About
This project provides open source API for low-cost USB HID relays (search on eBay for "5V USB Relay Programmable Computer Control For Smart Home").
The big advantage of HID-based interface is that no kernel drivers and no simulated COM-ports are needed. It is easy to detect and address the connected devices.
The vendors currently offer only API library for Windows, and only in binary form. We are not associated with the manufacturer(s) of these devices or author(s) of the original software offered by eBay merchants.
This repository, contains only the host side software, not any firmware. The project home page is on the V-USB wiki. This is because the firmware of the device is based on V-USB. V-USB enables amazingly simple and low-cost USB hardware solutions.
Binary and source downloads are on the Releases page.
These projects includes firmware design for these relay boards:
github.com/artekw/usbRelay
github.com/johannesk/usb-relay by Johannes Krude
"Control usb relay - based on hidapi" github.com/darrylb123/usbrelay
"Simple Python Module for controlling usb relays", python-simple-usbarray github.com/patrickjahns/simpleusbrelay
"A tool to control a USBRelay2 board" github.com/davidbuechi/UsbRelay
USB Relay github.com/johannesk/usb-relay by Johannes Krude - complete with hardware and firmware, based on V-USB, but not HID. The API uses libusb - so possibly requires a driver on platforms that do not fully support libusb .