IOT Relay and ESP8266 to Control Lighting

Here is a quick project that I did to control lighting for our seedlings.  I wanted something that could be controlled via MQTT and then managed in Thingsboard.  On this initial prototype, I am using Adafruit’s IOT http://io.adafruit.com.  It works pretty well, but is limited in some of the features that I want (like scheduling events on a timed basis).

The components of the project are:

  • NodeMCU ESP8266 module.  I am developing in c++
  • Visual Micro plugin for Visual Studio.  Much easier for debugging and features than just the straight Arduino IDE
  • IOT Relay (See on Amazon):  This is an enclosed relay for both AC and DC switching.  And it has a simple port that allows you to control from a microcontroller.

NOTE:  I have sample code below the video. Continue Reading →

bwharton September 24, 2017

esp8266 / gardening / iot / NodeMCU /

PH/Temp meter now in the garden

I finally put the sensor platform out in the garden.  I am streaming it currently on io.adafruit here: https://io.adafruit.com/bwharton/garden

NOTE:  I will be moving this stream next week to Azure.  but for now, I am using MQTT to send data to adafruit’s solution.

You can see the box that I got.  It is a bit overkill.  I also got a “power stake” so that I can easily run power to both a pump and the sensor platform.  The box is very very big.  I imagine that I will get a smaller one for future versions that I will use in marine environments. Continue Reading →

bwharton January 10, 2017

esp8266 / hydroponics / iot / sensor platform /