SparkFun
AgXRP DIY Pump & Soil Moisture Sensor Expansion Pack - Beta
· MPN: KIT-30715
Add another controlled planting area to an existing AgXRP Starter Kit with this DIY expansion pack. It is designed to create a completely independent waterin...
Add another controlled planting area to an existing AgXRP Starter Kit with this DIY expansion pack. It is designed to create a completely independent watering zone, so students can compare plant types, watering schedules and soil conditions side-by-side.
The pack works with the XRP Controller in the main kit, using its multiple motor drivers and daisy-chainable Qwiic connectors. Build the second pump assembly, connect the additional soil sensor, then plug it into your existing controller.
This DIY version includes the essential hardware for an extra planting zone, but does not include physical frames. Use the provided open-source 3D printing files to make your own pump enclosure, frames and mounting hardware for your setup.
The AgXRP platform is intended for hands-on STEM learning and agricultural automation projects. Documentation includes the AgXRP setup and user guide, instructional videos, frame 3D printing files and beta feedback resources.
Features:
- Automated watering: A Hobby Motor with Encoder, Deep-Groove Ball Bearings, Latex Tubing, and an AgXRP Single-Pump Enclosure Frame can be used to add an additional peristaltic pump to your 3D-printed enclosure.
- Accurate soil monitoring: Adds a second SparkFun Qwiic Soil Moisture Sensor and a 500mm Flexible Qwiic Cable for real-time hydration tracking on your additional plant.
- DIY structural support: You will 3D print the AgXRP frames, enclosures, and pump to provide a stable (and potentially custom) foundation for your electronics during long-term experiments.
- Expandable setup: Add up to three of these Expansion Packs to your base AgXRP Starter Kit, allowing you to automate and monitor four independent planting zones at the same time.
Specifications:
- Sensing: Capacitive sensing over I2C
- Controller: CY8CMBR3102 Controller
- I2C address: Software Configurable I2C Address (Default: 0x37)
- Ruler: On Board Ruler (Imperial and Metric units)
- Connectors: 2x Qwiic Connectors
- STAT LED: Blue STAT LED (Connects to general-purpose output pin)
- Power LED: Red Power LED
Best suited to classrooms, makerspaces and ag-tech experiments that already use the AgXRP Starter Kit and want to expand into multi-zone plant monitoring and watering.
Jargon buster
Plain-language definitions for the technical terms used above.
- capacitive sensing
- Capacitive sensing detects changes in electrical capacitance, in this case caused by different amounts of water in the soil near the sensor plate. It matters because it avoids exposed metal probe contacts, which can corrode in damp soil over time.
- CY8CMBR3102
- CY8CMBR3102 is the controller chip on this board that reads the capacitive sensing plate and turns it into data the microcontroller can request. Knowing the chip helps when looking up detailed behaviour, libraries, and configuration options beyond the basic examples.
- encoder
- A device attached to a motor or shaft that reports movement, such as rotation steps or position. In a pump system, an encoder can help measure or control how much the motor has turned, which affects how repeatable the watering amount can be.
- I2C
- I2C is a two-wire communication bus used by many sensors and small modules. It matters because several I2C devices can share the same two wires, but each device needs a compatible address and your controller must support I2C.
- I2C address
- An I2C address is the number a device uses so a microcontroller can tell it apart from other devices on the same I2C bus. It matters because two devices with the same fixed address may conflict if used together.
- LED
- A light-emitting diode is a small electronic component that lights up when current flows through it in the correct direction. In this kit, LEDs create the flashing effect, so polarity and correct soldering matter for the project to work.
- peristaltic pump
- A pump that moves liquid by squeezing flexible tubing in a rolling motion, so the liquid only touches the inside of the tube. This matters for classroom watering projects because it can dose small amounts of water without needing the pump mechanism to be in contact with the water.
- Qwiic
- Qwiic is a plug-in connector system for I2C devices that uses small 4-pin cables, so you can connect compatible sensors without soldering. It matters because your controller or adapter also needs Qwiic, or you will need a cable or breakout to wire it up.
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