{"id":82052,"date":"2024-10-29T23:50:49","date_gmt":"2024-10-30T03:50:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.engineersgarage.com\/?p=82052"},"modified":"2024-11-01T14:24:02","modified_gmt":"2024-11-01T18:24:02","slug":"how-to-build-a-smart-clock-that-measures-temperature-and-humidity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.engineersgarage.com\/how-to-build-a-smart-clock-that-measures-temperature-and-humidity\/","title":{"rendered":"How to build a smart clock that measures temperature and humidity"},"content":{"rendered":"

These smart clocks, powered by the ESP8266 D1 Mini, offer more than just timekeeping. In addition to displaying the current time, they measure temperature and humidity, making them versatile tools for monitoring environmental conditions.<\/p>\n

Equipped with a DHT22 sensor, these clocks provide accurate air temperature and humidity readings, displayed alongside the time on a 1.8-inch TFT LCD screen. Below we’ll cover how to design your own smart clock!<\/p>\n

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Figure 1.<\/strong> The prototype.<\/p><\/div>\n

Thanks to the ESP8266’s network capabilities, this <\/span>smart<\/span> clock retrieves the date, time, temperature, and humidity, providing essential data all in one place. These features make it practical and easy to use.<\/span><\/p>\n

Components<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n
    \n
  1. ESP8266 D1 mini board<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. DHT22 sensor<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. A 1.8-inch TFT LCD screen (ST7735 chipset)<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. A 560-ohm resistor<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Note:<\/span><\/em> If your ESP8266 board lacks a BOOT button, you may need to connect the GPIO0 to the GND by using the 560-ohm resistor (unless the code uploads automatically).<\/span><\/p>\n

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    Figure 2.<\/strong> The components.<\/p><\/div>\n

    How it works<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    The ESP8266 D1 Mini connects to the network, requesting the time and date from an NTP server. The server then sends this data to the ESP8266 D1 Mini.<\/p>\n

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    Figure 3.<\/strong> The working principle.<\/p><\/div>\n

    How to install and set-up Arduino IDE<\/strong><\/h3>\n
      \n
    1. Download and install Arduino IDE — ideally Version 1.8.19 (the newer versions may have bugs).<\/li>\n
    2. After installing, go to “File” > “Preferences.”<\/li>\n
    3. In the “Preferences” window, find “Additional Boards Manager URLs” and paste this link: http:\/\/arduino.esp8266.com\/stable\/package_esp8266com_index.json<\/a><\/li>\n
    4. Next, go to “Tools” > “Board” > “Boards Manager.”<\/li>\n
    5. In the “Boards Manager” window, type “esp8266” in the search field.<\/li>\n
    6. Find the ESP826 boards package and click “Install.”<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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      Figure 4.<\/strong> Screenshots for reference.<\/p><\/div>\n

      How to download the CH340 driver<\/strong><\/h3>\n

      For Windows:<\/strong><\/p>\n

        \n
      1. Download the CH340 driver from this link:
        \n        http:\/\/wiki.amperka.ru\/_media\/articles:driver-ch340:ch340ser-wimdows.zip<\/a><\/li>\n
      2. Extract the downloaded .zip file.<\/li>\n
      3. Open the extracted folder.<\/li>\n
      4. Run the .exe file and follow the installation prompts.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        For Mac:<\/strong><\/p>\n

          \n
        1. Download the CH340 driver from this link:
          \n          http:\/\/wiki.amperka.ru\/_media\/articles:driver-ch340:ch340ser-mac.zip<\/a><\/li>\n
        2. Extract the downloaded .zip file.<\/li>\n
        3. Open the extracted folder.<\/li>\n
        4. Install the driver as per the instructions provided.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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          Figure 5.<\/strong> Installing the CH340 driver.<\/p><\/div>\n

          How to install the libraries<\/strong><\/h3>\n
            \n
          1. Go to “Sketch” > “Include Library” > “Manage Libraries.”<\/li>\n
          2. Search for each library one by one and download them:\n