Hello,
I have a project where I have to control 30 irrigation valves in different times with radio signal 433mhz,the distance between nodes are 500 meter,and must be controlled via application on a smartphone.
1-Which kind of Arduino should I use for this project?
2-Which app do I have to use to create a table so that the customers can operate it.
3-What other parts do I need for this project for examples what kind of transmitter and receiver?
4-Is there any websites so I can use it for coding?
Thanks in Advance.
nerses:
Hello,
I have a project where I have to control 30 irrigation valves in different times with radio signal 433mhz,the distance between nodes are 500 meter,and must be controlled via application on a smartphone.
1-Which kind of Arduino should I use for this project?
2-Which app do I have to use to create a table so that the customers can operate it.
3-What other parts do I need for this project for examples what kind of transmitter and receiver?
4-Is there any websites so I can use it for coding?
Thanks in Advance.
In addition to the 500 meter distance between nodes, what is the distance between any node and the controlling Arduino?
What is your experience with electronics and programming?
Paul
5 What latency is allowed?
6 What are the consequences of failure?
Paul_KD7HB:
In addition to the 500 meter distance between nodes, what is the distance between any node and the controlling Arduino?What is your experience with electronics and programming?
Paul
The distance between the node and the controlling Arduino is about 200-300 meters
Paul_KD7HB:
In addition to the 500 meter distance between nodes, what is the distance between any node and the controlling Arduino?What is your experience with electronics and programming?
Paul
For my experience I'm an electrical engineer I have done this project with PLC and not wireless,I want to do it with Arduino so I can operate it wireless
TheMemberFormerlyKnownAsAWOL:
5 What latency is allowed?
6 What are the consequences of failure?
For latency 2-5 sec is normal
nerses:
For latency 2-5 sec is normal
Two questions, one answer is not a good ratio.
TheMemberFormerlyKnownAsAWOL:
5 What latency is allowed?
6 What are the consequences of failure?
I must put a pressure sensor after every valve and read the data so after for example 10 sec if the pressure is still 0 it must stop the pomp from working
Is this a commercial venture ?
larryd:
Is this a commercial venture ?
Actually it is a charity project for poor villages in my country me and my friends have been doing this projects for almost 2 years now but it were small farms ,but now we have problem because of the wire prices we can't afford that much wire price.
TheMemberFormerlyKnownAsAWOL:
Two questions, one answer is not a good ratio.
Can you help me with this project?
nerses:
Can you help me with this project?
I don't know.
How committed are you?
TheMemberFormerlyKnownAsAWOL:
I don't know.
How committed are you?
Very committed actually,I have high hopes that this project will work
nerses:
Actually it is a charity project for poor villages in my country me and my friends have been doing this projects for almost 2 years now but it were small farms ,but now we have problem because of the wire prices we can't afford that much wire price.
That being the case what do you intend for power for each of the Arduinos? Can I guess batteries and solar chargers. Will not all that cost more than wire to power each station?
And in my opinion, you are capable of doing the project, if you have enough time available to develop it.
Paul
Paul_KD7HB:
That being the case what do you intend for power for each of the Arduinos? Can I guess batteries and solar chargers. Will not all that cost more than wire to power each station?And in my opinion, you are capable of doing the project, if you have enough time available to develop it.
Paul
No,it will not cost more than wire to power, I need a solar system and a battery for Arduino,for valves 9V batteries will operate it for more than 1 year,I have calculated it,but because I’m new with Arduino,all I need is lithelp at the beginning like answers to my questions and I will do the rest.
TheMemberFormerlyKnownAsAWOL:
I don't know.
How committed are you?
Did you decide?
nerses:
,for valves 9V batteries will operate it for more than 1 year,I have calculated it,
What size batteries an valves?
Does that include powering the radio unit the valve will have to have?
Thanks.. Tom... 
you say customers. it sounds like a commercial project. since growing is a simple control loop, ground is dry, turn on water. ground is wet turn off water. the need for a smartphone and such is overkill.
I would also assume that this is not for some remote village as smartphones are not all that useful.
to get a grip on the project, break it down into phases that you can do easily.
you want to open and close a valve for irrigation.
the valve will take power. solar or some other soruce. batteries need to be charged.
a 9v the size of your thumb will not work very long.
I would recomend that if you are new then start with an UNO on the bench for testing
use an NANO for testing the remote
for the field, use a mini for the final remote units and follow the low power guides.
This seems to be a bit of an XY Problem. you picked hardware that does not work easily for the application.
a LoRa unit would be able to handle the distance better than 433mHz.
