BLE 4-Channel Smart Relay Control Board

BLE 4-Channel Smart Relay Control Board

Customer Request 📝

Our customer needed a reliable BLE 4-channel smart relay control board for gates, barriers and on-vehicle 12 V scenarios controlled from a phone. The requirement was not a Wi-Fi “smart plug” tied to the cloud; it was an industrial unit that pairs quickly at short range, is protected by a PIN, reports channel state and can optionally echo status to a panel over RS-485.

Existing options were either limited RF remotes or hobby IoT kits that failed field voltage, EMC and access-control expectations. Operators wanted four independent relays from a phone, live status and blocked unauthorised access.

  • Secure phone control: Commands only after pairing and a correct PIN.
  • Four independent channels: Gate motor, barrier, lighting or auxiliary contacts must stay separated.
  • 12 V field fit: Must run from vehicle or panel 12 V—not hobby-board power.
  • Status feedback: The app must show whether a relay is actually on or off.
  • Optional RS-485: Channel state should be mirrorable to an existing panel or HMI.

In short: “Control four relays safely from the phone; add a PIN; show status; optionally echo to the panel.”


Our Solution 💡

Revan Technology treated the need as one product family: PCB + embedded firmware + mobile app. A shared BLE command/status protocol kept board and app aligned and shortened integration.

ble 4-channel smart relay control board

The board combines a 12 V-ready power stage, four relay outputs, status LEDs and an optional RS-485 interface. Firmware covers PIN validation, session timeout, a safe state on disconnect and per-channel command/response frames. The mobile side handles pairing, PIN entry, live channel state and a short command history.

  • End-to-end protocol: Commands, acks and status share the same BLE characteristics.
  • PIN and session: Lockout / backoff on failed attempts reduces unauthorised access risk.
  • Safe disconnect: Selected channels can move to a defined safe profile when the link drops.
  • Manufacturable PCB: Industrial terminals, protection parts and panel-friendly footprints.
  • Optional RS-485 echo: Panel PLC/HMI can read channel state so mobile and panel share one truth.

The goal was not “open a relay from a phone”, but a repeatable, safe, maintainable smart relay control product for the field.


Technical Details ⚙️

BLE relay control architecture

Hardware and PCB

The board uses a 12 V vehicle/panel supply path with buck or LDO stage, reverse-polarity and transient protection. Four relay channels are driven with proper coil drivers, flyback diodes and load-side clearance rules. BLE antenna placement accounts for metal-panel proximity. An optional RS-485 transceiver with common-ground practice and TVS protection interfaces the field bus.

Firmware, BLE and security

An ESP32-class / BLE-capable SoC exposes custom services via NimBLE or an equivalent stack. Command frames carry channel id, action (on/off/pulse), sequence and a short integrity field; the board returns real GPIO/relay state. After connect, the PIN becomes a session token; expiry forces re-auth. On link loss, policy either clears channels or applies a defined safe profile.

Mobile app and RS-485

A Flutter mobile app manages scanning, pairing, PIN entry and live four-channel status. Pulse (momentary) actions support gate/barrier timing parameters. On RS-485, a simple status echo (channel bitmask or Modbus-like registers) can be enabled so the panel can read the last known state without an active mobile session.


Results

After commissioning, gate and barrier control moved from scattered RF remotes into one BLE 4-channel smart relay control board and mobile UI.

  • Operational speed: Phone on/off and pulse actions shorten field interventions.
  • Security: PIN and session policy reduce unauthorised command risk.
  • Visibility: App and optional RS-485 make channel state observable.
  • 12 V fit: Vehicle and panel scenarios need fewer extra power converters.
  • Productisation: The same architecture scales across loads and branded UIs.

This project combines Revan Technology’s PCB, embedded software and mobile strengths in one product line. If you have a similar phone-controlled relay need, we can scope it together.


Privacy Note 🔒

For customer privacy, company and product names are not shared in this article. Images are representative and used to illustrate the functional structure.


🔗 Get in touch with us:
Phone/WhatsApp: +41 76 212 8248
📧 E-Mail: info@revantechnology.ch

For detailed information about our services in electronics development & PCB design:
Revan Technology – Your partner for professional electronics and PCB development


Other Projects