![]() ![]() The end result should be fairly weatherproof and self contained unit.Where’s the largest letterbox in the world? Have you discovered letterboxes of particular merit or visual appeal? These are expensive, but are very waterproof and really something that's needed when working with solar panels. I also used some Deutsch connectors between the solar panel and LiPo charger so I could remove one or the other for maintenance. So I drilled holes and ran the wires into the case and secured it with a small nut and bolt. The humidity sensor also needed to be external as it'd be useless inside the case. Then place some more on each corner and place firmly into the case. This will provide a "stand off" to avoid anything touching the case. First place a small amount on each corner, and wait to cool. I mounted both PCBs to the bottom of the case using hot glue. The distance sensor poked out the lid via a square hole. The external antenna connector was then screwed onto the lid of the case. This greatly extended the range of the ESP8266 and I didn't see any dropouts. You can solder this up directly to the PCB antenna and the shield on the ESP8266 module. ![]() Since I was using an all aluminium case and my letterbox was a fair distance from my house I had to use an external antenna. Once you have everything soldered up, of course, make sure you program the ESP8266 with my code. The placement I used here minimized the number of cross-over wires that had to be soldered. You'll have to get creative with the stripboard and placement of components. During overcast days the LiPo may not be charged, so the ESP8266 has to be able to run for a couple of days on a single charge. The TSL2561 I used so I could see how much sunlight was around so I could potentially drop down into ultra-low power mode to save battery when it was cloudy.įor power the solar panel connects to the LiPo charger, and then the output of that connects to the ESP8266, which does have it's own LiPo charging system, but this system allows you to charge your LiPo as well as run the ESP8266 at the same time. The distance sensor, (SENS2), uses GPIO14 and will set this HIGH when something passes in front. If you are using your ESP8266 for other things and need GPIO13, then just use any ground point instead. GPIO12 is an input with internal pullup resistor and I used GPIO13 as a "lazy man's" ground point to avoid soldering extra wires. The vibration sensor, (S1), connects to GPIO13 and GPIO12. ![]() The AM2302 humidity sensor attaches to GPIO0, (which just so happens to be the LED as well, but that doesn't matter). I suggest breadboarding it all up first as then you'll have an idea of where everything fits. In the photos you can see the end result, everything fitted well into a sold aluminum case.
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