[asveikau]

> Imprecisely yeet the stepper motor all the way left/right, toggling the target temp between “really really hot” or “really really cold”

> Option 2 certainly is the “jankier” of the two options, given that it relies on a second-order property (target temp) to power the unit on/off… but hey - whatever’s easier, right?

Isn't this basically how a thermostat works? I.e. there is a component that is binary on/off, and a thermometer is used to decide to switch on or off.

[yakkers]

For the purpose of cooling, just setting the thermostat to its hottest setting would be in effect "off" just about all of the time. Depending on the design/temperature range of the thermostat, this isn't 100% though.

If you want to be able to do both heating and cooling, it'd get a bit complicated since the above would be inverted for heating.

[robbak]

Thermostats often have mechanisms at the top and/or bottom that force the switch to be on or off.

[petesergeant]

> binary on/off

On older ones, but newer ones can modulate blower speed, compressor speed, and refrigerant flow. Don't think I've seen an air-con without blower-speed as part of the cooling apparatus for a long while.