Renesas' quick solutions feature a reference design for a smart moisture sensor that measures soil conditions using the RL78/G11 to transfer data to a smartphone app via the RL78/G1D Bluetooth® low-energy (BLE) module. This data can be portrayed graphically such as in a temperature-versus-moisture graph. The design includes a buzzer that warns if the soil is growing too dry, and can control a water valve with an output motor signal.
Features
- Oscillator that facilitates the low-power capabilities of the Bluetooth module
- Blue LED provides an indication of BLE operation
- Smartphone app is available to communicate with the smart moisture sensor via built-in Bluetooth module
- UART and I2C connections allow alternative communication methods with the RL78/G11 MCU
- Debugger connections to program the device
- Power to the device is controlled by the RL78/G11
- 6-pin header allows for different types of motors to be controlled
- Moisture sensor consists of two contacts (one on each side of the prong) which measure the resistance of the surrounding soil
- Specifies and configures automatic watering mode
- SMS hardware is powered by a single AA battery
