Charter 04 · sense · programme assignment

Frost Sentinel

Thermistor Threshold Study

Build and validate a temperature warning from first principles.

Difficulty
★★☆
Prefix
fs
Zone
outdoor-1
Type
frost-node
Device
fs-01
Build time
8 hours

Mission

Build this

A thermistor divider, calibrated against the DHT11, with a mechanical warning flag.

One kit, one team repository.

Borrowed parts are labelled below and have a fallback. The assigned device ID is fixed; sensing and behaviour decisions remain yours.

Bill of materials

Parts

SourcePartFallback
● kitThermistor
● kit10 kΩ resistor
● kitSG90 servo
● kitActive buzzer

Disconnect USB before rewiring. Motors, the relay, and the servo need appropriate power and a shared ground. Never drive an actuator from the ESP32 3V3 pin.

Assembly

Build in evidence-producing steps

  1. Prove the connection first. Flash the unmodified first-message example with this charter’s zone, device type, and device ID.

    done when: fs-01 is alive on the developer view.

  2. Bench-test one input. Read the sensor or control in Serial Monitor before publishing or moving an actuator.

    done when: repeated physical conditions produce repeatable raw readings.

  3. Publish one registered measurement. Use the exact measurement and unit below.

    done when: the reading appears without a reject.

  4. Add the physical response. Keep spine.loop() running and avoid blocking delays.

    done when: repeated movement does not interrupt publishing or reset the board.

  5. Run the investigation. Collect the planned trials before tuning the final logic.

    done when: the build log contains observations, method, and a limitation.

Contract

Your topics

TopicUnitSuggested interval
garden/outdoor-1/frost-node/fs-01/temperaturecelsius60 s
garden/outdoor-1/frost-node/fs-01/statusenumon change

Read another team

garden/greenhouse-1/climate-node/gm-01/temperature

Physical behaviour

Alive

Raise a flag when the measured temperature crosses the justified warning threshold.

Your call: Choose fixed-threshold or rate-of-change warning logic.

Engineering evidence

Fit and evaluate a conversion rather than publishing raw ADC values as temperature.

  1. Collect paired thermistor and DHT11 readings.
  2. Fit or tune the conversion constants.
  3. Test the warning with gradual warming and cooling.

If you are fast: Compare indoor and outdoor rates of change.

Acceptance

Ready when all six are true

  • The registered device is alive and publishing its required topics.
  • The reject feed is clear after the final firmware starts.
  • The device reads at least one declared cross-team topic.
  • A physical output responds to real data without blocking MQTT.
  • The build log contains method, evidence, uncertainty, and a known limitation.
  • The enclosure exposes no unsafe wiring and the device ID can be scanned.

Backbone now

Live status

Updates from the same public event stream

Checking fs-01…