@Kohanskic

Devlog #02 Electric Boogaloo Hi everyone! This devlog will mainly cover the software side of the project so far as well as small changes made to the hardware itself and future plans. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––Added: -Web dashboard/monitor -Working communication functionality with LoRA -Solar power setup w/ batteries -Expanded control capabilities w/ new projects —————————————————–The web dashboard can be installed on any windows system or docker container and connects to the entire LoRA network. For the time being the installer will simulate node data as the LoRA connection is still buggy and can result in data corruption. This dashboard displays data based on local weather API’s and node location based on the sensors internal GPS. This dashboard is also the central hub for all sensor data which can be filtered by sensor or overall data. The dashboard is still a early WIP as I mainly focus on hardware however improvements are expected soon. For hardware the network has received many upgrades. To begin with the overall housing size has been increased to account for the solar charge system and batteries. This solar system consists of a charge controller which is fed from a 21v solar panel that drops the voltage from 21v to 12v to feed the batteries. This panel can power the entire system and should be able to power it even when its dark out for extended periods of time. Attached to the devlog is a prototype of the old system which is in the middle of a redesign to account for new components. —————————————————–Future plans: -Improved dashboard -additional hardware control -Improved compatibility (LoRA) —————————————————–Thank you to everyone that has enjoyed this project. I know progress has been slow and chunked but I am doing the best a can with my available time and funds. Future updates are going to be more detailed and complete once this framework is done. Thank you all! :)

Devlog #01

Hi everyone! A few weeks ago I began work on my first real project, a off grid sensor network for farming studies to provide those who need in field sensors with a cost effective alternative to current options.

This system is sealed and designed to survive the cold of New York winters as that’s where the original inspiration for this system comes from. In NY (outside of the city) we have vast farmlands that struggle with nutrient and pH monitoring, Erosion, and invasive species. Sensors to monitor these factors are not cost effective for the farmers who are directly impacted by this so by making a cheaper alternative it can help unburden the cost factor associated with these systems.

The sensor network relies on LoRa to communicate long distances without the use of high power or WiFi making it the optimal choice for this project. currently the central node which houses a raspberry pi 5 and a Heltec V4 LoRa board flashed with meshtastic is constructed and shown in the photo. This node connects to various field sensors and transmit the data back to the host computer over a network of additional nodes.

The central node is watertight with two custom brackets and a modular board all custom designed to fit the box. Custom mounts hold the V4 Chip and Pi to keep them in a neat layout and replaceable if damaged. Connected to the V4 is a SMA plug, sealed with TVU, which attaches to a 928mHZ antenna.

The external sensors cover a wide array of applications and are designed to be modular with a interchangeable sensor head allowing for quick adaptations to the use case. Drawings for these can be found in the repo. Current sensors include soil pH, Ground moisture, and sun exposure.

Future plans for this project include a weather station attached to the main node as well as a software panel that aggregates all the data for easy reading.

Thank you for being a part of my first project, happy building!