It’s not yet quite the accurate swiss timepiece I was hoping for, but made a start on creating an internet enabled clock using a D1 mini and 2 stepper motors…
Credit to Jacques Favre for his original design.
Pet Robot Ball
My pet dog loves playing with toys especially ones he can chase! I built a robotic ball that switches on and rolls away whenever he interacts with it, notifies me via my mobile phone where I can then take over control and finally powers down when the fun is over to save battery. Full details available here. If you like this project, please vote for it in the robotics contest at instructables. Thanks.
Animated WiFi Doll – Detailed build guide now available
I have completed a detailed guide to building your own animated WiFi doll just in time for Halloween!
In case you haven’t seen it, here it is in action…
Full details and videos on how to put together the doll and all the electronics are available here.
This is also an entry to the instructables Halloween competition so please vote for me, thanks!
Wireless Power Monitor
Ever wanted to remotely monitor/log power usage of your electronic appliances? Well now you can with this DIY, 3D printable monitor.
As well as the 3D printable parts available from thingiverse, you will need the following:
- D1 Mini
https://www.banggood.com/D1-Mini-NodeMcu-Lua-WIFI-ESP8266-Development-Board-p-1044858.html?p=KF2715792233201409DJ&custlinkid=89596 - INA219 Power Monitor Sensor
https://www.banggood.com/custlink/K3m3ttRLec
- Mini Rocker Switch
https://www.banggood.com/custlink/KG3KPHyoj
Simply connect the parts as shown in the schematic below, solder the switch in place after assembly within the 3D printable housing.
Note: To allow use of the sleep mode you will also need to solder a connection between the RST and D0 pins of the D1 mini.
Download and install the Blynk app, use the following QR code to get your own copy of the power monitor app.
Configure the Arduino sketch for your own WiFi SSID and password as well as your unique Blynk autherntication token.
The latest Arduino sketch can be found here. Further details can be found at instructables.
Wireless Soil Moisture Sensor v2
I have today uploaded a new version of my wireless soil moisture sensor. This new version accommodates a larger 18650 type battery, a more efficient TP4056 charge controller and a DC jack for attaching an optional solar panel.
For full details see thingiverse and instructables
DIY Solar Power Supply
Create your own solar power supply with this easy design, based on a previous tutorial, solar power for small electronics projects.
This could be used to generate a near permanent power supply for a variety of electronics projects, including potentially the blind controller! Watch this space…
For this project you will need:
TP4056 Li-Ion Battery Charge Controller:
https://www.banggood.com/custlink/KGmmYIsB5L
TP18650 3.7V Li-Ion Battery (2600mAh):
https://www.banggood.com/custlink/KKDmESs4HB
6V 4.5W Mono crystalline Solar Panel:
https://www.banggood.com/custlink/GvD3YIs0PU
5V 1A USB Step Up Converter:
https://www.banggood.com/custlink/mvK3ESN6SK
OR MT3608 DC Boost Module
https://www.banggood.com/custlink/KGmvJ1h7GL
The 3D printable housing can be found at Thingiverse:
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3622230
Circuit details:
More images:
Blind Controller V2 Announced!
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.
Check out the teaser trailer below and be sure to check back soon and subscribe to my YouTube channel for future updates…
Solar power module for the wireless soil moisture sensor
In a previous video I described how you could add solar power to your electronics projects. In this video we add a solar panel to the wireless soil moisture sensor to hopefully provide a constant power source, at least through the summer months! All that’s required is a solar panel (duh!), a 5V USB boost converter and the 3D-printed attachment which is available via my thingiverse page.
Solar Power Module For The Wireless Soil Moisture Sensor
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…
WiFi Enabled Soil Moisture Sensor
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.
You will need the following components:
WeMos D1 Mini
3.7V 14500 Li-ion Battery
Capacitive Soil Moisture Sensor
D1 Mini Battery Shield
WS2812 RGB LED
1 x AA Battery Holder
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.