Chicken Coop Management

Summer / Fall 2020

Summary

An automation/reminder management system for a backyard chicken/duck coop.

Actors

• ESP32
• Google Cloud Services
• Humans
• Flock

System Tasks

ESP32

• Automatically open/close the run door (unless human sets it to manual mode)
• Track door status (with human input in manual)
• Send POST requests to Google Cloud Services (if enabled)

Google Cloud Services

• Sends out reminder at sunrise to open coop
  • Provides options: just the run (if run door is in manual mode) OR the run + front door
  • Asks for confirmation 15 min after 1st reminder (in progress)
• Sends out reminder at sunset to close up coop
  • Asks for confirmation 15 min after 1st reminder (in progress)
  • Sends out more urgent reminder 1 hour after 1st reminder? (in progress)
• Listen for updates from ESP32
• Tracks cleaning schedule? (in progress)

Web Integrations

EXISTING:

• NTP date/time (w/ ESP)
• Sunrise-sunset (w/ ESP)

IN PROGRESS:

• Google App Script deployed as web app: Google Calendar + Sheets (Google w/ ESP and humans’ personal devices)

POSSIBLE:

• Discord bot?

Electronic Hardware

• ESP32 (SparkFun ESP32 Thing)
• Motor to lift/lower run door
• TB6612FNG motor driver
• 2 buttons (door up / door down)
• Button to toggle manual/auto run door
• Outdoor extension cord
• 12V/5V DC power adapter

References

• Irrigation automation project (Instructables): https://www.instructables.com/id/Irrigation-Using-Google-Calendar/
• Using ESP32 as NTP date/time client: https://randomnerdtutorials.com/esp32-date-time-ntp-client-server-arduino/
• HTTP GET and POST requests with ESP32: https://randomnerdtutorials.com/esp32-http-get-post-arduino/
• Motor driver Arduino library (Github): https://github.com/sparkfun/SparkFun_TB6612FNG_Arduino_Library
• Tutorial for using Google script: https://www.dfrobot.com/blog-917.html
• Google Apps Script reference: https://developers.google.com/apps-script
• JavaScript Date object reference: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Date
• CORS errors in HTTP requests: https://medium.com/@dtkatz/3-ways-to-fix-the-cors-error-and-how-access-control-allow-origin-works-d97d55946d9

Obsidian Links

projects electronics programming #pgtype-project

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Associated Blog Posts:

• Coop Automation V2 - Automated Run Door (and Reminders!) (04 Mar 2021)
• Coop Automation V1 - Automated Run Door (22 Jul 2020)