1. System Overview

The All-in-One Capacitive Soil Moisture Sensor is a sensor that aims to provide a reliable, low-cost, and easy-to-use solution for measuring soil moisture and temperature in plant pots. The sensor consists of a capacitive sensing PCB that is inserted into the soil and a Heltec CubeCell module that is located at the top of the PCB. So the sensor sits halfway in the ground with the electronics being above the soil inside a protective housing. The CubeCell module enables low-power LoRaWAN connectivity, allowing the sensor to send its data to the user-defined LoRaWAN IoT network. The sensor is powered by a 17330 Li-SOCl2 battery that can last for several months without replacement. The sensor also features a temperature sensor "in" the bottom of the PCB, which measures the actual soil temperature and helps to calibrate the moisture readings for different soil types. The sensor is designed to be durable and resilient in various environmental conditions, thanks to a protective epoxy coating that covers both the PCB and the housing. To install and use the sensor, one simply needs to insert it into the soil, water it well, and wait for a few days for the sensor to settle and give accurate readings.