Nectar Monitor Streamlines Hydroponic Monitoring with Open Source Dev Board

Georgetown Scientific is a small team of hardware and software enthusiasts that has announced a monitoring device for hydroponic automation or water analysis projects. The Nectar Monitor is an open source pH, conductivity, and temperature probe development board powered by an ESP32.

Nectar Monitor connects to probes to measure environmental temperature, pH level, and electrical conductivity (EC.) The device works with a wide range of off-the-shelf probes. For example, there is a header for an Analog Devices DS18B20-based thermometer and BNC connections for pH and EC sensors.

You can safely leave probes submerged in liquid for continuous monitoring since the pH and EC probe connections are electrically isolated. Nectar Monitor's firmware will support temperature compensation when combined with a temperature probe. Such compensation saves you time and the hassle of recalibrating the pH or EC sensors when the monitored environment changes.

For those who value efficiency, the Nectar Monitor offers a time-saving feature that accelerates calibrations when needed. For calibrated pH measurements, a baseline with known buffer solutions is required. The Nectar Monitor's firmware automatically detects which buffer solution is being measured, significantly reducing the time and effort required for manual calibration and minimizing the risk of errors.

Georgetown Scientific also offers a Nector Display HAT. This add-on board contains three seven-segment displays to show the latest pH, conductivity, and temperature measurements. It also includes LEDs for status information, like the current calibration station.

With the Nectar Monitor, you program its ESP32 with the Arduino IDE. The device offers a range of interfaces, including Wi-Fi, Serial USB, UART, and I2C, enabling seamless communication with external hardware. A single micro USB port provides a convenient input for 5 volt power.

Georgetown Scientific says the hardware schematics and project code will be available in their GitHub repository after the Crowd Supply campaign ends. Visit the Nector Monitor campaign page to sign up for notifications when they are available for pre-order.