A project by Stan Dotson ([email protected]) and Matthew Nichols ([email protected])
Why would you build a lawn sprinkler system controller when you can just buy one? But you can’t just buy one... at least not the sprinkler system we were thinking about!! Let’s start by first making the controller connected. And of course, we will need iPhone controls. Then we need to make it smart. Smart like it knows when it has rained, is raining or will rain! And then what if we could add cognition so that it actually learns how to water your lawn! Not that would be really smart!!!
This project contains code and instructions for how we built irrigation controllers that work with SmartThings. You can control your lawn irrigation directly from your smartphone via the SmartThings app. Also, you can set up as many schedules as you like to precisely control your lawn irrigation. Hyperlocal weather forecasts make sure you save water when it rains!!!
###Project Features
- Build your own irrigation controller for SmartThings
- Flexibility to manage 1-24 irrigation zones
- Directly control from your iPhone
- Create one or more schedules to automatically run the irrigation system
- Easily over-ride the schedule
- Two options to control a master relay or pump
- A virtual rain guage that uses local weather stations to measure recent and forecasted rain and skip irrigation when rain exceeds a threshhold
- Easty to follow documentation
###There are three subprojects:
- 8 Zone Irrigation Controller
- 16 Zone Irrigation Controller
- 24 Zone Irrigation Controller
###Each project inlcudes:
- Arduino sketch which transforms an Arduino and associated relays into an irrigation controller
- Smart Device Type code to connect your Arduino irrigation controller to the SmartThings Physical Graph
- README with all the step by step detail to build either project
###A SmartApp works for all three projects
- Smart App allows you to schedule your irrigation and integrate hyperlocal weather forecasts
- You can install the smart app multiple times to give you nearly unlimited schedules
Enjoy, Stan and Matt