IrriSense — Quick Start Guide

Welcome to the IrriSense quick start guide. This page will walk you through the basic setup and first run of the system in a few simple steps.

1. What is IrriSense?

IrriSense is an intelligent system for automating irrigation for farms, gardens and greenhouses. It enables efficient irrigation control based on sensors, schedules and remote commands.

Originally designed to manage irrigation for a family eco-farm, IrriSense now supports creating networks of nodes from multiple microcontrollers (ESP32, ESP8266, Arduino) with a variety of peripherals — sensors (soil moisture, temperature, flow meter, rain sensor) and actuators (valves, relays, pumps). This allows adapting the system to multiple watering points, remote sensors, or specific needs for your farm or garden.

Common use-cases:

  • Intelligent irrigation — automatic or semi-automatic irrigation of gardens, orchards or greenhouses
  • Environmental monitoring — e.g., sauna operation parameters (temperature, humidity, door state)
  • Composting monitoring — tracking temperature, moisture, and aeration of compost piles

Key features:

  • Custom network protocol optimized for reliable communication in harsh conditions
  • Multi-transport architecture — LoRa, WiFi and other transports supported
  • Home Assistant integration via MQTT for remote monitoring and control
  • Battery- and solar-friendly power management for long-term field deployments
  • Modular and extensible — add sensors (moisture, temperature, flow, rain, CO₂, light) and actuators (valves, relays, pumps)
  • Scheduling and automation logic for condition-based irrigation
  • Local-first operation with optional cloud connectivity
  • Secure communication and optional encryption
  • Easy installation and management via web interface and automatic device discovery

2. What you need before you start

  • IrriSense hardware (gateway and/or nodes, sensors, valves)
  • Power source (batteries or adapter)
  • Access to WiFi or LAN (if required for your setup)
  • A computer, tablet or smartphone for initial configuration

3. Quick installation and wiring

  1. Unbox all components and verify the package contents.
  2. Connect sensors and valves according to the wiring guide.
  3. Apply power and turn on the control unit.
  4. Wait for the device to boot — the LED or display will indicate readiness.

4. Initial connection and login

  • Connect to the device network or your WiFi as instructed (or scan the device QR code).
  • Open the web interface (or Home Assistant integration) at the address shown in the quickstart.
  • Log in using the default username and password (printed on the device or included in the package).

5. Basic system setup

  • Add devices (sensors, valves) via the Devices menu.
  • Configure network settings (WiFi/LAN) if needed.
  • Verify that components appear online.
  • Run a test irrigation cycle (manual or scheduled) to validate wiring and operation.

6. User interface overview

  • Dashboard — system health and recent events
  • Devices — list and state of connected hardware
  • Schedules — automated irrigation rules
  • Logs — events and error history
  • Settings — networking, updates, backups

7. Maintenance & safety tips

  • Check battery levels and connections regularly.
  • Keep firmware up to date via the web interface.
  • After a power outage the system will resume operation once power is restored.
  • Back up your configuration before major changes.

8. Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

  • Can't connect to the device? Check power and network configuration.
  • Sensor not visible? Restart the node and check wiring.
  • Forgot your password? Use the recovery option or contact support.

9. Where to find more help

Wishing you a great harvest with IrriSense! 🌱