A Raspberry Pi 2 Model B can serve as the hub in a Windows 10 IoT Core home-automation project, while Arduino UNO boards or I2C relay and port-expander boards handle room-level inputs and outputs. Sensors report conditions such as motion, temperature, humidity, or light; relays switch connected devices. The approach is documented in projects from 2015 and 2017, so treat it as a historical maker design rather than assume its software or parts are currently supported or easy to buy.
How the Raspberry Pi 2 home-automation hub works
The Pi runs Windows 10 IoT Core and coordinates the system. In the room-controller design described by Anurag S. Vasanwala, each room has an Arduino UNO acting as an I2C slave. The Arduino reads that room’s sensors and drives relay channels for loads such as lights, fans, or sockets. The Pi communicates with the room boards over I2C and the controller software can address a load by a room-and-device identifier, such as R1/Dev0.
In this arrangement, the Pi is the central controller, not the board directly connected to every sensor and relay. The Arduino boards distribute input and output around the home. Assigning each room controller a distinct I2C slave address lets the software distinguish them; a separate room/device map identifies the individual loads the controller is meant to operate.
Christian Kratky’s separate implementation uses the same broad hub-and-actuator pattern but connects I2C relay and port-expander boards to the Pi instead of placing an Arduino UNO in every room. Its Windows 10 IoT background task works with a web app, logging, and Azure integration. These are two different implementations, not interchangeable wiring diagrams.
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Choose a documented topology
| Design | Room and switching hardware | Documented inputs | Interface and telemetry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anurag S. Vasanwala (2015) | Arduino UNO per room; Arduino boards act as I2C slaves and control relays. | PIR motion, LM35 temperature, and LDR light sensors. | Local controller; web and Azure extensions are described as further possibilities rather than established features of this implementation. |
| Christian Kratky (2015) | I2C relay and port-expander boards connected to the Raspberry Pi 2. | DHT22 temperature/humidity sensors, with motion and reed inputs also described. | Windows 10 IoT background task, web app, logging, and Azure integration. |
Choose an Arduino-per-room layout when you want room-level boards to collect sensor readings and control their own relays. A direct I2C relay or port-expander layout avoids that per-room Arduino layer, but its hardware and software follow Kratky’s project rather than Vasanwala’s. Do not combine their code or wiring assumptions without checking the documentation for each implementation.
Parts and development tools
- Hub: Raspberry Pi 2 Model B with suitable power, storage, and a case.
- Room controllers, for the Arduino design: one Arduino UNO for each room represented in the multi-room layout.
- Switching hardware: relay channels, either driven through the room’s Arduino or provided by I2C relay/port-expander hardware.
- Sensors: the Vasanwala design uses PIR motion, LM35 temperature, and LDR light sensors. Kratky’s project uses DHT22 temperature/humidity sensing and describes motion and reed inputs.
- Prototyping supplies: breadboard, jumper wires, and suitable interface and protection components for the modules you select.
- Software tools: Windows 10 IoT Core, Visual Studio 2015 with UWP tooling, the Arduino IDE for programming Arduino boards, and a PowerShell deployment workflow.
These are parts and tools named in the historical implementations, not a guarantee that a particular current listing will work with them. Confirm compatibility, electrical ratings, and software availability for the exact board and module before purchasing or wiring.
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Build the system in stages
- Prepare the hub. Install Windows 10 IoT Core on the Raspberry Pi 2 and connect it to the network. The project’s deployment workflow depends on a Windows IoT development environment; the cited toolchain is Visual Studio 2015 and UWP tooling.
- Choose and map the room topology. Decide whether each room will have an Arduino UNO or whether the system will use I2C relay and port-expander boards. For Arduino rooms, assign every board a unique I2C slave address and record it. Create a consistent room/device map, such as R1/Dev0, so controller software can identify a particular load.
- Connect and program the room hardware. For the Arduino design, program each UNO to act as an I2C slave, read its selected sensors, and control its relay channels. Connect sensors to the appropriate Arduino inputs and relays to the loads according to the modules’ specifications. In the direct-expander design, follow the chosen relay or port-expander board’s interface and project-specific setup.
- Deploy the Windows IoT controller. Use the project’s Visual Studio solution and deployment workflow to install the controller or background task on the Pi. If using Kratky’s implementation, its project also includes a web app and logging components; those should be treated as part of that project’s software rather than assumed features of every Windows IoT automation hub.
- Add and test one rule at a time. Start with a small, observable behavior—for example, a motion event that requests a light relay to switch, or an LDR threshold that changes a light state. Verify the sensor input, device address, and relay output independently before adding more rooms or rules.
What to plan before adding rooms or appliances
Keep bus and device addressing explicit
I2C is the communication path between the Pi and the addressed boards in these designs. Keep a written map of each slave address and each room/device identifier; a controller cannot reliably target an intended load if the software’s map and the physical boards disagree. The projects establish the use of distinct room addresses, but do not supply a universal address plan for every possible collection of boards.
Separate sensing from switching
PIR, LDR, temperature, humidity, and reed sensors provide inputs; the relay hardware performs switching. A sensor reading does not itself make an appliance safe to control. Verify that the chosen relay and interface components are rated for the connected load and installed appropriately. Mains-voltage wiring can cause fire, injury, or death; do not prototype exposed mains connections on a breadboard, and have fixed mains wiring handled by a qualified electrician.
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Motion-triggered lighting and light-level thresholds are natural rules for the listed sensors. Timed schedules, RF or IR links, and mobile or cloud control are enhancements, not capabilities to assume merely because the Pi runs the hub software. Kratky’s project specifically documents a web app, logging, and Azure integration; that does not establish that the other implementation includes them.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What this project means for a build today
The documented workflows are tied to Raspberry Pi 2-era Windows 10 IoT Core and Visual Studio 2015/UWP development. The project descriptions establish how their authors assembled the systems at the time, but do not establish current availability of boards, compatible software downloads, or ongoing Windows 10 IoT Core support. Before committing to this stack, verify that you can obtain the required images and development tools, deploy to your exact Pi 2, and source compatible modules. If those prerequisites cannot be confirmed, the historical architecture can still help explain distributed home automation, but it is not by itself a current build guide.
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