You want to save costs, but are using a smartphone.
phase 1
get the valves to work.
use an the sun as a timer or use the internal clock as a timer.
at this stage in development, all you require is to make sure it can open and close the valves properly.
goal is to get power to the valve from the controller
to open and close the valve reliably
to know the valve is open and that it is closed.
phase 1a
Set up local switches to allow manual override. This could be to send direct commands to the microcontroller, or it could be to bypass the controller and work directly.
if there is ever a failure, this would be invaluable and it should be very simple to add.
phase 2
create your WAN or nodes or mesh or whatever your can to make sure the communication works.
For this, line of sight is important. if you have line of sight, you need to make sure your nodes work all the time. In this case, due to distance, I would suggest a feedback that the far device received the signal, acted as commanded and sent back a signal to say it worked.
phase 3
use a central timer and turn a valve off and on, get the feedback, make sure it works
this might use a local interface where you turn dials and push buttons
phase 4
make the unit work with your smartphone.
the last step will reguire a WiFi or blutooth
part of the question is if you need to smartphone to be local or if you want it to be on the internet.
the smartphone is really not needed except for the slick sales brochure.
any farmer will want to walk the fields and make changed by hand.
the feedback to a centeral device for data logging is great for a more modern farm.
but a simple text alert that there is a failure would also require the system to either have a cell phone ability or be connected to the internet.
I must put a pressure sensor after every valve and read the data so after for example 10 sec if the pressure is still 0 it must stop the pomp from working
this would need to be in phase 1.
send signal to open valve (or start pump)
read pressure sensor (or flow sensor?) verify pump is working
[ take action if not working properly ]
this phase has 2 phases
manual,
turn on switch
micro controller sends signal to turn on pump
note time
[something happens]
read pressure sensor
note time
(if out of expected operation do something )
send signal to turn pump off
note time
read pressure sensor
note time
(if out of expected operation do something )
the do somethng might be to shut off power if the pump does not shut off, or no pressure after start
it might be to send a signal back on the mesh to say there is a problem
IMHO, you could make 30 independent local controllers with a menu to set the parameters
you could make a hand held interface to set them or if you had bluetooth or wifi, you could use a smartphone.
this local stuff would be easier than the mesh. and let you get some units working fast.
once the local bits were working, your mesh becomes a whole separate project.
breaking it up this way gives you achievable goals and each phase is a separate thing that builds on other working parts.
dave-in-nj:
you say customers. it sounds like a commercial project. since growing is a simple control loop, ground is dry, turn on water. ground is wet turn off water. the need for a smartphone and such is overkill.
I would also assume that this is not for some remote village as smartphones are not all that useful.to get a grip on the project, break it down into phases that you can do easily.
you want to open and close a valve for irrigation.
the valve will take power. solar or some other soruce. batteries need to be charged.
a 9v the size of your thumb will not work very long.I would recomend that if you are new then start with an UNO on the bench for testing
use an NANO for testing the remote
for the field, use a mini for the final remote units and follow the low power guides.This seems to be a bit of an XY Problem. you picked hardware that does not work easily for the application.
a LoRa unit would be able to handle the distance better than 433mHz.
You want to save costs, but are using a smartphone.phase 1
get the valves to work.
use an the sun as a timer or use the internal clock as a timer.
at this stage in development, all you require is to make sure it can open and close the valves properly.
goal is to get power to the valve from the controller
to open and close the valve reliably
to know the valve is open and that it is closed.phase 1a
Set up local switches to allow manual override. This could be to send direct commands to the microcontroller, or it could be to bypass the controller and work directly.
if there is ever a failure, this would be invaluable and it should be very simple to add.phase 2
create your WAN or nodes or mesh or whatever your can to make sure the communication works.
For this, line of sight is important. if you have line of sight, you need to make sure your nodes work all the time. In this case, due to distance, I would suggest a feedback that the far device received the signal, acted as commanded and sent back a signal to say it worked.phase 3
use a central timer and turn a valve off and on, get the feedback, make sure it works
this might use a local interface where you turn dials and push buttonsphase 4
make the unit work with your smartphone.the last step will reguire a WiFi or blutooth
part of the question is if you need to smartphone to be local or if you want it to be on the internet.the smartphone is really not needed except for the slick sales brochure.
any farmer will want to walk the fields and make changed by hand.
the feedback to a centeral device for data logging is great for a more modern farm.
but a simple text alert that there is a failure would also require the system to either have a cell phone ability or be connected to the internet.
I just asked simple questions because it is the first time I will work with Arduino,I did not expect this much investigations,I wanted simple advises so I can start my project.