DIY drying and curing android app.

I ran across this smart switch that has everything built in we need minus the software, but with its built in wifi or bt it should be possible I think. It already communicates to some home control apps I'm not familiar with. It comes in AC or DC versions with four independent channels and built in temp / humidity sensor.

I'm not a dev but have worked in IT so this stood out as potential way to take the popular AC Infinity controllers and design a app to take its place with using the attached switch to handle the control of devices such as fridge or dehu etc. With a android app we could do all the algo, logic, routine processing and graph generation and exporting on a tablet or phone. Mabye with the logic some AI could be built in for autopilot. I'd assume we could add better control for ramps and curves, use VPD or temp etc and produce nice grafna graph or simular with historical local storage and exportable. Since it would use Android notifications should be possible. In summery I was wondering if we could make something more advaced like the cannatrol controlers logic?

Any android devs here that think this is possible or too much trouble?

taproot said:

I ran across this smart switch that has everything built in we need minus the software, but with its built in wifi or bt it should be possible I think. It already communicates to some home control apps I'm not familiar with. It comes in AC or DC versions with four independent channels and built in temp / humidity sensor.

I'm not a dev but have worked in IT so this stood out as potential way to take the popular AC Infinity controllers and design a app to take its place with using the attached switch to handle the control of devices such as fridge or dehu etc. With a android app we could do all the algo, logic, routine processing and graph generation and exporting on a tablet or phone. Mabye with the logic some AI could be built in for autopilot. I'd assume we could add better control for ramps and curves, use VPD or temp etc and produce nice grafna graph or simular with historical local storage and exportable. Since it would use Android notifications should be possible. In summery I was wondering if we could make something more advaced like the cannatrol controlers logic?

Any android devs here that think this is possible or too much trouble?

Amazon.com

Click to expand...

Not an android dev or even a coder.
Tho I have decent understanding of the concepts and friends in the coding world.

I mean the logic could probably be built for any platform with relative ease.
Depending on how complex code ya going for,
but even a non-coder could possibly generate somewhat simple logic for curing with the help of AI.

I've thought several times of building DIY gadgets of sorts and always considered the RaspBerry Pi.

ChatGPT gave me this for such suggestion


Example: Automated Curing Box with Raspberry Pi
Goal:

Maintain 60–65% relative humidity and 18–21°C temperature inside a sealed box while periodically circulating air.
Components:
Purpose Component
Temp & humidity sensing DHT22 or BME280 sensor
Air circulation Small PC fan (or 12V inline fan)
Humidity control Small ultrasonic humidifier (optional)
Temperature control Heating pad or small ceramic heater
Raspberry Pi control Raspberry Pi 3 or newer
Device control 5V relay module or solid-state relay (SSR)
Power separation External 12V or 230V power supply for fans/heaters
(Optional) Interface Small OLED display, or web UI for monitoring
How it Works:

Every 5 minutes, Pi checks humidity and temperature.

If RH > 65%, turn on fan to exhaust air for 2–5 minutes.

If RH < 60%, turn on humidifier.

If temp < 18°C, turn on heater until it reaches 20°C.

Log all sensor values with timestamps.

Optionally: Display status or make a remote web dashboard.

Sample Python-style Logic:

if humidity > 65:
turn_on_exhaust_fan()
sleep(300)
turn_off_exhaust_fan()
elif humidity < 60:
turn_on_humidifier()
sleep(120)
turn_off_humidifier()

if temperature < 18:
turn_on_heater()
elif temperature > 21:
turn_off_heater()

cage said:

Not an android dev or even a coder.
Tho I have decent understanding of the concepts and friends in the coding world.

I mean the logic could probably be built for any platform with relative ease.
Depending on how complex code ya going for,
but even a non-coder could possibly generate somewhat simple logic for curing with the help of AI.

I've thought several times of building DIY gadgets of sorts and always considered the RaspBerry Pi.

ChatGPT gave me this for such suggestion


Example: Automated Curing Box with Raspberry Pi
Goal:

Maintain 60–65% relative humidity and 18–21°C temperature inside a sealed box while periodically circulating air.
Components:
Purpose Component
Temp & humidity sensing DHT22 or BME280 sensor
Air circulation Small PC fan (or 12V inline fan)
Humidity control Small ultrasonic humidifier (optional)
Temperature control Heating pad or small ceramic heater
Raspberry Pi control Raspberry Pi 3 or newer
Device control 5V relay module or solid-state relay (SSR)
Power separation External 12V or 230V power supply for fans/heaters
(Optional) Interface Small OLED display, or web UI for monitoring
How it Works:

Every 5 minutes, Pi checks humidity and temperature.

If RH > 65%, turn on fan to exhaust air for 2–5 minutes.

If RH < 60%, turn on humidifier.

If temp < 18°C, turn on heater until it reaches 20°C.

Log all sensor values with timestamps.

Optionally: Display status or make a remote web dashboard.

Sample Python-style Logic:

if humidity > 65:
turn_on_exhaust_fan()
sleep(300)
turn_off_exhaust_fan()
elif humidity < 60:
turn_on_humidifier()
sleep(120)
turn_off_humidifier()

if temperature < 18:
turn_on_heater()
elif temperature > 21:
turn_off_heater()

Click to expand...

Thanks for your reply. I was looking at making something like the ACI controllers but with really nice graphing and the logic and features of the cannatrol. All we needed was the hardware and it seems like that switch fits the bill. I thought it would be nice if a fellow grower wanted to dry their product in a fridge they could just buy a $20 or so piece of hardware and install a app and have a advanced way of drying and curing. Since drying and curing are two separate things it could help facilitate both. Android is free, most people have a phone or tablet.

