Xiaomi MiFlora plant sensor

zsiti

Xiaomi MiFlora is a cost effective plant sensor, which uses BLE to send it’s data, and is capable of sensing temperature, soil humidity, light, soil fertility and it’s own battery level.

Daniel Matuschek (openha) has written a python3 code which is capable of reading these data, and I have been running it on a Raspberry Pi 3 (because that model has a Bluetooth module).
I’m not skilled enough to create a pimatic plugin, but using a workaround the data can be displayed in pimatic.

Step 1: using a rule in pimatic to run openha’s python library’s demo.py script every 10 minutes (pimatic-cron plugin), and send the output to a file (overwriting it’s content with every update, so the file will contain only the latest data). Raspbian’s cron could be used as well, but using pimatic rules, there is no need for an extra external component, and the config file will contain every needed setting, except openha’s miflora python3 script itself.

Step 2: Use the pimatic-log-reader plugin to create a LogWatcher device, and read the data from the output file of the python script and display it in pimatic.

It consists of many components, but I’ve been running it for approx. a ~~week~~ year now, and it’s reliable enough. I can share the pimatic rule and device config if anyone is interested.

Snippets of the config and rules can be found in the thread below, and it’s recommended to read them for insights, but the most complete version of my tutorial on the MiFlora integration to pimatic can be found on my techblog: https://zsiti.eu/xiaomi-miflora-plant-sensor-pimatic-raspberry-pi-3/

UPDATE 2017-12-08: Our fellow community member and pimatic developer @rrooggiieerr has announced on 2017 December 1st, that he made a BLE plugin and a mi-flora plugin which work together and provide the same functionality as this tutorial’s method. As his method uses native pimatic plugins, it’s easier to set up the sensor that way, so I recommend you to use @rrooggiieerr’s plugins and disregard this tutorial. Head over to follow rrooggiieerr’s pimatic forum thread to get your sensors integrated into pimatic and for updates on his work on the BLE and mi-flora pimatic plugin.

Freekwilly

Sounds great.
I am interested. Still waiting for my MiFloras to arrive but I’d really like to know about the pimatic rule and your config

zsiti

@Freekwilly As a prerequisite you need to enable Bluetooth on your Pi3, and clone openha’s script into your home directory.

Oh, I forgot that you need the shell-execute plugin as well:

"plugins": [
    {
      "plugin": "cron"
    },
    {
      "plugin": "shell-execute",
      "active": true
    },
    {
	  "plugin": "log-reader",
      "active": true,
	  "debug": true
    }
  ]

Then here’s the rule to run the script every 5 minutes (needs the cron plugin and the shell-execute plugin)

"rules": [
    {
      "id": "poll-miflora",
      "name": "Poll MiFlora",
      "rule": "when every 10 minutes then execute \"python3 /home/pi/miflora/demo.py > /home/pi/miflora/miflora-pimatic.log\"",
      "active": true,
      "logging": false
    }
]

And this is where the magic happens, the LogWatcher device (needs the pimatic-log-reader plugin)

"devices": [
    {
      "file": "/home/pi/miflora/miflora-pimatic.log",
      "attributes": [
        {
          "name": "Temperature",
          "type": "number",
          "unit": "°C"
        },
        {
          "name": "Moisture",
          "type": "number",
          "unit": "%"
        },
        {
          "name": "Light",
          "type": "number",
          "unit": "lux"
        },
        {
          "name": "Conductivity",
          "type": "number",
          "unit": "us/cm"
        },
        {
          "name": "Battery",
          "type": "number",
          "unit": "%"
        }
      ],
      "lines": [
        {
          "match": "Temperature: (.+)",
          "predicate": "miflora.temperature",
          "Temperature": "$1"
        },
        {
          "match": "Moisture: (.+)",
          "predicate": "miflora.moisture",
          "Moisture": "$1"
        },
        {
          "match": "Light: (.+)",
          "predicate": "miflora.light",
          "Light": "$1"
        },
        {
          "match": "Conductivity: (.+)",
          "predicate": "miflora.conductivity",
          "Conductivity": "$1"
        },
        {
          "match": "Battery: (.+)",
          "predicate": "miflora.battery",
          "Battery": "$1"
        }
      ],
      "xAttributeOptions": [],
      "id": "miflora",
      "name": "MiFlora",
      "class": "LogWatcher"
    }
]

It looks like this in Pimatic:

I plan to prepare a full writeup of this project, but I have to tidy it up a bit

EDIT: I have created the draft of the tutorial, which can be found on my blog.

