Farm-Data-Relay-System/README.md

# Farm Data Relay System
##### [***In loving memory of Gay Holman, an extraordinary woman.***](https://www.facebook.com/CFECI/posts/2967989419953119) #####

The Farm Data Relay System is an easy way to link remote sensors to the internet without the need for WiFi. It uses the ESP-NOW protocol on widely available ESP32 and ESP8266 microcontroller boards, and can be used to collect and transmit sensor data in situations where it would be too difficult or energy-consuming to provide full WiFi coverage. 

Using an assigned MAC address scheme allows for the whole system to be configured by setting just a handful of values in code.  Every ESP-NOW gateway is assigned a single-byte identifier, known as the UNIT_MAC. This, along with a set 5-byte preamble, is assigned to the MAC address of the ESP at boot. 

Gateways can be configured to send an ESP-NOW transmission either to the serial port using JSON, another ESP-NOW gateway, or broadcast it via LoRa PHY. An incoming transmission from the serial port can also be routed to the same interfaces, with the addition of MQTT.

## Getting Started
To use FDRS with Node-Red and MQTT you'll need two ESP devices (gateways) that are connected via UART, plus additional ESP devices with sensors connected.
The two **gateways** are programmed using the instructions [found with the Gateway2000 sketch](https://github.com/timmbogner/Farm-Data-Relay-System/tree/main/FDRS_Gateway2000). 
The **sensors** can either use the [example sketches](https://github.com/timmbogner/Farm-Data-Relay-System/tree/main/Sensors) included, or you can use the “fdrs_sensor.h” file to [use FDRS with a sketch you’ve already written.](https://github.com/timmbogner/Farm-Data-Relay-System/tree/main/FDRS_Sensor2000)

### Sensors
```
typedef struct DataReading {
  float d;
  uint16_t id;
  uint8_t t;
} DataReading;
```
Each sensor in the system sends its data over ESP-NOW as a float 'd' inside of a structure called a DataReading. Its global sensor address is represented by an integer 'id', and each type is represented by a single byte 't'.  If sensors need to send multiple types of readings (ex: temp and humidity), then they are sent in an array of DataReadings. A single DataReading.id may have multiple readings of different types assosiated with it. 

## Thank you
...very much for checking out my project! I truly appreciate everyone accross the net who has reached out with assistance and encouragement. If you have any questions, comments, or issues please feel free to contact me at bogner1@gmail.com.

If you have any extra money laying around, you could [send it to me via this Paypal link](https://www.paypal.com/donate/?business=F2MYGWWTGG5PN&no_recurring=0&item_name=Anything+helps%21&currency_code=USD). I'm a farmer by occupation, and donations would help me to spend more time developing farm gadgets over the winter months. 

A big thank you to both [***Sola Gratia Farm***](https://www.solagratiacsa.com/) and ***The IDEA Store*** of *Urbana, IL, USA*, without whom this project would not exist.

A huge thanks to the ever-instructional [Andreas Spiess](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu7_D0o48KbfhpEohoP7YSQ).
  
[Random Nerd Tutorials](https://randomnerdtutorials.com/) is also an indispensable source of ESP knowledge.