I have a coffee machine that has one button. When this button is pressed, the coffee machine will do its thing and automatically shut off after a certain period of time.
I need to use a signal from an Arduino paired with a relay to turn this coffee machine on automatically. I don't have too much experience doing things like this so I need some advice. My instinct is to short out the button in the machine and just turn it on/off with the relay. Would this make sense?
Obviously since coffee machines differ, I'm not asking for the exact process. I would like some advice as to how I would go about doing this on any coffee machine (what to look for, etc). Also, I'd like to know what my other options are.
Best Answer
If you get in far enough to short out the button, you're in far enough to bring the button contacts out as wires, so you can use a much smaller relay to momentarily close them, just as you do when you push the button. That leaves the heavy power handling where it belongs, in the appliance that was designed to do that. Just close the switch for 1/2 second or so and let the coffee machine do its thing.