Soil moisture sensor calibration procedure SenzMate(pvt)LTD.

AIM:
To calibrate soil moisture sensor.

APPARATUS:
Arduino

Reference sensor (flower care meter)

Android or IOS phone (to install flower care app)

Laptop with matlab and arduino ide installed

Procedure:
1. Install flowercare app on your mobile phone. If you struggle how to use the sensor please refer
appendix A.
2. Take the soil from the field (please take from the field where the calibration needed to be
done). Take 10 samples from the field. Amount of soil for a sample is approximately 100 grams.
3. Keep the sol in sunny place for 2 days to evaporate the water.
4. Put these samples into 10 different vessels and different amount of waters such that 5ml, 10 ml,
15 ml 20 ml 25 ml, 30 ml 40 ml 50 ml 60 ml 70 ml.
5. Connect your sensor (which should be calibrated). Then upload the coding and read the analog
voltages.
For example calibrating the Arduino soil moisture sensor calibration. Connect the sensor as
shown in fig-01

Figure 1 arduino soil moisture sensor connection

Arduino code for analog voltage reading

int analogPin = 0; // Soil moisture sensor (middle terminal) connected to analog pin
0
// outside leads to ground and +5V
int val = 0; // variable to store the value read

void setup()
{
Serial.begin(9600); // setup serial
}

void loop()
{
val = analogRead(analogPin); // read the input pin
Serial.println(val); // debug value
}

6. Put the soil moisture sensor in to the first vessel and measure the voltage through Arduino serial.
Then put the reference sensor and measure the moisture value and record the data as shown
below.

reference sensor calibration sensor

sample name moisture value reading ADC reading
A 5% 1000
B 12% 880
C 20% 650
D 30% 500

7. Enter the data in matlab as shown below

>> x=[1000,850,650,500]; % enter the voltage value reading from sensor
>> y=[5,12,20,30];% enter the moistur valuereading from sensor

8. Then go to matlab and go to appscurve fitting

9. Then a window will pop up like this

10. Select X data as x and Y data as y

11. Now you can see the calibration function there which is required for your accurate reading
measurement.
APPENDIX A

How to Use Flower Plant Monitor

Product Description:
Xiaomi flower plant monitor can help you care your plant with ease. For about 3000 plants of
unique habits, it can detect the light, temperature, mositure and fertility through inductor in real
time, and show the data through connecting Mihome APP by Bluetooth.

Pre-install APP：
Two pre-install APP: 1. Mihome APP; 2. Mi Flower Plant APP (support Android 4.3/ iOS 7.0 and
above)

(Mihome APP)

Android Link:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.xiaomi.smarthome&hl=en iOS Link:
https://itunes.apple.com/zh/app/xiao-mi-zhi-neng-jia-ting/id957323480?l=zh&ls=
1&mt=8
How to Use：
1. Install Mihome APP or Flower Plant APP to smartphone, turn on Bluetooth after
successfully download, then open the battery cover of monitor and move the battery's
insulating piece away

2. Put the monitor close to smartphone, turn on Mihome APP or Flower Plant APP, select “My
Device” and click “+”, add lists follow the prompts

3. The power indicator lights up after successfully connecting monitor.

4. Insert the monitor into flowerpot after successfully connecting. If the soil is too dry, can
water the soil to wet and insert the monitor again.
5. Can detect light/temperature/moisture/fertility in real time after inserting the monitor
Warm Note:
1. Keep the surface of monitor clean before inserting into soil;
2. Stick the probe into the soil for 2-4 inches;
3. The sensor of monitor should be established on open-sided place.
4. The sensor is not waterproof, do not soak in to water.

APPENDIX B
Arduino soil moisture sensor connection diagram