IoT Projects — DIY builds from the TinkerNews archive
Every IoT build featured in TinkerNews, the weekly DIY electronics newsletter. Each entry was selected for a published issue and summarizes a real project, with a link to its original source for the full instructions, parts and code. New builds appear here as issues are published.
IoT builds
ESP32-C3 Super Mini: Wi-Fi Tests and Deep Sleep
Small enough for tight enclosures, the ESP32-C3 Super Mini still offers Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, useful GPIO, and a deep-sleep mode. This hands-on guide moves from pinout and Arduino IDE setup to a local web server and timed wake-up test, showing where the board fits in battery-powered IoT projects.
Read the build on randomnerdtutorials.com: ESP32-C3 Super Mini: Wi-Fi Tests and Deep SleepTurning an E-Waste PC into a Router
An old Intel board can make a useful router, but this build hit a software snag: OpenWrt booted while its missing e1000e module hid the 82574L ports. The project then tests OPNsense, weighing a lightweight setup against a fuller firewall platform and showing why drivers matter.
Read the build on hackaday.com: Turning an E-Waste PC into a RouterSync Home Assistant Lights With the Sun
Static brightness and color settings can make a smart home feel out of step with the day. Adaptive Lighting uses Home Assistant’s sun data to set cooler, brighter daytime light and warmer, dimmer evening light, while keeping manual controls available and requiring no custom lighting hardware.
Read the build on github.com: Sync Home Assistant Lights With the SunTurning Huawei Solar into Home Assistant Data
Solar equipment can report far more than a single production number. This Home Assistant integration reads supported Huawei Solar data and functions through Modbus, then presents them as entities for dashboards and automations. Setup depends on compatible hardware, a reachable interface, correct addressing, and sensible polling intervals.
Read the build on github.com: Turning Huawei Solar into Home Assistant DataBuild Long-Running ESP32 Sensor Nodes with Deep Sleep
Battery life depends on more than an ESP32’s sleep-current figure. This practical guide lays out a wake, measure, transmit, and sleep pattern for soil monitors, weather stations, and other remote devices, while covering wake sources, retained state, wireless costs, board leakage, and realistic runtime estimates.
Read the build on iotjournal.net: Build Long-Running ESP32 Sensor Nodes with Deep SleepBuild a Pocket BLE Privacy Scanner with an M5Stack
A BLE radio can reveal device names and other details before any pairing happens. GhostBLE turns that lesson into a pocket tool: an M5Stack scans nearby advertisements, shows devices on its display, and flags privacy concerns, giving makers a practical way to inspect their own homes, labs, and prototypes.
Read the build on github.com: Build a Pocket BLE Privacy Scanner with an M5StackELRO Hubs Send Real-Time Events to Home Assistant
Alarm sounds and sensor changes need not stay inside an ELRO Connects system. This custom Home Assistant integration reads K1 and K2 hubs directly, bringing immediate events, battery levels, signal strength, and device states into local automations. The two hub generations use different communication software, so hardware identification matters.
Read the build on github.com: ELRO Hubs Send Real-Time Events to Home AssistantBring TP-Link and Mercusys Routers into Home Assistant
A custom Home Assistant component puts supported TP-Link and Mercusys router data beside your lights and sensors. Installed through HACS, it adds status sensors and controls, but polling runs about every 30 seconds, firmware changes can break compatibility, and router administration may be logged out while the integration is active.
Read the build on github.com: Bring TP-Link and Mercusys Routers into Home AssistantHow a $20 ESP8266 Calls and Tracks Elevators
A roughly $20 ESP8266 setup calls an apartment elevator before anyone reaches the hallway, then tracks its movement locally. A relay copies the existing hall-button press, while MQTT, Home Assistant, a permitted camera view, and a door-side display work together without touching the elevator controller.
Read the build on github.com: How a $20 ESP8266 Calls and Tracks ElevatorsA Self-Hosted UniFi Network Companion
Busy UniFi networks can be difficult to troubleshoot from one dashboard. Network Optimizer offers a self-hosted application with Docker and Windows options, but its repository still needs careful review before deployment. Check its controller access, collected readings, configuration behavior, and supported UniFi versions before trusting it with a live network.
Read the build on github.com: A Self-Hosted UniFi Network CompanionAnthbot Mowers in Home Assistant—An Unmaintained Integration
Anthbot Genie 600, M5, and M9 mowers can appear in Home Assistant through account lookup, AWS IoT shadow requests, and model-aware sensors. This community integration is no longer maintained, so use it mainly as a technical reference and start with ha-anthbot-map-v2 for a current setup.
Read the build on github.com: Anthbot Mowers in Home Assistant—An Unmaintained IntegrationSolar-Power ESP32 with 18650 Monitoring
Nighttime is the hard part for a Wi-Fi sensor running outdoors. This design stores daytime energy in one 18650 cell, regulates it for an ESP32 or ESP8266, and reports battery voltage through an ADC. Deep sleep helps balance changing sunlight, wireless use, charging limits, and overnight power needs.
Read the build on randomnerdtutorials.com: Solar-Power ESP32 with 18650 MonitoringBuild a Local BLE Room Map for Home Assistant
Room-level Bluetooth tracking makes presence sensors more useful: PadSpan HA combines existing scanners, floor plans, room polygons, and calibration to show where devices are inside a home. It runs locally, updates about every five seconds, and provides maps and diagnostics while leaving accuracy dependent on radio conditions.
Read the build on github.com: Build a Local BLE Room Map for Home Assistant