RoadTest: IDT Wireless Flow Rate, Humidity&Temp Sensing Kit
Author: swathic
Creation date:
Evaluation Type: Development Boards & Tools
Did you receive all parts the manufacturer stated would be included in the package?: True
What other parts do you consider comparable to this product?:
What were the biggest problems encountered?: The sensor flow rate SLPM is low so it can be used only for slow flow rates. If the SLPM is more it can be useful to monitor for high speed flowing fluids
Detailed Review:
Introduction:
The SDAWIR evaluation kit using the 6LoWPAN ZWIR4512 low power wireless module to communicate humidity, temperature, and flow sensor measurement data to the kit’s 6LoWPAN-WiFi hub is used in the present project. The hub functions as WiFi hub, allowing a linked device to display and graph the measured data in real time in Smartphone or on PC with http://demo.isg.
For more details on product visit to the URL https://www.idt.com/products/interface-connectivity/6lowpan-wireless-modules/sdawir-wireless-flow-rate-humidity-and-temperature-sensing-evaluation-kit
In the present work, my aim was to sense the water flow rate to supply water for the plants by the drip method. If the plant is small it requires less quantity, if the plant is growing accordingly water should be supplied. The quantity to be supplied to the plant is presented in this current RoadTest review. In the figure.1 used components were shown. The components include two power supply for HUB and IDT sensors, IDT sensor kit, WiFi HUB, Saline pipe and waste can for water tank.
In the below figure.2 Saline pipe is fitted to the flow sensor to monitor the water flow rate this is used to water the plant. Care should be taken to fit saline pipe to the sensor kit without any leakages. The flow of water can be initial maintained with the flow control clamp and it is measured with the IDT sensor.
Figure.3 shows the close look and this can be operated with coin cell.
The overall setup is shown in the figure.4 the water tank, HUB, Sensor Kit and the drip pipe is placed close to the plant. The setup in present project is for watering single plant, it can be extended to the garden plants, horticulture, farming, vertical gardening, etc.
When the IDT sensors is powered it glow the LED light as shown in figure.5 indicating it is ready to collect data and transfer to the remote device for monitoring
Software Configurations:
The app is open in the URL demo.isg and the panel view is shown in figure.6 below. In the panel temperature, humidity and flow rate are monitored.
Application:
The project explain how to used the IDT flow Sensor kit for drip irrigation as in the drip irrigation water is supplied to plant by water venture injector which is an additional cost to the farmer and it need to sense the quantity it is disposed and the quantity of water supplied to plants. In figure 6 it is shown the water tank setup for the plant from the scrap cola bottle and fitted saline bottle pipe to control flow and connected to the IDT flow sensor kit to monitor the flow rate. Once the modules are powered the parameters like temperature, humidity and flow rate can be monitor on the Smart phone in real time and the data can be stored in the SD card in the HUB kit. If the data want to process in remotely then Amazon AWS is used to store in cloud. In present project AWS cloud is not used in future it can be done.
The water from tank are released drop by drop by controlling the flow clamp on the saline pipe so that it control the SLPM flow of water and the data can be monitor in the API. Figure.7 shows the liquid drop release from the mouth of the tank.
The plant which of interest is shown in figure.8 at three different levels from dry soil to the watered soil. When the plants are small the SLPM should be low and when the plants start to grow faster the water supply should be increased as the quantity of water supply can be easily determined with the IDT sensor flow kit has on-board temperature, humidity sensor which helps the farmer to understand the environmental conditions.
Figure.9 shows the visualization of temperature, humidity and flow rate data on the API.
The working of the sensor kit is detailed in the video.
Conclusion:
The kit can be used in Agriculture for drip irrigation method and also it can be used in horticulture, vertical gardening, office pot plants, home gardens to save plants from starving and water from scarcity. The kit is have capability to monitor the slow SLPM flow rate of the fluids it cannot be used for high flow rate applications due to it limitations up to 10 SLPM. But the device is used for IoT application to monitor the Environmental conditions like temperature and humidity which helps to protect the plants from starving.
This IDT kit can be also used for other application in automotive, medical, etc.
Top Comments
The two sensor modules are visually identical but they are spec’d out very differently.
Gas on the left and liquid on the right. I think the only difference is inside the plastic housing.
Dear Sir, This sensor kit can be used to monitor both gasses and liquids (fluids). Thank you.
A Good review with demonstration.