@AshishPatel

Devlog #2: Systems Architecture & Circuit Map Complete!

Hey everyone! 🚀

After a massive coding sprint yesterday, I have successfully locked down the core codebase for Astro-Flora and finalized the official hardware circuit schematic!

Since Astro-Flora is designed to be an industrial-grade, multi-zone life support system for extreme space environments, I needed to make sure the hardware layout perfectly matches the decoupled state-machine architecture of my code.

🌌 Hardware Subsystem Breakdown

I have organized the system architecture into four dedicated operational blocks:

Sensor Array Inputs: Dual capacitive soil moisture sensors (Zone A on A0, Zone B on A1) set to monitor a desiccation threshold of 450, an atmospheric thermistor on A4, and a fluid reservoir level unit on A5 to prevent dry-pumping.

User Interface & Audio Alerts: A 16x2 LCD display running via I2C (0x27) displaying live metrics alongside custom-rendered hex glyphs (Sprout, Sun, Moon, and Critical Warning). A master piezo buzzer sits on Pin 7 for cascading acoustic transaction tones.

Digital Security Interlock: A biometric badge-swipe simulator connected to Pin 10 using internal pull-up resistors to log crew entries and exits seamlessly.

Isolated Relay Actuators A 5-channel opto-isolated relay array connected to digital pins 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 to safely drive high-power external loads (Solenoid water valves, grow lights, radiant heaters, and CO2 circulation fans).

🛡️ Critical Engineering Safeties Added

While drafting the final blueprint, I made sure to add flyback diodes across the solenoid water valve channels. Since pumps and solenoids create heavy inductive voltage spikes when collapsing their magnetic fields, these diodes will keep the relay module and the Arduino Mega completely protected from back-EMF damage.

The schematic is officially mapped, the code compiles flawlessly, and I’m ready to advance from the Design Phase to the Building Phase as soon as the review clears!

Check out the full schematic below! 👇

Devlog #1: Laying the Foundations of Orion-OS

What I Accomplished today:
Workspace Initialization: Set up the full local development environment inside VS Code to begin building the operating system framework from scratch.

Core Structural Setup: Designed and structured the foundational codebase architecture, mapping out how the core software components will interact.

Logic Framework: Wrote and organized the initial background logic scripts, laying down the groundwork necessary for executing deeper system tasks in future updates.

🌿 Astro-Flora: Automated Martian Greenhouse Module

Devlog #1 – Building a Smart Greenhouse for Space

Hello everyone!

I’ve started working on Astro-Flora, an automated life-support greenhouse designed for extreme environments such as Mars and the Moon.

The goal of this project is to create a system that can monitor plant health and environmental conditions while minimizing human intervention and conserving resources.

What I’ve completed so far

✅ Designed the overall system architecture
✅ Developed the core Arduino software framework
✅ Implemented dual-zone soil moisture monitoring
✅ Added autonomous irrigation control for multiple growing zones
✅ Implemented climate regulation logic using temperature thresholds
✅ Added simulated day/night lighting cycles
✅ Built a crew access monitoring and logging system
✅ Added LCD-based telemetry display and status indicators
✅ Implemented reservoir monitoring and emergency safety alerts.

Current Progress

I estimate the project is around 50% complete.
The software side is largely functional, and I am currently working on integrating and testing the hardware components.

Challenges

Managing multiple subsystems simultaneously without conflicts
Designing a realistic space-habitat workflow
Creating a modular code structure that can be expanded later.

Why Astro-Flora?

Future space missions will need reliable food production systems. Astro-Flora explores how automation, sensing, and resource management can help sustain crops in hostile environments.

I finally finished Astropass and hit my 11 hours! I cleaned up the whole codebase and got everything running smoothly. I ended up adding custom graphics to the LCD screen like a padlock, checkmark, and warning triangle, and I used a clean switch-case state machine to handle all the terminal transitions without any bugs. I also built in a 3-strike security lockout that triggers an automatic 8-second cooldown if an invalid badge is scanned three times, and I set up a circular log system that prints the full access history straight to the Serial Monitor. Everything is fully pushed to GitHub and ready, so I’m officially moving on to my new Astro-Flora greenhouse project now!

