hello world,

pot2 is an open source smart pot. it can alarm you on the phone/tablet and by changing colors when thirsty, cold, sleeping etc. please support our mission;igg.me/at/smartplants

our goal is to bring together nature & technology in a simple, non harmful way. costs as low as $20 and a weekend to build - same technology in pot2 can be implemented in a greenhouse or smart home automation project - now with blynk app and 3D printable body.!!

- open source hardware + software

- solder-free, non toxic

- suitable for any age group, plug&play

pot2 is an all around educational tool. once completed the end user will know how to build circuits, program and end up with a finished device that can teach them how to garden. no prior electronics or gardening experience needed.!!

here is a list of what we will be using;

1x wifi nodemcu board (arduino)

1x usb rechargable battery pack

1x breadboard

1x RGB led

1x temperature & humidity sensor

1x light sensor

1x water sensor

16x jumper wires

4x magnets

-- project kits available --

let's build..>

Step 1: Design

our first step is to 3D print pot2 - you can reach the design files on www.thingiverse.com/thing:1781292

included are ready to print STL and sketchup files.

it is designed to be able to print without any support to speed up the print process, at fast print should take about 8-10hrs

Step 2: Updates

the older design was for CNC and laser cutters. realizing these machines are not easily available to the public, we updated the plant pot with a 3D printable frame.

more than double the soil capacity compared to the old model. also more room in the electronics compartment

edge lit smartLED alarm system gives it a more natural feeling.

pot2 is equipped with nodemcu wifi board. a much stronger computer with better and easier to program wifi capability.

blynk phone app ready, now you can easily keep an eye on (and control) your garden from anywhere in the world.!!

**this is an update to the plant pot research project - world's first stand alone smart plant pot

Step 3: Circuit

using the jumper cables and the breadboard, slowly connect the circuit together.

double check all connections BEFORE powering up the board.!!

Step 4: Temperature & Humidity Sensor

pot2 can be equipped with both dht11 and the newer model dht22 digital temperature & humidity sensor. temperature is displayed in C and humidity in %.

DHT11 is 20-80% humidity readings with 5% accuracy and 0-50°C temperature readings ±2°C accuracy.

DHT22 is 0-100% humidity readings with 2-5% accuracy and -40 to 80°C temperature readings ±0.5°C accuracy

place it with the back side down as shown in the picture, revealing the connection pins upwards. bend the pins one at a time to desired angle if necessary.

Step 5: Light Sensor

the tiny solar panel looking part of the light sensor sits flush with the door cover. it has to be able to pick up the light levels, so make sure it's not covered by the cover or wall & other obstacles in the room

light sensor is digital, it only sends 0 or 1 as data. the sensitivity can be adjusted using the tiny little blue screw on the sensor - without the need to reprogram arduino.

Step 6: Water Sensor

water sensor is analog and can read data from 0-1023 and alarm you when this value is between 0-300 - you will see this value in the code, it can be adjusted for different plants.

it goes through the body and into the soil. when the soil dries out, the number mentioned above drops due to low conductivity.

Step 7: Edge Lit Notification System

this is a very exciting update. the light are now much more visible and stylish compared to the older model.

for this step you will need 40 x 116mm wide clear acrylic at 0.25" thickness. you can also 3D print this part as well using clean filament.!! this piece sits nicely on the ceiling of the electronics compartment.

using hot glue secure the neopixel smartLED in the middle of the plastic bar. the clear plastic will nicely carry the light across the side.

Step 8: Blynk Setup

we'll first start with getting the blynk app ready on phone/tablet.

zoom here; https://www.instructables.com/files/orig/FAO/ALW9/I...

- download blynk app on device

- start new project, name it, choose board: esp8266, email yourself AUTH TOKEN

- add widget > value display m > name: water, input V4 0-1023 > read freq: 11sec

- add widget > value display m > name: light, input V3 0-1 > read freq: 11sec

- add widget > value display m > name: temp c, input V1 0-45 > read freq: push

- add widget > value display m > name: humid %, input V2 0-100 > read freq: push

- add widget > button > name: blue led, output GP2, mode: switch //onboard led 1

- add widget > button > name: red led, output GP16, mode: switch //onboard led 2

- add widget > history graph > data to show: V1, V2, V3, V4

- add widget > email

Step 9: Arduino Code

to program pot2 we must first follow few one time only quick download/install steps. ask in comments if you are stuck.

- install the little computer's driver on laptop

- install arduino software on laptop

- install neopixel library

- install adafruit unified sensor driver

- install blynk library to arduino software

- get arduino software ready for the little computer

- restart computer before going any further.!!

here is the code,
make sure to carefully read lines 1-26 and make necessary changes in your code before upload.!!

you must copy & paste the code above to the arduino software on your computer.

- open arduino software

- clear the text in the box, and paste the code from above

- plug in pot2 to laptop

- go to files > tools > boards > scroll down to choose "nodemcu 1.0"

- go to files > tools > port > scroll down to choose the correct port associated with nodemcu board

- after changing the wifi & blynk credentials in the code, now go to sketch > upload. after it compiles for errors, upload will begin and pot2 will be online shortly after

NOTE***use this code instead for analog RGB LED; http://bit.ly/2KYuONT

Step 10: Gardening

it's time to get dirty - fill up your pot with soil.!!

bury some seeds at the top; www.instructables.com/3-Days-from-Seed-to-Sprouting-Plants

or transplant a grown plant; www.instructables.com/id/re-pot-a-Plant/

welcome to the wonderful world of plants :)

Step 11: Conclusion

we hope this instructable will help get your project started, and maybe it will interest you into electronics, programming or even gardening.!! remember to ask for help in the comments. for other gardening instruments, check out; www.instructables.com/id/the-Plant-Doctor-family

thank you for your interest. please follow, favorite & share