Sorry, might have still misunderstood your goal a bit.
So if you could connect the AC infinity controller to any of the smart home apps,
this should enable you to configure it pretty easily?


The smart plugs etc are usually configured from webpage. So not OS dependant and you can use from both phone or PC.
Hook up some fans,humidity/temp sensors and smart plugs into Home Assistant?

cage said:

Sorry, might have still misunderstood your goal a bit.
So if you could connect the AC infinity controller to any of the smart home apps,
this should enable you to configure it pretty easily?

AC Infinity Wifi Controller 69 With HA

Hello Everyone, I was wondering if anyone has been able to successfully integrate AC infinity products to HA. AC infinity had a new Wi-Fi Controller which I am assuming will be easier to use with HA then the old Bluetooth version they got. Anyone have any success with the new/ old controller (67).

community.home-assistant.io

AC Infinity Bluetooth 69 PRO controllers SUCCESSFUL

Would you be able to ELI5 how to use this to populate the sensor data into HA? I don’t really care if I can control the controller since it’s just running through an automation itself, I’d just like to be able to get all of the data from the controller onto my dashboard

community.home-assistant.io

https://www.reddit.com/r/homeassist..._off_to_ac_infinity_is_there_a_better_way_to/

The smart plugs etc are usually configured from webpage. So not OS dependant and you can use from both phone or PC.
Hook up some fans,humidity/temp sensors and smart plugs into Home Assistant?

Click to expand...

I don't want to use the AC Infinity. I was mentioning it as context. I want to replace the ACI entirely with a app that's tailored to what we're doing ..drying and curing.

To be clear all the functions, algorithms, logic processing, graph processing, VPD or Dew Point calculations etc. can be done on the app side. The smart switch I posted above communicates with the app and carries out the turning on and off of various devices like the dehu, humidifier, fans and the fridge itself.

The ACI controller is really cool but it's not exactly designed for what we're doing. I think we could get closer to what the cannatrol is doing by putting the pid logic in a app then having the switch carry out the desired outcomes that the app desides.

Gotcha, so the default Tuya app in the smart switch you linked isn't enough?

cage said:

Gotcha, so the default Tuya app in the smart switch you linked isn't enough?

View attachment 5462193

Click to expand...

I want it to be advanced like the cannatrol control pid with it's logic and algos. If I wanted just simple off and on based on timers or temp triggers a simple inkbird would work just fine.

Advanced Cannatrol Logic Features (and How to Mimic Them)
1. Dew Point-Based Control

Cannatrol doesn’t control just RH — it controls dew point, because that reflects the actual water vapor content in the air, which affects drying/curing more directly than RH alone.

DIY mimic:

In Home Assistant, create a template sensor to calculate dew point using temperature + RH.

Then set automation rules like:

IF dew_point > 13°C THEN activate exhaust fan
IF dew_point < 9°C THEN reduce ventilation / run humidifier

2. Stable VPD Targeting

VPD (Vapor Pressure Deficit) gives a measure of drying pressure — too high = overdrying, too low = mold risk.

DIY mimic:

Use a formula in HA templates (VPD is calculable from temp + RH).
Maintain VPD in a target range (e.g., 0.3–0.6 kPa for curing).

Automate:

IF VPD > 0.6 → run humidifier
IF VPD < 0.3 → run dehumidifier or fan

3. Automated Air Exchange Timing

Cannatrol cycles air regularly without over-drying. Air exchange removes built-up humidity/gases without running fans 24/7.

DIY mimic:

Use time-based automation:

Every 6 hours:
- Turn on fan for 5–10 minutes
Optionally base it on VPD or dew point spikes.

4. Dynamic "Cure Profiles"

Cannatrol allows staged curing: e.g., slowly lowering RH over days to avoid shock drying.

DIY mimic:

Create automations triggered by days passed since starting cure.

Example:

Day 1–3: RH 62%
Day 4–7: RH 60%
Day 8+: RH 58%

You can do this via timers or manually starting a script on “day 1”.

5. Alerting & Logging

Alerts if conditions are out of range for extended periods.

Historical graphs of temp, RH, dew point.

DIY mimic:

HA has built-in mobile notifications.
Use thresholds with time delays:
IF RH > 65% FOR 2 hours → send mobile alert
Graphs are automatic with history sensors.

6. Pre-Set "Modes" (e.g., Dry, Cure, Hold)

Preset curing programs based on material type or process stage.

DIY mimic:

Use input_select in Home Assistant to pick a mode manually.
Automation behavior changes based on selected mode.

Example:

mode: "Drying" → VPD target: 0.8
mode: "Curing" → VPD target: 0.4
mode: "Storage" → Temp = 16°C, RH = 55%


I reckon it might be easiest with any of the home automation platforms?
Just need to build the algo logic

cage said:

I reckon it might be easiest with any of the home automation platforms?
Just need to build the algo logic

Click to expand...

You mean like a custom app?

No, use existing app, like the Home Assistant to control the devices.
You'd just build the algo how the Home Assistant would control the setup.

Just need a device where to run the app.

Then connect to it from PC/phone through webpage

cage said:

No, use existing app, like the Home Assistant to control the devices.
You'd just build the algo how the Home Assistant would control the setup.

Just need a device where to run the app.

Then connect to it from PC/phone through webpage

Click to expand...

I think we're on different pages, I do appreciate your input.