Temperature and Humidity Control for Germination of Pepper Seeds

Using Arduino Project Guidance
#1

It's Spring time here in NA, and many like me get into gardening. Of course, one can buy small plants from the local nursery, but where's the fun in that? Most seeds are fairly easy to get started (tomatoes and melons) but when it comes to peppers, it's always a challenge. I've been reading (extensively) and the two key factors that control germination of peppers are temperature and humidity. This is the background for this thread.

The idea is to put the seeds on a heated mat, but if the temp is too high, the seeds 'cook' ... :frowning:

I want to control the temperature near the seeds by simply turning the heating mat on/off. Here is what I have:

  1. Arduino Board, and also an ArtemiS (SparkFun, with BLE)
  2. Temperature Sensor (see below)
  3. TP-Link Smart Plug HS-100 - Hoping I can control it via BLE

That's my first phase. Later on I want to include humidity control as well, but let's start simple.

Any leads/ideas on how to proceed?

The biggest challenge (to me) is to use the Arduino to turn the smart plug on/off.

Let me hear your ideas!

PS. Now is NOT the time to order extra parts from Amazon as their delivery schedule is not 'feasible'.

#2

I own a TP-Link HS-110. It is wifi only. Fairly certain the HS-100 is the same. And I use the Kasa app.

https://www.sparkfun.com/tutorials/119

.

#3

Yes, I know they're WIFI only, but when I use a BT scanner (iOS App), it somehow finds them ... unless they have BlueTooth capability but it's not 'advertized' ?

#4

jb63:
Yes, I know they're WIFI only, but when I use a BT scanner (iOS App), it somehow finds them ... unless they have BlueTooth capability but it's not 'advertized' ?

I have no idea.
Without documentation, you will have to reverse engineer the Bluetooth.

.

#5

I've heard before that newer Apple devices only support the latest BLE protocols, not older ones. That may be the problem.

Try an Android phone. Far more compatible with the general world than Apple (which is mostly compatible with Apple, and if you're really lucky something else - that's what makes using Apple products often very frustrating).

#6