Need help choose env sensor hardware

General
1

I am developing an educational resource for teaching IoT to teens.
I want to create an open build that other people can replicate.
My core unit is a Raspberry Pi running Node-RED etc.
I want to add a secondary unit with a range of environmental sensors and have that communicate with the core unit via MQTT.

I have made a lot of progress using a Wemos D1 mini with a BME280 sensor.
However, I have decided that I really want to simplify the build for others.
So I would prefer a widely available off-the-shelf product rather than something that needs soldering.
Most of the units I have found require a hub, which adds some complication and cost.
I would prefer something configurable via mobile app (to connect the device to wifi) and then have it communicate with node red via MQTT.

Can anyone suggest hardware that meets my needs?

Thanks
Brendon

2

You could consider the Witty Cloud ESP8266 board as your starting point.

It has a sensor and an indicator - a light dependent resistor and an RGB LED - on the board, so no soldering at all for first lessons.

It comes with headers already soldered too so only the 4 pin header on your BME sensor board has to be soldered to use it for environmental monitoring.

You might find my recent post in Share your projects interesting. ESP and BME with Tasmota firmware.

3

Maybe a bit off the topic... This is what I use for my class of 12 IoT students at our 'After-school-club'.

Two mini-towers of 6 RPi-Zero-W running Node-RED that talk to the club's router. In the IT room, where we run the club, there are 24 PCs networked via Ethernet to the school's network. I issue each student with a WiFi dongle which they plug into a PC - so making the PC WiFi activated to the club's router. The IT Support Staff are happy as we aren't connecting to the school's network - just local in the classroom.

We have about 40 breadboards on which the students build all sorts of circuits. The breadboards are powered by an USB power lead from a USB port of the PC. Here's a selection of breadboards.

leds
leds1236Ă—927 149 KB

oled_panel
oled_panel1236Ă—927 142 KB

infrared
infrared1236Ă—927 203 KB

neo-pixels
neo-pixels1236Ă—927 228 KB

touch-buttons
touch-buttons1236Ă—927 165 KB

We tend to use the Wemos D1 Mini as it is inexpensive and, as you can see, fits a breadboard nicely.

Hope this is useful to you.

1 Like
4

Thanks for the input. I am looking for something even more basic - ideally a completely consumer-oriented, off-the-shelf product.

I have a Tuya bulb and I can communicate directly between Node-RED and the bulb, without a hub.
I guess I could use a Tuya compatible sensor such as this one?
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005048786873.html

Thanks

5

Have you looked at shelly uni

6

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