DIY Air Quality Monitoring with BME680 and Sonoff Basic

General
1

Hi everyone,

I wanted to share a fun DIY project I completed recently using a BME680 air quality sensor, a Sonoff Basic, and Tasmota firmware. It’s been a fantastic way to monitor air quality in my home, and I thought I’d walk through the process in case anyone else is interested in trying something similar.

Setup Overview

  • Hardware Needed: BME680 sensor, Sonoff Basic (R1 or R2), jumper wires, and a soldering iron.
  • Software: Tasmota firmware, MQTT broker, and OpenHAB for integration.

Steps I Took

  1. Flashing Tasmota: I used the Tasmota web installer to flash my Sonoff Basic. The R1 firmware worked perfectly for me, and I didn’t encounter any issues during the setup.
  2. Wiring the BME680: This was a bit of a learning curve, but with some basic soldering skills, I managed to connect the BME680 to the Sonoff. I followed the wiring guide provided in the Tasmota documentation, which made the process much smoother.
  3. MQTT Configuration: I configured the Sonoff to connect to my MQTT broker. This involved setting up the MQTT host, port, username, and password in the Tasmota settings. Once connected, the device started publishing sensor data to my MQTT broker.
  4. OpenHAB Integration: I created an MQTT thing in OpenHAB to receive data from the BME680. The thing includes channels for temperature, humidity, pressure, and gas resistance. I also set up items to display this data in my sitemap.

Results

It’s been amazing to see how responsive the BME680 is. The gas sensor, in particular, has been fascinating. I can clearly see changes in air quality when cooking or when someone smokes near the house. The integration with OpenHAB has worked seamlessly, and I can now monitor air quality alongside my other smart home devices.

Tips for Others

  • Start Simple: If you’re new to MQTT or DIY projects, start by setting up the Sonoff with Tasmota and ensure it’s publishing data before moving on to OpenHAB integration.
  • Test Connections: Double-check all your wiring connections before powering up the device. It’s better to be safe than sorry!
  • Log Monitoring: Keep an eye on your MQTT logs to ensure the sensor is publishing data correctly. This helps in troubleshooting any issues early on.

I’m really happy with how this project turned out. It’s not only functional but also gave me a great sense of accomplishment. If anyone has questions or wants more details, feel free to ask!

Best regards,
[Your Name]