#Growbot automatic watering system business insider how to
#Growbot automatic watering system business insider install
#Growbot automatic watering system business insider serial
#Growbot automatic watering system business insider manual

#Growbot automatic watering system business insider install

To avoid having to install the required programs manually, you can also run the application with Docker in containers. The following command downloads the repository onto the Raspberry Pi: git clone cd automated-irrigation-system Installing the project on the Raspberry Piįirst you have to download the software on your Raspberry pi. If the Arduino IDE is successfully configured for the NodeMCU, you can upload the program you find in this repository under arduino-code/ESP8266_moisture/ESP8266_moisture.ino to the NodeMCU. So it’s best to choose the name of the plant the sensor should be associated with. The sensor name will be the name that is displayed in the app.

In order to flash the NodeMCU microcontroller you have to follow the steps described in this video.īefore you upload the program you have to set your wifi password, wifi name (ssid), the ip of the raspberry pi (host) and the sensor name (this name need to be unique!). To record the measurement data of the sensors with the NodeMCU, you must first install the software. With the frontend, this data can also be requested from the backend via REST. In addition, the data is then stored in the MongoDB. The data is processed in the backend, where it is decided whether to irrigate or not. A C++ script runs on the NodeMCU ESP8266, which sends data to the REST interface of the backend. The software consists of a Node.js backend with Express.js, a Mongo database and a React frontend. Software Architectureįor the software architecture the MERN Stack was used. So it is also possible to use 12V or higher pumps. The pumps are also separately connected to a power supply, whose circuit is controlled by the relay.

#Growbot automatic watering system business insider serial

Surely it is possible to read the sensors with an MCP3008 and the serial interface, but this requires more pins and the setup is not as clean as it used to be. It is also not possible to read the analog signals of the capacitive sensor with the Raspberry itself, because the Raspberry can only process digital signals. This makes it possible to control up to 26 pumps with the Raspberry Pi (amount of default available GPIO pins). The architecture was chosen so that pump logic and recording of measurement data is separate. When the relay is opened, the circuit to the pump is closed and the plants get watered. This is where you decide whether or not to trigger the relay associated with the sensor. The filtered and interpolated measured values are then sent through your local network to the Raspberry Pi. To measure the soil moisture, the NodeMCU ESP8266 microcontrollers read the analog signals of the capacitive sensors.

Switching between different sensor profiles.

#Growbot automatic watering system business insider manual

Manual activation of irrigation with a button.

Setting how long the pump works during an irrigation.

Setting the water level from which automatic watering should be triggered.Monitor and display time series data at the minute, hour, day, week and month levels.

The system has the following features, which can be controlled via the web app: Want to read this story later? Save it in Journal. Here, the decision as to when to irrigate is not made according to a timer, but rather the soil moisture is measured directly and a decision is made on the basis of this whether irrigation is necessary or not. The system can be used for house plants, raised beds, but also for plants in the garden or larger green areas, because the number of connected plants is scalable.

#Growbot automatic watering system business insider how to

In this article I will show you how to build an affordable automated irrigation system so you no longer have to water your plants by hand.