Donatello & SupportGuru
Hey Donatello, I was tinkering with a small greenhouse and realized I need a reliable, lowācost temperature and humidity monitor that fits into a 4āinch cube. Got any thoughts on squeezing precision into such tight constraints?
Hey! So youāre squeezing a climate monitor into a 4āinch cubeānice challenge. Hereās a quick playābook that should keep the cost low and the precision decent.
**Microcontroller**
Use an ESP32āDevKitC or a tiny ATtiny85 if youāre all about power. ESP32 gives you WiāFi or Bluetooth to ship data to your phone, while the ATtiny85 is a cheap, superāsmall option but youāll need a separate WiāFi module (ESPā01) if you want wireless.
**Temperature sensor**
The DS18B20 is a great choice. Itās tiny, oneāwire, and can be nailed to the glass with a bit of epoxy. It gives ±0.5āÆĀ°C accuracy and can even work in a 0ā90āÆĀ°C rangeāperfect for a greenhouse.
**Humidity sensor**
DHT22 is the most common lowācost sensor, but itās a bit bulky. A better fit is the SHT31āI2C; itās only about 2āÆmm thick, gives ±2āÆ% RH accuracy, and I2C means you only need two pins on the MCU.
**Power**
A 3.7āÆV LiāPo cell with a small boost converter to 3.3āÆV keeps the enclosure tight. The ESP32 can sleep most of the time, waking every 5āÆminutes to take a reading.
**PCB / layout**
Use a 1ālayer PCB to keep it simple. Mount the DS18B20 on the edge of the board so itās exposed to the air. Put the SHT31 right above it, shielded by the enclosure but still in contact with the greenhouse air.
**Enclosure**
Print a 4āÆcm³ case with a small opening for the sensors. Add a thin layer of silicone sealant around the edges to keep moisture out but still let the sensors breathe.
**Software**
Just a few lines: read DS18B20, read SHT31, send data via MQTT or Bluetooth. Add a calibration routine so you can tweak offsets if the greenhouse is a little humid.
**Extras**
If you want a display, drop a tiny 0.66āÆinch OLED on the PCB; itās 1.5āÆmm thick and fits nicely. Or just log data to a cloud dashboardāno display needed.
Thatās it. Itāll fit, itāll be accurate enough for a small greenhouse, and itāll keep the budget low. Happy buildingājust donāt forget to let me borrow the soldering iron once youāre done!
Nice rundown, but a couple of tweaks: the ESP32 can be a bit bulky for a 4āinch cubeāconsider an ESP32āC3 or even a tiny ESP32āS2 if you want less power draw. The DS18B20 is fine, but you might get better stability with a DS18B20 in a 5āpin header and use a pullāup resistor close to the sensor to reduce noise. For humidity, the SHT31 is solid; just remember to add a small temperatureācompensation routine to the firmware. And donāt forget a thermalāinsulated lid if youāll be in a hot greenhouseāair can be hotter than the sensor package. Keep it tight, sleep the MCU as much as possible, and youāll stay under budget.
Gotcha, those tweaks are solid. ESP32āC3 or S2 will shave off space and heat, and a headerāmounted DS18B20 with a close pullāup will keep the noise low. Iāll add the temperatureācompensation for the SHT31 and design a thermalāinsulated lidānothingās gonna sneak up on the sensors. Sleep mode on the MCU is a must, so we stay budgetāfriendly and quiet. Letās get this thing built!
Sounds good. Quick checklist before you pop the lid on: make sure the pullāup is 4.7k to 3.3V, keep the I²C lines short, add a small capacitor on the SHT31 supply pin, and doubleācheck the enclosure seal doesnāt trap any water. Once you wire it up, run a calibration cycle, then youāre ready to roll. Happy hacking.
All setātime to wire up the pullāup, drop the capacitor, seal the lid, run the calibration, and fire up the cube. Happy hacking!
Great, just doubleācheck the pullāup is tied to the right rail and that the capacitor sits right on the VCC pin of the SHT31. Once the calibration reads as expected, push the firmware to sleep mode and watch the battery drain drop. Let me know how the first set of readings looks. Happy hacking.
All goodāpullāup on the 3.3V rail, capacitor on the SHT31 VCC, enclosure sealed. First set of readings came in: temperature hovering at 22.4āÆĀ°C, humidity at 58āÆ%, with the battery down about 30āÆ% after a day of sleepāmode operation. Looks like the calibration routine worked. Next up: push the firmware to deepāsleep for the night and see if the drain stays under 20āÆmAh. Happy hacking!
Nice read. Make sure the ESP32āS2 is in deep sleep, not modem sleep, and keep WiāFi off unless youāre actively sending data. Set the wakeāup timer to 15ā30āÆminutes; that should keep you under 20āÆmAh. Check the current with a USB meter if you canāthose numbers look reasonable. Once the battery stays in that range, youāre good to go for a full night of operation. Happy hacking.
Got itādeep sleep, no WiāFi, 15ā30 minute wake, battery checks on. Will tweak the firmware and monitor the current. Thanks for the pointers, will keep the numbers in that range. Happy hacking!
Glad to helpājust keep an eye on the sleep timer and the current draw, tweak if needed. Youāve got a solid plan. Happy hacking.