Create an Arduino Uno-Based Smart Plant Monitoring System

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Introduction

This project involves creating a smart plant monitoring system using Arduino Uno. The system will monitor soil moisture and light levels to help you take better care of your plants. By incorporating sensors, you can track the health of your plants and receive alerts when they need attention.

With Arduino Uno, we can easily interface with soil moisture sensors and light sensors to gather data about your plants’ environment. This project is perfect for both beginners and experienced hobbyists looking to automate plant care and learn more about sensor integration.

Let’s go through the materials needed and the step-by-step instructions for building your own smart plant monitoring system.

Materials








Arduino Uno Arduino Uno Buy at Amazon
Breadboard Breadboard Buy at Amazon
Jumper Wires Jumper Wires Buy at Amazon
220 ohm Resistor 220 ohm Resistor Buy at Amazon
Soil Moisture Sensor Soil Moisture Sensor Buy at Amazon

Instructions

  1. Connect the soil moisture sensor to the Arduino:
    • VCC of sensor to 5V on Arduino
    • GND of sensor to GND on Arduino
    • Signal pin of sensor to analog pin A0 on Arduino
  2. Connect the light sensor to the Arduino:
    • One leg of photoresistor to 5V on Arduino
    • The other leg of photoresistor to analog pin A1 on Arduino, and also to a 220 ohm resistor connected to GND
  3. Connect the LCD display to the Arduino:
    • Follow the LCD pin configuration provided in the LCD datasheet.
  4. Open the Arduino IDE on your computer.
  5. Write the following code in the Arduino IDE and upload it to your Arduino board.

Library used is LiquidCrystal.h take a look at its reference: https://www.arduino.cc/reference/en/libraries/liquidcrystal/

This library allows an Arduino board to control Liquid Crystal displays (LCDs) based on the Hitachi HD44780 (or a compatible) chipset, which is found on most text-based LCDs. The library works with in either 4- or 8-bit mode (i.e. using 4 or 8 data lines in addition to the rs, enable, and, optionally, the rw control lines).

[dm_code_snippet ]
#include “LiquidCrystal.h”
//https://www.arduino.cc/reference/en/libraries/liquidcrystal/
// Initialize the LCD library with the numbers of the interface pins
LiquidCrystal lcd(12, 11, 5, 4, 3, 2);

const int soilMoisturePin = A0;
const int lightSensorPin = A1;

void setup() {
lcd.begin(16, 2);
lcd.print(“Plant Monitor”);
delay(2000);
}

void loop() {
int soilMoistureValue = analogRead(soilMoisturePin);
int lightLevelValue = analogRead(lightSensorPin);

lcd.setCursor(0, 0);
lcd.print(“Soil: “);
lcd.print(soilMoistureValue);

lcd.setCursor(0, 1);
lcd.print(“Light: “);
lcd.print(lightLevelValue);

delay(2000);
}
[/dm_code_snippet]

Explanation

This project uses an Arduino Uno to monitor soil moisture and light levels, displaying the readings on an LCD display. The soil moisture sensor measures the moisture level in the soil, while the light sensor measures the ambient light level.

The code initializes the LCD and reads values from the soil moisture and light sensors. These values are then displayed on the LCD. This project demonstrates how to use multiple sensors with Arduino and display data in a user-friendly format.

By integrating the soil moisture and light sensors, this project helps in maintaining healthy plants by providing essential information about their environment. This is a great example of how Arduino can be used for practical applications in gardening and plant care.

Conclusion

Building a smart plant monitoring system with Arduino Uno is an engaging project that combines electronics with practical plant care. Through this project, you have learned how to interface with sensors and display data using an LCD screen.

Feel free to customize and expand this project by adding features such as automatic watering or alerts for low moisture levels. Arduino provides a versatile platform for creating a variety of applications, and this project is just one example of its potential.

Thank you for following this tutorial. We hope you enjoyed building your smart plant monitoring system and found it useful. Stay tuned for more Arduino projects and ideas!

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