Parts I Actually Use
Every part below is in a build I actually run — either the 8-probe 1-Wire bus on a Raspberry Pi 4, or the solar-powered ESP32-C3 shed node. A link appears only once I’ve used the part and would recommend it. If there’s no link, it’s either a commodity part or the vendor doesn’t carry it.
This page is generated from data/parts.json by scripts/gen_parts.py. Don’t edit
the table by hand — edit the data.
1-Wire bus (Raspberry Pi 4)
| Part | Role | Interface | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| DS18B20 (x8) | 1-Wire temp probes (house) | Pi 4 w1-gpio bus, mixed 9/12-bit | yes |
| Used in the running shed build; works reliably. | |||
| DHT22 | Outside air temp + humidity | GPIO 0 | yes |
| Used in the running shed build; works reliably. | |||
| BMP180 | Pressure + internal temp | I2C 0x77 | yes (use BME280 instead) |
| BMP180 is what’s in the shed node (had it lying around); BME280 is the current part, adds humidity, and is what I’d buy today. | |||
| BH1750 (GY-30) | Ambient lux | I2C 0x23 | yes (use VEML6030 instead) |
| Shed uses a BH1750 (GY-30); SparkFun doesn’t stock BH1750, so I link the VEML6030 Qwiic — a current SparkFun Original that does the same job. | |||
| INA219 | Solar bus voltage + power | I2C 0x40 | yes |
| Shed uses INA219; SparkFun has no INA219 product page. Link omitted. (Amazon carries generic INA219 breakouts.) | |||
| SSD1306 128x32 OLED | Local status display | I2C 0x3C | yes |
| Used in the running shed build; works reliably. | |||
| 3M 3811/10 flat ribbon | DQ / power wiring to probes | 2-3 m runs, ~45 pF/m | — |
| Jacket print to confirm AWG (listed 26 by distributors, searay noted 28). | |||
| Raspberry Pi 4 | 1-Wire master + villa collector | dtoverlay=w1-gpio; SQLite timeseries.db | yes |
| Used in the running shed build; works reliably. |
Shed node (ESP32-C3)
| Part | Role | Interface | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| ESP32-C3 dev board | Shed node MCU | GPIO; Serial1 HC-12 (RX20/TX21); I2C SDA8/SCL9 | yes |
| The shed node MCU. Runs the AI_optimized_shed_TX.ino sketch. Seeed’s own board. | |||
| HC-12 433 MHz wireless module | Radio link shed <-> Pi 4 | Serial1, 9600 baud, RX20/TX21 | — |
| Relay module | Drives shed light | GPIO 2 | — |
| Soil moisture sensor | Soil reading | Analog GPIO 3 | — |
| Solar panel + battery | Node power source | via INA219 + divider (vlt_solar, pwr_solar) | — |
| Battery voltage divider | Battery monitor | Analog GPIO 1, ratio /60.51 | — |
Provenance
vendor and recommend are filled from my own build history. Entries marked
verified: firmware come from the running shed sketch; bench from the live Pi 4
bus; user from my own spec notes. Parts without a link: commodity components
(ribbon, divider, solar) or vendors without an affiliate product page (INA219).
Disclosure: SensorRig is reader-supported. Some links may be affiliate links; if you buy through them I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. This never affects what I list — every part here is in a build I run before any link goes live.