My home automation solution

• add rpiZero when/if needed?
  • very good price, good horsepower
  • if always on & with main power available

We we'll be using the following hardware/software:

intel NUC running ubuntu server, and hosting:

• influxdb (as a docker container)
  • this will record sensors time-series data
• mongoDB (as a docker container)
  • this will record all the configuration parameters that are not meant to be recorded in influxdb (heating temperature, user parameters...)
• nginx (as a docker container)
  • this will host the main UI webpage
  • the access from internet will be done on demand
• grafana (as a docker container)
  • will provide various dashboards
• various python modules:
  • SMS_operator
    • conversationnal agent interface with the other modules to allow reporting and commands over SMS
      • using chatterbot with a dedicated logic adapter (https://chatterbot.readthedocs.io/en/stable/logic/create-a-logic-adapter.html)
  • scheduler
    • time and calendar reminders using SMS_operator and interphone modules
      • let's reuse the BC2 scheduler module

RPI 2, that will be:

• interfacing
  • an e-paper display to show various metrics and status data
  • switches and contraptions to modify user service configuration parameters (absent, present, night mode...)
• hosting the interphone module
  • plays vocal annoucements generated by the TTS module hosted on bc-speech

** old intel NUC running windows 7 with a french Best-of-Vox TTS software (now retired)

• a dedicated bc_TTS python script allows TTS serving via HTTP

ESP8266 & ESP32 devices running micropython to interface multiple sensors.

• I'll be using Wemos/LOLIN D1 mini pro, D32 & D32 pro devices (https://www.wemos.cc/, https://wiki.wemos.cc/start)
• some devices are always-on, others are powered with a 18650 rechargeable Lipo battery supplying a +5V/+3.3V boost shield.
• Bootstraping python scripts will be used along with a source code nginx server hosting python scripts with checksums to allow the ESP devices to check and update regularly over the wifi network if needed

commands the heater ON/OFF through a latching relay interface

• uses a touch-enabled TFT to allow manual ON/manual OFF/AUTO selection + show current state

reads the main power metrics and pushes them to influxDB.

reads the water metrics and pushes them to influxDB

... are under the notes/ subdirectory

• first ESP device able to update OTA
  • set up a dedicated dockerized nginx setup to serve the git directory, and generate basic checksums for any ESP .py file
  • develop the bootstrap python scripts & test them
    • set up and flash an ESP32 pro device
    • set up work env, how to easily and conveniently send/run scripts
    • test read/write to flash os
    • test import of other python scripts
    • test SD card read/write
    • test local web server
    • test local web client, get the checksum values for a module directory
    • test local web client file download with chunk/streaming to flahs os (try with big files to SD card)
    • specify, document and implement the bootstrapping with OTA update (rewrite reboot scripts if necessary, using a normal boot, and an update boot)
• add an e-paper display to the ESP device