Mondkind

@zsiti Thank you for the instructions
Hopefully the sensors will be coming soon

I will test and report. Am already quite impatient

xCite86

@zsiti
thanks for sharing, i’ve got my sensor today and done this similar

first i pull the stripe to power on the device
then got the bluetooth adress with sudo hcitool lescan

then i`ve got the project folder with git clone https://github.com/open-homeautomation/miflora.git and insert the bluetooth-adress in demo-py.

with python3 demo.py i got the values…

Getting data from Mi Flora
FW: 2.6.2
Name: Flower mate
Temperature: 25.7
Moisture: 2
Light: 32
Conductivity: 0
Battery: 100

fine… now i rename it and create a rule

sudo mv demo.py readsensor1.py

when every 10 minutes then execute "python3 /home/pi/miflora/readsensor1.py > /home/pi/miflora/miflora-readsensor1.log"

and with an logreader-device

    { 
     "id": "miflora_citrus",
      "name": "Zitrusbäumchen",
      "class": "LogWatcher"
      "file": "/home/pi/miflora/miflora-readsensor1.log",
      "attributes": [
        {
          "name": "Temperature",
          "type": "number",
          "unit": "°C",
          "label": "Temperatur",
          "acronym": "🌡"
        },
        {
          "name": "Moisture",
          "type": "number",
          "unit": "%",
          "label": "Feuchtigkeit",
          "acronym": "💦"
        },
        {
          "name": "Light",
          "type": "number",
          "unit": "lux",
          "label": "Licht",
          "acronym": "💡"
        },
        {
          "name": "Battery",
          "type": "number",
          "unit": "%",
          "label": "Batterie",
          "acronym": "🔋"
        }
      ],
      "lines": [
        {
          "match": "Temperature: (.+)",
          "predicate": "miflora.temperature",
          "Temperature": "$1"
        },
        {
          "match": "Moisture: (.+)",
          "predicate": "miflora.moisture",
          "Moisture": "$1"
        },
        {
          "match": "Light: (.+)",
          "predicate": "miflora.light",
          "Light": "$1"
        },
        {
          "match": "Battery: (.+)",
          "predicate": "miflora.battery",
          "Battery": "$1"
        }
      ],
      "xAttributeOptions": []
    }

… it looks perfect

Bild Text

zsiti

@xCite86 Yessss!! Thanks xCite86 for the feedback, I’m so happy it works for others as well! This was my first pimatic tutorial and it seems like it’s working!! And you took it further by renaming the script (you plan to have more sensors, right?) and even created icons by adding “acronym”, it looks brilliant! Congratulations!

xCite86

@zsiti

yes, correct… i`ve ordered 2 more on aliexpress (9,13€ was the cheapest i found)

Mondkind

@zsiti @xCite86 Thanks … it works

Very good HowTo … No problems during the installation

Anduril

these sound really interesting… two questions: how is the range of those ble broadcasts and whats with using it outdoor? Can it also be used in the garden or on a balcony?

Mondkind

The sensor itself isn’t waterproof !!

For outdoor, I would use a transparent waterproof box
Because, you need the transparents for the integrated luxmeter
Something like this, for example:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/2016-New-1pcs-18650-Transparent-Clear-Battery-Case-Holder-Storage-Waterproof-Box/32687597585.html

The device use: Bluetooth 4.1 BLE
Here you can found the maximum range: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluetooth#Uses

My first test … regarding range, was very successful … 20 meters and more with various walls, no problem!

I think it’s a good idea to make the sensor waterproofness … should also protect when watering the plant

Mondkind

A small addition:

for using more sensors, create a new file (e.g. demo1.py) with the appropriate MAC address and a new logfile.

