Custom circuit boards for version 2 of the automatic blind controller are now available. This saves the wiring hassle and greatly condenses the size of the completed electronics, neatly fitting into the 3D printable housing available via thingiverse. Version 2 uses a D1 mini micro-controller to allow full WiFi capability, control via a mobile phone app, automatic opening/closing and precise calibration of start/end stops.
Get yours now from my etsy store or alternatively via eBay.
A limited number of version 1 boards remain and are available through eBay if you are part way through that build but hurry as this is the last batch!
Exciting news, I will soon be releasing a new version of the Amazon Alexa compatible blind controller, similar in design but with all new hardware. Powered by a Wemos D1 Mini micro-controller, it is now WiFi enabled and can be operated from within a mobile app from anywhere in the world. Upgraded motors allow for precise, repeatable positioning and easy calibration either from within the mobile app or using the full manual controls. The mobile app also allows scheduled opening and closing at pre-configured times.
The batteries used in the sensor may not last long, to combat this I investigate use of a solar panel as means to provide a continuous source of charge. See my tutorial on how to add solar power to your projects and check back soon for progress…
Having to rely on mains power can frequently limit the usefulness of the devices we make. Being able to power them continuously from the sun using a solar panel in combination with a rechargeable battery is an cheap and easy solution.
In this tutorial, I give a basic explanation of the process of harnessing energy from the sun using solar and an example circuit which you could use for your own small scale projects.
The parts used for this project can be found here:
Coming Up I will be using the theory presented here to create a Solar Module for my wireless moisture sensor to provide a hopefully near continuous supply of power so I can monitor my plants all through the summer season.
Combining the D1 Mini and Blynk to create a wireless Soil Moisture Sensor…
This small portable sensor can be used to alert you to the moisture condition of your plants. In the future it can be combined with a water pump to create a fully automatic garden system.
To begin you will need to download and 3D-print the 3 separate parts available via thingiverse.
Connect everything together using the following schematic:
The shield can be connected directly to the D1 mini. The breadboard is used above for reference only and components should be soldered and crimped together in order to facilitate positioning inside the printed housing.
Remember to connect the RST pin to D0 in order to enable sleep mode.
The final assembled device should look similar to the image below:
Download the Blynk App to your smart phone/device and create a new project based on the following:
Upload the sketch to the D1 Mini using the Arduino IDE. Edit the sketch to include reference to your WIFI SSD and password as well as your unique Blynk authentication token.
Insert and charge the battery and watch the data roll in…
Use the sliders in the app to adjust the threshold at which the dry/wet alerts are activated. The sketch can be further customised if your sensor needs it as well as for things like the length of time to sleep.
Many micro-controllers such as the D1 mini have few analog inputs so it is useful to be able to use multiple analog sensors using the same input pin. In this video, part of a upcoming series of tutorials, I will show you a simple way to do this.
The example sketch accompanying this tutorial can be found here.
A more advanced version of this sketch using Blynk can be found here.
A short tutorial on using the ESP-01 to connect your Arduino projects to the Internet of Things (IoT) via. The ESP-01 is a WiFi enabled microcontroller that may be used standalone or in combination with an Arduino to enable WiFi control and monitoring of any project.
If you have difficulty getting your ESP-01 to work, see my separate video on flashing new firmware:
