Jimmy James' Easy Reticulation Controller, Powered by an ESP8285, Is Home Assistant Compatible
This 24VAC-powered reticulation controller comes ready-to-run with Home Assistant or can be reprogrammed in the Arduino IDE.
Maker Jimmy James has launched a four-relay, Wi-Fi-connected reticulation controller board designed specifically for use with the Home Assistant home automation platform: the Easy Reticulation Controller.
"I have installed many large and expensive reticulation controller many of which are not even Wi-Fi enabled for landscapers and most of them only have two or three stations in use, some only one station," James explains of the board's inspiration.
"Most people set their controller and that's it. They look at it again only if something isn't working, so why have a big complicated box and lots of stations? I made this to be easy to use, low cost, and Wi-Fi connected to I can connect it to my Home Assistant setup."
The Easy Reticulation board is built around an Espressif ESP8285 module, with four relays outputting to four solenoids at 24VAC — making it suitable for a single master solenoid and three stations. Everything is powered from the incoming 24VAC power supply — meaning it can be quickly dropped into an existing reticulation system.
Other features of the board include a DS3231 real-time clock, an M205 fuse to protect the outputs, and the ability for its firmware — compatible with Home Assistant out-of-the-box - to be modified via the Arduino IDE.
The Easy Reticulation Controller is now available on Tindie for $25.