See my rules:

{
  "id": "poll-miflora",
  "name": "Poll MiFlora",
  "rule": "when every 60 minutes then execute \"python3 /home/pi/miflora/demo.py > /home/pi/miflora/miflora-pimatic.log\"",
  "active": true,
  "logging": false
},
{
  "id": "poll-miflora-2",
  "name": "Poll MiFlora 2",
  "rule": "when every 65 minutes then execute \"python3 /home/pi/miflora/demo1.py > /home/pi/miflora/miflora-pimatic1.log\"",
  "active": true,
  "logging": false
}

When using more than one sensor, make sure that the rules are not running at the same time.
Otherwise, errors occur because more Bluetooth connections are attempted simultaneously

zsiti

@Mondkind Nice, thanks for the feedback!
I just got my 2nd sensor today, and with the recommendations of @xCite86 and @Mondkind I got the 2 sensors working side by side in a matter of minutes! Cheers lads!

Guest

Thanks for the turorial.

I also ordered one of these sensor sticks and it works like a charm! I accidently updated the firmware of my miflora to v2.7, but it still works

Freekwilly

As usual when it works for all the others…It dioes’nt work for me.
When I try to get data from the miflora from python3 it always says

“”"connect: Device or resource busy (16)’’’

The script tries a few times and than generates weird output.

Here’s the full output

Getting data from Mi Flora
connect: Device or resource busy (16)
connect: Device or resource busy (16)
FW: 2.8.6
Name: Flower care
connect: Device or resource busy (16)
connect: Device or resource busy (16)
connect: Device or resource busy (16)
connect: Device or resource busy (16)
connect: Device or resource busy (16)
Temperature: 4804.2
Moisture: 136
Light: 61149
Conductivity: 26231
Battery: 64

On my mobile it works as expected for almost 2 weeks now, When working on raspi I deactivate bluetooth on my smartphone to avoid interfering signals

zsiti

@Freekwilly When I saw that you have the latest firmware on your MiFlora (FW 2.8.6, which was pushed out on 2016-01-06 via the Flower Care app), my first thought was that the miflora python library might not be compatible with firmware 2.8.6, so I updated one of my sensors to 2.8.6, and left the other on the older firmware 2.7. I can confirm that reading out sensor data works for me on both:

pi@pi3pimatic:~ $ python3 /home/pi/miflora/demo1.py
Getting data from Mi Flora
FW: 2.8.6
Name: Flower care
Temperature: 23.2
Moisture: 6
Light: 296
Conductivity: 0
Battery: 87

pi@pi3pimatic:~ $ python3 /home/pi/miflora/demo2.py
Getting data from Mi Flora
FW: 2.7.0
Name: Flower care
Temperature: 20.7
Moisture: 23
Light: 84
Conductivity: 265
Battery: 100

Before we go any further in troubleshooting, the classic tech support question: Have you tried turning it off and on again? (In this scenario it means taking out the battery, waiting a minute or so, putting it back, the device starts by slowly flashing the white LED at the top 3x)

Freekwilly

Of course Ich did. Thats always my first approach did it for both Miflora as well as for the raspi.
And i just updated them in the hope for better data today actually.

And sometimes the log data contains meaningful data, but not very reliable and it floods my pimatic messages!

Freekwilly

Can anybody with working miflora sensors be doing hciconfig -a and post the output?

xCite86

@Freekwilly

alt text

Freekwilly

Thanks @xCite86

I figured out what was the problem most probably.
I figured out that the battery of sensors got drained very fast, loosing like 10% each day since I connected them to the pi.
For some weird reason my pi was in a loop of connecting and disconnecting both devices, making them busy all the time, which lead to a nonsense output in the end.

A simple bluetoothctl and disconnect XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX seems to have done the trick. Im going to keep an eye on battery life and data.

Mondkind

i get this error:

connect: Device or resource busy (16)

1.) when the mobile app (i use Flower Care) and the Raspberry Bluetooth
is connected to the plant sensor devices at the same time.

2.) or if the device to far away

turn off bluetooth on you mobile and/or bring your device next to the RPI