# Need help choose env sensor hardware

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/need-help-choose-env-sensor-hardware/78937>\
**Category:** General\
**Created:** [4 June 2023 09:35 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/need-help-choose-env-sensor-hardware/78937 "2023-06-04T09:35:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 3

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**Author:** ![dynamicdave](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/dynamicdave/32/96_2.png) [@dynamicdave](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/dynamicdave)\
**Post date:** [4 June 2023 11:00 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/need-help-choose-env-sensor-hardware/78937/3 "2023-06-04T11:00:23Z")

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

> [@Raspberry Pi-Zero-W Mini-Tower](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/raspberry-pi-zero-w-mini-tower/20217):
>
> Just finished building a couple of mini-towers for my IoT Club. The idea is the towers can be kept in a cupboard at school and just brought out when I run the IoT Club. All I would need to do is plug the 6-port PSU into the mains and switch-on the Club's WiFi router. Should save a lot of time as previously I had to cobble together a number of Raspberry Pi(es),of various vintages, and then at the end of the session take the whole lot apart!!! [wifi\_1\_small] [wifi\_3\_small] [wifi\_2\_small] Tues…

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](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/3X/d/3/d307e5631a11cbb41fa5e4d6afd2493b56fbaf21.jpeg)

 ![oled_panel](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/3X/4/e/4e3916678e542da8d4508f022b9321f43d59907c.jpeg)

 ![infrared](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/3X/4/5/453b5e4ddc8edc551516c5b86f0e4ac1b11e3957.jpeg)

 ![neo-pixels](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/3X/d/0/d03a98ec6c03e611c2dd73b6f77520853c63aaee.jpeg)

 ![touch-buttons](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/3X/b/2/b264f13d9b429f3715366873207e3132241ef195.jpeg)

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.

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