Recently, I embarked on a DIY project to create a temperature and humidity sensor using an ESP8266 module. My goal was to monitor the conditions on my porch and integrate the data into my SmartThings setup. While I’m not a programmer by trade, I was determined to make this work, especially after battling bronchitis and needing a distraction to stay motivated.
I started by following a tutorial from Adafruit, which involved setting up a web server on the ESP8266 to return temperature and humidity readings. The challenge came when I wanted to display this data in SmartThings. After some research, I discovered that I could mimic the output of a CT30 RadioThermostat and use the Statusbits RadioThermostat Device Handler to pull the data into SmartThings. It was a bit of a hack, but it worked!
To make things even more useful, I added a Heat Index calculator to the mix. While this feature is only valid above 80°F, it adds an extra layer of functionality to my setup. I also trimmed unnecessary parts of the device handler to make it more efficient.
This project has been a fantastic learning experience. It not only helped me understand more about IoT and programming but also gave me a practical tool to monitor my porch conditions. I’m now considering how to expand this setup, perhaps by adding more sensors or integrating it with other smart devices.
If anyone has any feedback or suggestions on improving this project, I’d love to hear them! Happy tinkering! GitHub Repo