Smart Tillandsia Care: A Multi-Tiered Air Plant Sanctuary

Smart Tillandsia Care — A Multi‑Tiered IoT Air Plant Habitat

### 🍃 Smart Tillandsia Care

**A Multi‑Tiered IoT Air Plant Habitat**

[ plant ]

│

│

[sensors + display]

│

│

[ water reservoir ]

└─────────────────┘

A compact, slightly over‑engineered IoT habitat designed top

Tillandsia (air plants) alive — despite my historically poor track record.

Built in five and a half days as part of a CNM IoT assignment,

this project combines environmental sensing, automatic misting,

and cloud monitoring in a sculptural glass enclosure.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Features

* Environmental monitoring**

* Temperature & humidity (BME280)

* Air quality sensing (analog gas sensor)

* Capacitive moisture detection

* Water reservoir level sensing

* Automated plant care**

* Piezo atomizing mist system

* Water pump with automatic and manual control

* Visual feedback**

* NeoPixel status lighting

* OLED system display with multiple pages

* Cloud integration**

* Live data publishing

* Remote manual control via Adafruit IO dashboard

* Modular physical design**

* Multi‑tier vertical architecture

* Custom laser‑cut and 3D‑printed structural components

* Designed to live inside a glass hurricane vase

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System Architecture

Main loop structure:

loop()

├── readSensors()

├── updateButtons()

├── evaluateTriggers()

├── controlPumpAndMister()

├── updateNeoPixels()

├── updateOLED()

└── publishCloudData()

The system supports both automatic and manual operation modes,

with local controls mirrored in the cloud dashboard.

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Hardware

* Particle Photon 2**

* BME280 temperature / humidity sensor**

* Analog air quality sensor**

* Capacitive moisture sensor**

* DIY silver‑wire water level probes**

* Piezo atomizer (TD‑002) + disc**

* Water pump**

* NeoPixel LED rings**

* SSD1306 OLED display (I²C)**

* MOSFET‑based power switching (post‑redesign)**

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Pinout (Core Signals)

| Component | Pin |

|--------------------------|-----|

| OLED SDA / I²C | D0 |

| OLED SCL / I²C | D1 |

| NeoPixel Data | D2 |

| Pump MOSFET Gate | D4 |

| Mist MOSFET Gate | D5 |

| Mist Button | D7 |

| Mode Button | D9 |

| Soil / Moisture Sensor | A0 |

| Air Quality Sensor | A1 |

| Reservoir Probe (ADC) | A2 |

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Design Challenges & Lessons

* Hardware that works on a home desk doesn’t always work at your away desk

* Current draw issues revealed limitations of relay‑based switching

* Redesigning the power stage with MOSFETs improved reliability

* Wire routing and noise isolation matter in mixed‑signal systems

* Iteration is unavoidable — and educational

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Piezo Atomizer Notes

The misting system uses a TD‑002 piezo atomizer module

driven via a MOSFET rather than a relay due to current draw spikes.

Key considerations:

* High‑frequency operation (~110 kHz)

* 5V supply with adequate current headroom

* Physical isolation from I²C wiring to reduce interference

Close‑up imagery and test videos are included in the project gallery.

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Gallery

https://youtu.be/lMnhnqs0L-Q

System Planning

(images/planning_circuit_layer_arrangment.png)

Breadboard Prototyping

(images/breadboard_testing.png)

MOSFET Redesign

(images/changing_from_relays_to_MOSFETS.png)

Piezo Atomizer Detail

(images/piezo_atomizer_plate.png)

Cloud Dashboard

(images/adafruit_Dashboard.png)

Final Habitat (to be updated)

(images/Finished_gravel_dish_for_air_plants.png)

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Files

/src — firmware

/images — photos + macros

/docs — diagrams + notes

/mechanical — laser‑cut + printed parts

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Why This Exists

This project exists because air plants are beautiful, fragile,

and completely unwilling to tolerate guesswork.

Rather than give up, I decided to give them sensors, firmware,

and a cloud dashboard — and see what happened.

So far: the plants are alive.

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License

MIT License — enjoy, remix, and keep plants alive thoughtfully 🌿