Plant Moisture Reader

A full-stack IoT project that monitors plant moisture levels using Raspberry Pi Pico sensors and displays the data through a modern web interface. The system provides real-time moisture tracking and historical data visualization for your plants.

System Architecture

The project consists of four main components:

1. Moisture Sensors (Raspberry Pi Pico)

   • Reads moisture levels using capacitive soil sensors
   • Connects via WiFi for data transmission
   • Reports readings through MQTT
   • Includes LED status indicators for diagnostics

2. MQTT Broker

   • Handles communication between sensors and database
   • Processes incoming sensor data
   • Ensures reliable data transmission

3. Database (PostgreSQL)

   • Stores historical moisture readings
   • Manages plant and sensor relationships
   • Enables data analysis and trending

4. Web Interface (Next.js)

   • Modern, paper-styled UI for data visualization
   • Real-time moisture level displays
   • Historical data charts
   • Plant management interface

Features

• Real-time Monitoring

  • Live moisture level readings
  • Multiple sensor support per plant
  • Visual status indicators

• Data Visualization

  • Interactive charts showing moisture trends
  • Historical data analysis
  • Easy-to-read moisture levels

• Plant Management

  • Add and manage multiple plants
  • Configure sensors for each plant
  • Track plant health over time

Technology Stack

Hardware

• Raspberry Pi Pico W
• Capacitive Soil Moisture Sensor v2.0
• Built-in LED for status indication

Software

• Frontend:

  • Next.js 13+ (App Router)
  • TypeScript
  • TailwindCSS
  • Chart.js for data visualization

• Backend:

  • PostgreSQL database
  • MQTT for sensor communication
  • MicroPython (Raspberry Pi Pico)

• Development:

  • Turborepo for monorepo management
  • ESLint for code quality
  • TypeScript for type safety

Getting Started

Hardware Setup

1. Set up the Raspberry Pi Pico with required components:

   • Raspberry Pi Pico W
   • Capacitive Soil Moisture Sensor
   • Power supply

2. Flash the MicroPython code to the Pico:

   • Upload all required files
   • Configure WiFi and MQTT settings

Software Setup

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone [repository-url]
   cd plant-reader

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install

3. Configure environment variables:

   cp .env.example .env

   Edit .env with your database and MQTT settings

4. Start the development server:

   npm dev

Project Structure

plant-reader/
├── packages/
│   ├── services/
│   │   └── plant-reader-app/    # Next.js web application
│   ├── db/                      # Database schemas and types
│   └── mqtt/                    # MQTT client and handlers
└── docs/                        # Documentation

LED Status Indicators (Hardware)

The Pico's onboard LED indicates different states:

• Fast blinking (0.1s): Time sync in progress
• Medium blinking (0.5s): WiFi connecting
• Slow blinking (1.0s): MQTT connecting
• LED off: Normal operation

MQTT Data Format

Sensors publish data in the following JSON format:

{
  "plant_reader_id": "sensor_id",
  "created_at": [
    "year",
    "month",
    "day",
    "hour",
    "minute",
    "second",
    "weekday",
    0
  ],
  "moisture_level": "percentage",
  "meta_data": {}
}

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please read our Contributing Guide for details on our code of conduct and the process for submitting pull requests.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Acknowledgments

• Built with Turborepo
• Powered by Next.js
• Hardware powered by Raspberry Pi Pico