IoT Kits© are easy to build and are a great introduction to the Internet of Things, sensors, and microcontrollers. To build a kit, you should have:
- an intermediate level of soldering skill,
- the ability to install software on a personal computer,
- familiarity with basic text editing (cut & paste), and file manipulation (unzipping files, moving folders),
- WiFi and access to the Internet, and
- some basic tools (soldering iron, wire cutters & screwdriver).
The instructions to build a kit are in “GENERAL ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS FOR ALL KITS” on this page. Click on a section heading to go to a specific step.
Available IoT Kits:
Solar-powered, wireless weather station (single-board version)
The D1M-WX1 is a completely wireless, solar-powered weather station using your Wi-Fi for connection to the Internet. It reports barometric pressure, temperature, humidity, and light intensity to ThingSpeak, a free Internet of Things service. Licensed radio amateurs can also post data to APRS-IS.
You can view your data anywhere in the world that has Internet access and you can choose to make your data private or public. My backyard station has been online since 2016: https://thingspeak.com/channels/286120
The dimensions of the printed circuit board are 83 x 40 mm (3.25 x 1.6 inches). The solar panel is 80 x 55 mm (3.1 x 2.15 inches). Total weight with LiPo cell and solar panel is approximately 60 g (2.1 oz).
Solar-powered, wireless weather station – Stacked Version
The D1S-WX1 stacked version has the same functions as the single-board kit above in a different format. It consists of three printed circuit boards: 1) LiPo charger, 2) D1 Mini microcontroller, and 3) sensor board.
The dimensions of the assembled stack are 26 wide x 47 deep x 42 mm high (1.0 x 1.85 x 1.65 inches). The solar panel is 80 x 55 mm (3.1 x 2.15 inches). Total weight with LiPo cell and solar panel is approximately 54 g (1.8 oz).
Remote display
The D1S-Display remote display is a companion kit for the solar-powered weather stations. It receives the data from your weather station either from ThingSpeak or APRS-IS. In addition to weather information, it displays accurate local and Universal Time obtained from a Net Time Protocol Server and it automatically adjusts for Daylight Saving Time. The display is a full color, 1-inch (25 mm) square TFT device mounted on a D1 Mini-style shield. The IoT Kits firmware displays in five-second intervals: an analog clock showing local time, a digital clock with local and UTC times, weather, and telemetry data from your D1M-WX1 kit. It will display an APRS message until acknowledged when the user presses a reset button.
General Assembly Instructions for All Kits
Follow these instructions step-by-step to order and build a kit. Click on the section title for the complete text.
