Adafruit IO Dashboards start out as a blank webpage. From this page, you can add blocks to create an dynamic (no more staring at static charting dashboards!) interactive webpage to interact with (or view) this grow monitor electronics project. You can also share this dashboard with friends, classmates, students, or colleagues.
For more info about Adafruit IO Dashboards, check out the guide below.
Create a new Dashboard
When you log in to your io.adafruit.com account, you will be directed to your account overview page. Click the Dashboards link in the header to navigate to the "dashboards" page.
Your list of dashboards will only have the Welcome Dashboard when it is first loaded. You can start the dashboard creation process by clicking the New Dashboard button.
Enter the name and description of your new dashboard, then, click the Create button once you are finished.
Once the new dashboard has been created, click on the name of your new dashboard to visit its page.
You should now see your new, blank, dashboard.
Add Gauge Block for VPD
Next, add a block to your dashboard. Blocks are widgets that you can add to your dashboard.
The block you want to use to quickly display VPD is the Gauge Block. The gauge block allows you to quickly view the current value of a numeric feed, like the calculated VPD feed. The gauge will update automatically whenever a new value is pushed to the feed.
To add a new block to your Dashboard, click the New Block button on the top right of the dashboard page.
From the New Block pop-up, select the Gauge Block
On the pop-up modal, select the Gauge Block. Then, click Next Step.
On the Connect a Feed page, search for "VPD" and select the VPD feed. Click Next Step.
Next, you'll need to configure the gauge block.
- Set the Block Title to VPD
The VPD can range from 0-2kPa.
- Set the Gauge Min. Value to 0
- Set the Gauge Max Value to 2
- Set the Gauge Label to kPA
The minimum alert level is when the VPD falls under 0.4kPa and the maximum alert level is if the VPD goes over 1.7kPa. These are configurable values, you can set them according to your horticultural requirements.
- Set the Low Warning Value to 0.4kPa
- Set the High Warning Value to 1.7kPa
Finally, let's give the gauge a graphic.
- Click "Show Icon" and search for the leaf
Click Create Block
Your dashboard should look like the following screenshot.
Add a Gauge Block for PPFD
Repeat the steps above to add a gauge to display the PPFD value. You can use the Edit Layout Button to move the blocks around.
Your dashboard should look similar to the screenshot below.
Add a Line Chart Block
The line graph block allows you to visualize numeric data over time. The line chart is used to graph one or more feeds. You can set the time range in hours that the chart will load, and set the labels for each axis of the chart. The chart will update dynamically whenever new values are pushed to the feed.
You will use it to track the temperature and humidity over time.
Click New Block
Select the Line Chart Block
Under the QT Py, select the following feeds:
- MLX 90632 Measured Object Temperature
- SCD40: Temperature Sensor
- SCD40: Humidity Sensor
Configure the block's settings and click Create Block.
Your dashboard should look similar to the screenshot below. Keep in mind that you can edit the dashboard at any time.
Page last edited October 03, 2025
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