Festool CTL SYS.

I have recorded a short video:


You find more details here:https://github.com/jenskueper/festool-ctl-sys-bluetooth

I would really appreciate your feedback and I am happy to answer any questions!

Best regards from Germany,
Jens

 

[Roachmill]

[jawdrop]

Fantastic work there Jens! If you do get around to selling these I'd be interested in one or two of units for sure!

 

[DanielHolmgren80]

Hi Jens,

Plz till me of i can buy this from you, looks perfekt!

Thank you!

 

[per@landberger.com]

Could you also add a circuit wiring diagram on github?

 

[per@landberger.com]

Now I have built my own copy of this. I had trouble finding the ATTiny85, they were sold out everywhere so I ended up byuing a small PCB with the ATTiny85 and build in USB controller. It costed me slightly more ($10) but it was easy, just connect to the PC and send the program with Arduino Ino. They were first introduced as a Kickstarter project a while ago.

Then I had problems with the transistor & resistors, never got it to work, the ATTiny85 gave to little currency to open the transistor.

I also tried to build the CD74HC74 version, but never got that to work either.

Ended up with using a relay PCB with build in transistor, etc made for Arduino projects. That made everything much easier, and the relay PCB was probably only a few $ (bought it from China a couple of years ago so I don't remember).

Also used a 5V converter bought from china.

But I found out a flaw in this construction: I took the 230V from the auto outlet on the CTL SYS like the original poster did. This makes the vacuum start when I turn it on in auto mode until the ATTiny85 boots and turns the vacuum off (takes a few seconds). I don't know if that is due to my equipment using enough currency to trigger the auto turn on by the built in auto electronics or why.

I also found out that the CTL SYS seems to cut the power to the auto outlet when setting it to manual. It seems a bit flawed. That would mean I can't use a power tool  connected to the outlet if the vacuum is in manual. My CTL 26 does not behave like this. This also means the bluetooth mod has no power and when I switch the CTL SYS to auto again it will stay on until the ATTiny85 boots.

For theese reasons I would suggest taking the power for the mod from the power-on switch. I will not change my connection because the connectors (to which there were available connectors in the outlet) is stuck in place. And it's quite convinient since I put my mod next to the outlet the same way the original pictures shows.

Finally a remark on the hand drawn picture over the CTL 26 module port: The ON trigger is not on the pin next to the 5V pin, it's on the one next to the 0V pin. If you look at the original Bluetooth module it's obvious since the other pin is not connected at all.

 

[per@landberger.com]

Finally mounted the mod inside the CTL SYS and drilled a hole in the chassis for the bluetooth button of the original Festool receiver. I used a jigsaw to cut out the button and the pins keeping the PCB in place from the original module to make it fit. I wanted to have the tranparent ring for the blue diodes as well as the original button. Unfortunately the original poster don't show any pictures how he solved that part.  [attachimg=1]