Video version of the article:
For myself, I want a system for 4 zones. Each zone has its own moisture sensor and its own water supply valve. The system is autonomous and can work without power supply, at least in the warm season.
Soil moisture sensorsI reviewed soil moisture sensors in this article:https://www.hackster.io/craftiarenko/soil-moisture-sensor-w-parasite-with-esphome-fa6b8f
For this project I simply made three additional sensors.
DIY valveThis option combines all the advantages.
- The valve is inexpensive. The cost of one valve is in the range of $5-6.
- It has low power consumption.
- It has a low operating voltage.
- It doesn't consume current in standby mode.
- It has easy integration into a smart home.
So, here's the idea
Buy regular solenoid valves. I used a version that works with pressure up to 0.8 MPa.
Dismantle the induction coil.
Print a new case.
Install a neodymium magnet on the servo shaft.
Insert a SG90 servo into the case.
As a controller for ESPHome, I took the Lolin D1 Mini board. It already has an on-board programmer and a USB Type-C port for power supply. All that's left is to solder a comb for connecting 4 servos.
To organize the liquid supply, I took regular water pipes.
First test. I took the box outside and connected it to a powerbank. You can see that modifying the valve is very simple, but everything works just great and is perfectly suited for my task.
Solar powerI specifically looked for valves with low power consumption, because I didn't want to run 220V mains to my garden.
I chose a small 20W solar panel. It's connected to a cheap PWM charger that charges a 12V LiFePO4 battery.
This will definitely be enough to power the automatic irrigation 24/7. And there will be spare power for additional devices. So I can connect my camera from this video as well. You can also install a Wi-Fi repeater or weather station here.
ConclusionsThis is roughly how you can build an automatic irrigation system. The cost of the entire system I was assembling is approximately $150. You can place it remotely, using an external MQTT Broker and LTE Modem.
That's it
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