I’d already had a start in Home Automation with my IKEA Blinds Project and Z-Wave with my Bedroom Lighting, so I was ready for something more advanced. Little did I know that automating a bathroom light and fan switch would require so much logic to avoid being stuck in the dark in the shower at night, and all the other corner cases that come up when you try to implement real automation logic instead of ‘smart home’ party tricks.

Inspired by Jonathan Oxer’s Air Quality project, I decided to build my own, but with my own twist and my own software. This project was an adventure bridging my long-held Arduino skills with modern Ethernet microcontrollers, object-oriented programming, and a lesson in how important mechanical design is. Concept Design Jon’s sensor uses a Plantower PMS5003, and later adds a Bosch BME680 air quality sensor. I decided to use the similar Plantower PMS7003, Bosch BME680, and also a CCS811 environmental sensor which measures eCO2 for comparison to the BME680.