IoT Home Management System With Telegram Alerts (ESP32 Project)

This smart home automation system keeps an eye on your living space through multiple sensors connected to an ESP32. It monitors temperature, light levels, and noise, displaying real time sound readings on a colorful LED strip that changes from green to red as volume increases. The system sends Telegram alerts when conditions go above certain set thresholds, like when it's too hot (oven been left on for too long) too bright (light in the room was left on), or too noisy for too long (party too loud). Everything connects through MQTT to a Node-RED dashboard where you can monitor all your home conditions at once. It's a complete IoT solution that helps you maintain a comfortable environment while being mindful of neighbors.

Hardware:

1. ESP32 development board
2. DHT22 temperature/humidity sensor
3. Photoresistor (LDR) for light sensing
4. Analog microphone module (KY-038 or MAX9814)
5. WS2812B addressable LED strip (24 LEDs recommended)
6. Computer or Raspberry Pi to run Node-RED

Software:

1. Arduino IDE
2. Libraries:
3. WiFi.h
4. PubSubClient.h (MQTT)
5. DHT.h
6. FastLED.h
7. Node-RED with these packages:
8. node-red-dashboard
9. node-red-contrib-telegrambot
10. node-red-contrib-aedes (if not using an external MQTT broker)

Below you'll find the Arduino code that needs to be ran on the ESP32.

**Important:

1. You must change the IP address and wifi settings
2. Configure the pins and connect the peripherlas however you want as long as they function
3. You can customize the settings for how often and to what thresholds the sensors should start giving alerts

Node-RED is the "brain" that processes sensor data and sends alerts.

Installing Node-RED (if you haven't already)

1. Install Node.js and npm
2. Install Node-RED globally:

1. Start Node-RED:

1. Access Node-RED in your browser at: http://localhost:1880

Installing Required Nodes

In Node-RED, go to the menu (hamburger icon) > Manage palette > Install tab, and search for and install:

1. node-red-dashboard - For creating the dashboard
2. node-red-contrib-telegrambot - For Telegram notifications
3. node-red-contrib-aedes - For MQTT broker (if not using an external one)

Import the Flow Provided in the file

1. In Node-RED, go to menu > Import
2. Click "Import" to add this flow to your workspace

Setting Up Telegram Bot for Home Automation Alerts

Telegram bots provide a convenient way to receive alerts from your home automation system. Here's a step-by-step guide to setting up your own Telegram bot for notifications:

Step 1: Create a Telegram Bot

1. Open the Telegram app on your phone or desktop
2. Search for "BotFather" (this is Telegram's official bot for creating bots)
3. Start a chat with BotFather and send /newbot
4. Follow the prompts to choose a name and username for your bot
5. The name can be anything (e.g., "Home Automation Bot")
6. The username must end with "bot" (e.g., "myhomeautomation_bot")
7. BotFather will respond with a message containing your bot's token
8. It looks something like 123456789:ABCdefGhIJKlmNoPQRsTUVwxyZ
9. Copy this token and keep it secure - you'll need it for Node-RED

Step 2: Get Your Chat ID

To send messages to yourself, you need your Telegram chat ID:

1. Start a chat with your newly created bot (search for its username)
2. Send any message to the bot (e.g., "Hello")
3. Open this URL in your browser (replace YOUR_BOT_TOKEN with your actual token):

1. Look for the "chat" section in the JSON response
2. Find the "id" field within the "chat" section - this is your chat ID
3. It will be a number like 12345678
4. If you don't see any update, try sending another message to your bot

Step 3: Configure the Telegram Bot in Node-RED

1. In Node-RED, make sure you've installed the node-red-contrib-telegrambot package
2. Double-click on the Telegram sender node
3. Click the pencil icon next to the bot field to add a new bot configuration
4. Fill in the details:
5. Name: A friendly name for your bot
6. Token: Paste the token you received from BotFather
7. Chat IDs: Enter your chat ID from Step 2
8. Click "Add" and then "Done"

Step 4: Test Your Bot

1. In Node-RED, add an inject node connected to your Telegram sender node
2. Configure the inject node to send a simple message like:

1. Deploy your flow and click the inject node
2. You should receive a test message in your Telegram app

Step 5: Add Authorization (Optional but Recommended)

For better security, you can restrict who can interact with your bot:

1. In your Telegram bot configuration in Node-RED
2. Add your Telegram username (without @) in the "Users" field
3. This will restrict the bot to only respond to you

Common Issues and Solutions

1. No message received: Verify your bot token and chat ID
2. Authentication errors: Check that your token is entered correctly
3. Bot not responding: Make sure Node-RED can access the Telegram API (network issues?)
4. Formatting issues: Use Telegram's formatting options for better messages:

Once configured, your Telegram bot will reliably deliver alerts from your home automation system, keeping you informed about temperature changes, light levels, noise, and other important events happening in your home.

Your dashboard will show all environmental data in one place:

1. In Node-RED, go to the dashboard tab (right sidebar)
2. Organize the dashboard tabs and groups:
3. Main dashboard tab with groups for Temperature, Light, and Sound
4. Each group contains gauges, charts, and status indicators

To access your dashboard, navigate to: http://YOUR_NODE_RED_IP:1880/ui

Each home environment is different, so you'll need to calibrate the system:

Temperature Threshold

1. Monitor normal temperature readings
2. Set the tempThreshold to a few degrees above normal
3. Test by increasing temperature (e.g., with a hair dryer at a safe distance)

Light Threshold

1. Observe light readings during normal conditions
2. Determine what "too bright for too long" means in your context
3. Adjust the brightThreshold accordingly

Sound Threshold

1. Note sound readings during normal activities
2. Make noise at levels you consider disruptive
3. Set the soundThreshold between these values
4. Adjust the maxSoundReading for LED visualization

Once everything is configured, perform a comprehensive test.

Have fun with your new automated home management system.