Digi-Key IoT Studio Web and Mobile Applications have been discontinued by Digi-Key. This guide is no longer supported by Adafruit. For support and more information about the future of the Digi-Key IoT Studio application, please visit https://forum.digikey.com/t/dk-iot-studio-has-migrated/8463

You'll be automating an adorable paper maché house. The small size of this build lets us explore wiring, user interaction, and firmware deployment without having to get a ladder out.

After building this project, you can re-purpose this project for your home or apartment. We've specifically selected components and sensors which are common in real-world IoT projects. You can also go further with this project, adding sensors to monitor different rooms in your house.

Digi-Key IoT Studio IDE

Unlike most other IoT platforms, Digi-Key IoT Studio is code-less - all sensor interaction and storage is done automatically by the drag-and-drop IDE. You do not need to install toolchains, code editors or compile any code on your computer! Digi-Key Studio runs in your web browser, handles all aspects of developing an Internet-of-Things project, and even compiles your code remotely.

Digi-Key IoT Studio Mobile App

You'll build and program a mobile application to monitor and interact with your IoT Home over the Bluetooth Low Energy protocol. The Digi-Key IoT Studio Mobile App also acts as a bridge, sending your home's data to the free Digi-Key IoT Studio Cloud for long-term storage.

Modular Smart Home Hub

You'll start by building a hub for your smart home. We designed a modular smart-home hub which uses the Feather form factor. If you want to add more sensors or actuators onto your smart home hub, just snap on a new FeatherWing!

Parts

This tutorial uses the ESP32 Feather as the microcontroller brains, it can use both secure WiFi and Bluetooth LE as transports.

Angled shot of an Assembled Adafruit HUZZAH32 – ESP32 Feather Board - with Stacking Headers
Aww yeah, it's the Feather you have been waiting for, and now with stacking headers! The HUZZAH32 is our ESP32-based Feather, made with the...
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To build the smart home's hub, you'll use a Quad 2x2 FeatherWing Kit. This kit contains four identical sets of headers for Feathers/FeatherWings and two prototyping areas.

Angled shot of a Adafruit Quad 2x2 FeatherWing Kit with Headers installed.
This is the FeatherWing Quad 2x2 - a prototyping add-on and more for all Feather boards. This is similar to our
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For inputs, you'll use the Analog Devices Featherwing to obtain precision temperature readings and the Bosch BME680 to obtain humidity, barometric pressure, and air quality

Top-down view of a red rectangular sensor.
Upgrade any Feather board with motion and precision temperature sensing, with this all-in-one sensing FeatherWing. It sports two fantastic sensors from Analog Devices: an ADXL343...
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1 x Adafruit BME680
Adafruit BME680 - Temperature, Humidity, Pressure and Gas Sensor

We’ll add a magnetic door sensor to detect when someone opens a door or window and add a buzzer to make a a loud 2KHz BEEEEEEEEEP when someone opens the door.

1 x Door Sensor
Magnetic contact switch (door sensor)
1 x Buzzer
Buzzer 5V - Breadboard friendly

For outputs you'll use a Non-Latching Mini Relay FeatherWing to control a DC motor - that’s our way of simulating an HVAC unit that turns on when it gets too hot or too cold.

You'll also connect some LED lights to a GPIO pin on the HUZZAH32, so you can turn on or off the lights from the DK IoT Mobile App, or when someone opens the door.

1 x Mini Relay FeatherWing
Adafruit Non-Latching Mini Relay FeatherWing
1 x LED Sequin Pack
Adafruit LED Sequins - Ruby Red - Pack of 5
1 x Spindle Motor (for fan)
CD DVD Spindle Motor
1 x Trifoil Fan
3-Bladed Trifoil Propeller Fan for DC Motor

You'll need a few JST-PH cables for this build. These cables will allow you to easily remove sensors connected to the IoT Home Hub from the enclosure with a nice click.

3 x JST-PH Extension Cable
JST-PH Battery Extension Cable - 500mm

Tools and Materials

You also may want to pick up the following materials and tools to complete this project.

1 x USB Cable
USB cable - USB A to Micro-B - 3 foot long
1 x Heat Shrink Pack, Assorted Diameters
Multi-Colored Heat Shrink Pack - 3/32" + 1/8" + 3/16" Diameters
1 x 22AWG Hook-up wire
Hook-up Wire Spool Set - 22AWG Stranded-Core - 6 x 25ft
1 x Wire Cutter/Strippers
Hakko Professional Quality 20-30 AWG Wire Strippers
1 x Solder
Mini Solder spool - 60/40 lead rosin-core solder 0.031" diameter - 100g
1 x Soldering Station
Hakko FX-888D
1 x Craft Knife
Slice Craft Knife with Ceramic Blade

This guide was first published on Dec 11, 2019. It was last updated on Mar 08, 2024.

This page (Overview) was last updated on Mar 08, 2024.

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