Make:

I know Arduino aims to keep it simple, but $15 + $28-50 for the Xport?!? ...and your open-source project is bound to high-level proprietary (or at least vendor specific) components and protocols?

Are the complete, free tcp/ip stacks for AVR (Aurduino), PIC, MSP430, ARM, Freescale (coldfire, et al), etc so difficult to learn that open hardware needs to take these shortcuts?

This project can actually be made cheaper if you don't mind going through a pc. Also you can use one of the bare bones version of the arduino.

PC - BBB Arduino - Plant

Some code changes would be needed but it will be alot cheaper. I'm planning on doing something similiar but for more plants and sending the data to my pc. But it is a cool idea.

This project can actually be made cheaper if you don't mind going through a pc. Also you can use one of the bare bones version of the arduino.

PC - BBB Arduino - Plant

Some code changes would be needed but it will be alot cheaper. I'm planning on doing something similiar but for more plants and sending the data to my pc. But it is a cool idea.

I would say it's not cheaper if you use the PC since it's not fair to not factor in the cost of the PC (and extra electricity costs).

If you're using the PC, why bother with an arduino? Just connect the sensor directly (maybe with a simple $2 PIC circuit to translate the sensor but even that might not be needed depending on the sensor).

"Are the complete, free tcp/ip stacks for AVR (Aurduino), PIC, MSP430, ARM, Freescale (coldfire, et al), etc so difficult to learn that open hardware needs to take these shortcuts?"

as someone who has written a tcp/ip stack* as well as overlaying protocols such as DHCP, for 8-bit micros (AVR/PIC), the answer is "yes, its extremely hard to use". its also much more expensive than you'd think, after all the 'extras' necessary for the chip/phy to work, and/or requires soldering of very fine-pitch parts. $28 for a do-it-all plug-in module with all the nonsense is a good deal for people who just want one item.

http://ladyada.net/techproj/aether/index.html , etc.

"Are the complete, free tcp/ip stacks for AVR (Aurduino), PIC, MSP430, ARM, Freescale (coldfire, et al), etc so difficult to learn that open hardware needs to take these shortcuts?"

If you are only looking for a web server on a static IP, then these seem to do OK (of course, you could just use an Xport by itself as a web server). I've used a PIC board pre-programmed as a web server.

However if you want to have a dependable DHCP address and initiate general UDP or TCP sessions, I've found the PIC stacks incredibly annoying to use and often bug-ridden. I suspect the AVR stacks are the same way.

The Arduino/Xport solution is easy to set up and use and is very dependable.

Why not just make it water the plant ?

useless crap

or just stick your finger in the dirt.

If the xport doesn't suit your needs, you might want to look into the WIZ810MJ used by my (in-progress) Netduino expansion shield project for the Arduino:

http://code.rancidbacon.com/Netduino

It includes a library to make the network (almost) as easy to use as serial for communication. (But doesn't use your serial connection to do it!)

--Phil.

exactly why doesn't the plant just water itself....if I am across the world what would I do about it

A slightly more software intensive solution would be find a used router that is supported by a project such as OpenWrt (http://openwrt.org/), and use that as your device. Then you get a full embedded linux environment, possibly for under $40. Many of the routers have digital IO and serial ports inside them that can be used to interface with the outside world.

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