Remote controlled power of a Delonghi Coffee machine.

 

Background

I have a Delonghi Magnifica S Coffee Machine with mechanical button to power-on. To get the coffee machine up-and-running it lasts around 50 seconds due to the cleaning and init procedure. It is quite long, especially in the morning, 50 extra seconds in bed in the morning is important.

The idea is to power-up the coffee machine from my bed. I could have done this with an ESP8266 or ESP32 through Wifi, but I wanted a simple solution with just a remote control, not an high tech solution but a low tech!

On Aliexpress you can find simple 5V remote controlled relay + 3 remote controls for less than 10€ such as this one I used: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_EGSEwBj

It is quite easy to do on my Delonghi Magnifica S as the power button is mechanical (could not work if it has been a capacitive touch button).

Thus you'll simply need to find the GND, a +5V and the power button, and solder wires. 

The relay will be soldered in parallel of the power button.

Disclaimer

By modifying your coffee machine you'll lose your Delonghi guarantee.

You'll work on a 220V coffee machine, you must be aware of the risks of working with 220V

Materials needed

• Soldering station 
• tin wire
• Multimeter to check voltage on your coffee machine
• 433MHz remote control and receiver: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_EGSEwBj
• Cordless drill
• 1mm, 2mm & 2.5mm drills to make a hole in a PCB board
• 5V power supply for test and pairing
• wires (the one provided with the 433MHz modules are no long enough)
• Thermoresistant Tube Heat Shrink to isolate soldering wires: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_EHh9Hd7

Pre tests

I have a 87m² flat. Not that big, but the kitchen is at the opposite of my bedroom with several concrete or plaster walls. I wanted to be sure the remote control was powerful enough to cross all my walls.

I powered the module with a 5V supply, paired the remote controls with the receiver and tested:

Dissassemble the coffee machine

First unplug the coffee machine and wait several minutes to have all the capacitors discharged.

You can find good videos on Youtube explaining how to dissasemble your machine.

My Delonghi Magnifica S use specific screws to unmount the back. You need a "star" screwdriver with an hole in the middle, you can find .

You need to unmount also the control panel.

Find where to solder the wire in the front panel

First you need to find where to solder the 4 wires.

Put you multimeter in continuity tester and find on the 2 pads where you'll solder your relay output. Simply put your tester between 2 button's pad and when you push the button your multimeter should beep.

To find the +5V and GND, ne careful, you must power the coffee machine!!!! Put your multimeter in voltage measure and measure each plot on the PCB, on my coffee machine there are 2 plots close to the connector where I can find the +5V.

Unplug again the coffee machine and wait several seconds all th ecapacitors are discharged

Drilling the PCB to pass the buttons wires

Why drilling the PCB? 

...because all the buttons have a plastic cage on the top of them, I tried first to put the wires as below but then you cannot close the control panel:

What you need is to drill the PCB board to pass the 2 wires in the hole.

First check the PCB is as mine, e.g. single layer PCB. If you have a multilayer PCB.

Check where the plastic cage is, find in the PCB board where you can drill a 2.5mm hole without drilling any PCB trace. Drill gradually your PCB, e.g. strat with a 1mm drill, then 2mm, etc... to ensure your hole will be at the right place:

The soldering

You have 4 wires to solder.

As the wires are not long enough, you'll need at least to extend the 2 button's wires and protect the solder with Thermoresistant Tube Heat Shrink.

Check again your coffe machine is not powered.

All the wires will pass through the already existing hole of the existing ribbon cable. The 433MHz receiver will be located behind the top right corner of your machine as there is plenty of room: 

Solder carefully your 4 wires as below for the button:

And as below for the power:

You can power you coffee machine and do a test with your remote controls.

Once working, unplug your Delonghi coffee machine and remount all you have dissassembled before (you have plenty of tutorials Youtube).

Now you have the power button of your Delonghi Magnifica S remote controlled: