Hydroponics Automation – Ebb & Flood Basic

This article is a supplement to my video: https://youtu.be/ldvtDrwesoo

This is the schematic for this project. I am no expert at putting together electronic schematics, but hopefully this gets the point across!

The code from the video is available below:

/*
Author: Shaun AKA Chillichump
chillichump.com
www.youtube.com/chillichump
*/
const String swName = "ChillichumpIO Ebb&Flood Basic";
const String swVer = "1.1";
const String swRel = "09/03/19";

/* Common Millis equivalents
   4 hours = 14400000; 2 hours = 7200000; 1 hour = 3600000
   10 minutes = 600000; 5 minutes = 300000; 2 minutes = 120000; 1 minute = 60000
*/

const long floodIntMillis = 60000; //millis between flooding
const long floodDurMillis = 5000; //millis for flood duration
const long longestDelayBetweenFlooding = 43200000; //longest acceptable delay between flooding. This ensures flooding occurs even if lights fail etc. 43,200,000 is 12 hours
const int lightLevel = 600; //this value indicates whether the sun is up. Value out of 1023. higher = lighter (indirect sun is around 850; normal indoor lighting is around 650)
const long lightLevelDelay = 20000; //delay before deciding it is daylight. To avoid lights, torches etc. causing issues
const byte pumpPin = 6; //pin number for activating relay for pump
const byte pinLightSensor = A2; //pin number for light sensor

unsigned int lightSensorNow = analogRead(A2);
unsigned long sunUpMillis = 0;
unsigned long sunDownMillis = 0;
unsigned long pumpLastOn = floodIntMillis + lightLevelDelay; //ensuring pump comes on when device is turned on and it is light
unsigned long pumpOffAt = 0;
boolean sunUpCheck = false;
boolean sunDownCheck = false;
boolean sunUp;
boolean lastState = false;


void setup() {
  pinMode(pumpPin, OUTPUT);
  digitalWrite(pumpPin, LOW); //pump off
}


void loop() {
  lightSensorNow = analogRead(pinLightSensor);
  if (lightSensorNow >= lightLevel && sunUp == false) {
    sunUp = true;
  }
  if (lightSensorNow < lightLevel && sunUp == true) {
    sunUp = false;
  }

  if (sunUp == true && sunUpCheck == false) { //checking if sun is up or lights on
    sunUpMillis = millis();
    sunUpCheck = true;
  }
  if (sunUp == false && sunDownCheck == false) { //checking if sun is down or lights are off
    sunDownMillis = millis();
    sunDownCheck = true;
  }
  if (sunUp == true && millis() - sunUpMillis > lightLevelDelay && sunDownCheck == true) { //checking if sun has been up or lights have been on longer than lightLevelDelay
    sunDownCheck = false;
  }
  if (sunUp == false && millis() - sunDownMillis > lightLevelDelay && sunUpCheck == true) { //checking if sun has been down or lights have been off longer than lightLevelDelay
    sunUpCheck = false;
  }

  if (millis() - sunUpMillis > lightLevelDelay && sunUpCheck == true ) { //checking that there has been light longer than the lightLevelDelay
    if (millis() - pumpLastOn > floodIntMillis || millis() < pumpLastOn) { //checking when the pump was last on. also checking if the sun has just come up or lights are on to ensure a flooding at first light.
      pumpLastOn = millis();
      pumpOffAt = millis() + floodDurMillis; //pumpOffAt has been added so that the pump doesn't switch off during a cycle if the lights go our or sun goes down
    }
  }

  if (millis() - pumpLastOn > longestDelayBetweenFlooding && millis() > longestDelayBetweenFlooding) { //ensuring there is water at least every x hours
    pumpLastOn = millis();
    pumpOffAt = millis() + floodDurMillis;
  }

  if (millis() < pumpOffAt) { //turning the pump on
    digitalWrite(pumpPin, HIGH); //pump on
  } else {
    digitalWrite(pumpPin, LOW); //pump off
  }


}