PROJECTS: GARDUINO
makezine.com/18/garduino
MICROCONTROLLER-ASSISTED GARDENING
How the Arduino attends to your plants’ every need.
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INDOOR GARDEN
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Relays let you control
AC power (lights and
pumps) with the Arduino.
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Here we’re controlling
power to the pump with a
relay wired to the Arduino.
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The relays connect to
our Arduino with diodes to
prevent it from frying.
92 Make: Volume 18
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Thermistor: resistance
changes with temperature.
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These wires lead to
nails stuck in the soil: our
moisture sensor. Resistance
between the nails, through
the soil, changes with soil
moisture.
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Photocell: resistance
changes with light intensity.
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Garduino circuit board
(Arduino + sensors).
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The Garduino turns on
the fluorescent light to
make sure the plants receive
the right amount of light
( 16 hours daily). The photocell plus Arduino measure
how much natural sunlight
is received and turn on the
supplemental lights to make
up any difference.
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The black irrigation
tubing has tiny holes that
allow water to reach the
plants when the pump is
turned on.
The pump is submerged
in a bucket of water.
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Ordinary galvanized
nails are used to sense
soil moisture.
Illustration by Timmy Kucynda