Devlog #2
: Bringing the Astropass Core to Life! 📡🛸

What I did today: Successfully laid down the foundation for the Astropass security terminal and got the I2C LCD display fully integrated with the system logic!

New Features: * Fixed up the primary input buffer to read passcodes and badge IDs in real-time through the terminal lines.

Programmed the LCD to show live system updates (SCAN PASSPORT…) instead of just hiding the data in the background.

Added a dynamic fast-pass check that immediately flips the screen to > ACCESS GRANTED and triggers a high-frequency success chime on the buzzer when a valid badge is detected.

Progress: Spent a solid block of hours structuring the basic logic loops and troubleshooting the liquid crystal libraries. Ready to start scaling this up into a multi-user security system! 💎

I worked on the core system architecture for the LUNAR-SCRUB automated rover. I successfully mapped out the 16-subsystem hardware matrix, configured the FSM autonomous navigation engine, and fixed critical pin conflicts with the I2C LCD screen and hardware serial lines. The code and detailed documentation are now fully updated on GitHub!

I worked on the core system architecture for the LUNAR-SCRUB automated rover. I successfully mapped out the 16-subsystem hardware matrix, configured the FSM autonomous navigation engine, and fixed critical pin conflicts with the I2C LCD screen and hardware serial lines. The code and detailed documentation are now fully updated on GitHub!

Project Name:AstroPass

Today’s Progress: Successfully created and initialized a brand new GitHub repository for this second project.

Uploaded all the initial core project files to the repository.

Set up the demo link to showcase the current state of the project.

What I’m working on next: Continuing to build out the next set of features and refining the code.

A smart, automated self-maintenance rover designed for the harsh lunar surface. Because electrostatic lunar regolith (space dust) covers solar panels and blocks their energy source, this project uses an Arduino Uno and an ESP32 to run an automated cleaning loop. When activated, a specialized rotating brush sweeps abrasive dust off the solar cells to restore power generation, while a servo-controlled dust tank opens to collect and safely purge the debris. For navigation safety, the system integrates an ultrasonic sensor and an IR sensor to instantly trigger an emergency stop if the rover encounters deep craters or dangerous rocks

I am developing the core embedded architecture for a Smart Lunar Dust Cleaner / Solar-Protection Rover. On the Moon, abrasive regolith dust accumulates on solar panels, cutting off the rover’s only source of energy. My project solves this by using a dual-processor setup: an ESP32 to handle custom app data streams, and an Arduino Uno to execute real-time physical routines.

In this coding session, I engineered the safety override logic and operational sub-routines. The system coordinates:

A 4WD Moon-Terrain Chassis: Controlled via an L298N driver to navigate rough ground.

Dual-Sensor Protection Array: Combining an HC-SR04 Ultrasonic sensor and a LiDAR/IR sensor to freeze locomotion before hitting craters or rocks.

Automated Solar Panel Brush: A dedicated cleaning motor that sweeps abrasive dust off the solar cells to restore power generation.

Servo-Actuated Dirt Tank: Keeps collected regolith safely sealed in a containment box until a serial purge command triggers the servo to open the trapdoor and dump the dust.

I am developing the core embedded architecture for a Smart Lunar Dust Cleaner / Solar-Protection Rover. On the Moon, abrasive regolith dust accumulates on solar panels, cutting off the rover’s only source of energy. My project solves this by using a dual-processor setup: an ESP32 to handle custom app data streams, and an Arduino Uno to execute real-time physical routines.

In this coding session, I engineered the safety override logic and operational sub-routines. The system coordinates:

A 4WD Moon-Terrain Chassis: Controlled via an L298N driver to navigate rough ground.

Dual-Sensor Protection Array: Combining an HC-SR04 Ultrasonic sensor and a LiDAR/IR sensor to freeze locomotion before hitting craters or rocks.

Automated Solar Panel Brush: A dedicated cleaning motor that sweeps abrasive dust off the solar cells to restore power generation.

Servo-Actuated Dirt Tank: Keeps collected regolith safely sealed in a containment box until a serial purge command triggers the servo to open the trapdoor and dump the dust.