IoT Real-Time Sensor Dashboard

IoT monitoring system that collects environmental data from sensor and displays it through a web-based dashboard with real-time visualization. This project demonstrates full-stack IoT development, from embedded hardware programming to web application deployment.

🌟 Project Overview

This system monitors environmental conditions (temperature and humidity) using ESP8266 microcontrollers with DHT11 sensors, transmitting data wirelessly via MQTT protocol to a Raspberry Pi 4 server. The data is stored in a MariaDB database and displayed through a responsive Flask web application with real-time charts and user authentication.

✨ Key Features

• Real-time sensor data collection from multiple ESP8266 nodes
• Wireless communication using secure MQTT over TLS
• Live data visualization with interactive Chart.js graphs
• User authentication system with secure login/logout
• Responsive web interface optimized for desktop and mobile
• Automatic data logging to database with error handling
• Network-accessible dashboard for remote monitoring
• SSL/TLS encryption for secure web communications

🛠️ Technologies Used

Hardware

• ESP8266 WiFi microcontrollers - Sensor nodes
• DHT11 sensors - Temperature and humidity measurement
• Raspberry Pi 4 - Server and database host

🏃‍♂️ Running the Project

1. Start the MQTT listener:

   python3 MQTT_server.py

2. Launch the web application:

   python3 app.py

3. Access the dashboard:

   • Open browser to https://[raspberry-pi-ip]:5001
   • Create user account or login
   • View real-time sensor data and graphs

4. Power on ESP8266 sensors:

   • Sensors will automatically connect and start transmitting data
   • Data updates every 10 seconds

📊 System Architecture

[ESP8266 + DHT11] --WiFi--> [MQTT Broker] ---> [Python MQTT Client]
                                                       |
[Web Dashboard] <--HTTP/HTTPS-- [Flask App] <-- [MariaDB Database]

🎯 Challenges & Learning Outcomes

Technical Challenges Solved:

• Implemented secure MQTT communication with TLS certificates
• Handled real-time data synchronization between system components
• Designed UI with live chart updates without page refresh
• Managed network configuration for cross-device communication

Key Learning:

• IoT system architecture and communication protocols
• Full-stack web development with real-time features
• Database design for time-series sensor data
• Network security implementation in IoT environments
• Embedded programming and sensor integration

🤝 Project Context

This project was developed as part of an international university collaboration, demonstrating cross-cultural teamwork and technical knowledge sharing in IoT system development.

📝 License

This project is available under the MIT License. See LICENSE file for details.

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