Automation System

Automate your cannabis grow operations with intelligent rule-based automation supporting condition-based triggers, time-based schedules, and phase-based automation.

Overview

The automation engine provides comprehensive control over all aspects of your grow operation, from environmental control to scheduled tasks. Automation rules can trigger actions based on environmental conditions, time schedules, or plant phase transitions.

Automation Rule Types

Condition-Based Rules

Trigger actions when environmental parameters meet specific conditions.

Time-Based Rules

Schedule actions using cron expressions with timezone support.

Phase-Based Automation

Automatically adjust settings when plants transition between growth phases.

• Phase detection and transition monitoring
• Phase-specific environmental targets
• Automatic light schedule adjustment
• Phase-specific watering and feeding schedules

Automation Actions

Automation rules can trigger various actions to control your grow environment.

Device Control Actions

Comprehensive device control with MQTT-based commands for all automation actions.

Notification Actions

• Email notifications
• In-app alerts
• WebSocket real-time notifications
• Severity levels (info, warning, error, critical)

Rule Management

Priority System

Rules are executed based on priority levels:

• High Priority: Critical safety and environmental rules
• Medium Priority: Standard automation rules
• Low Priority: Convenience and optimization rules

Higher priority rules execute first when multiple rules trigger simultaneously.

Cooldown Periods

Prevent action spam with configurable cooldown periods:

• Time-based cooldown (e.g., 5 minutes, 1 hour)
• Per-rule configuration
• Prevents rapid on/off cycling
• Reduces device wear and power consumption

Rule Status

• Active: Rule is enabled and monitoring conditions
• Inactive: Rule is disabled
• Triggered: Rule has triggered and is in cooldown

Automation Examples

Real-world automation examples for common grow scenarios.

Example 1: Temperature-Based Fan Control

Rule Name: "High Temperature Exhaust"
Condition: Temperature > 80°F
Action: Turn on exhaust fan at 75% speed
Priority: High
Cooldown: 5 minutes
Target: Grow-level (all plants in grow)
Description: Automatically activate exhaust fan when temperature exceeds 80°F to prevent heat stress

Example 2: Vegetative Light Schedule

Rule Name: "Vegetative 18/6 Light Cycle"
Schedule: 0 6 * * * (6:00 AM daily) - Turn on
Schedule: 0 0 * * * (12:00 AM daily) - Turn off
Action: Turn on grow lights at 100% brightness
Priority: Medium
Phase: Vegetative only
Description: Maintain 18/6 light cycle during vegetative phase

Example 3: Flowering Light Schedule

Rule Name: "Flowering 12/12 Light Cycle"
Schedule: 0 6 * * * (6:00 AM) - Turn on
Schedule: 0 18 * * * (6:00 PM) - Turn off
Action: Turn on grow lights at 100% brightness
Priority: Medium
Phase: Flowering only
Description: Maintain 12/12 light cycle during flowering phase

Example 4: Soil Moisture Watering

Rule Name: "Low Soil Moisture Watering"
Condition: Soil Moisture < 30%
Action: Activate water pump for 2 minutes at 50% speed
Priority: Medium
Cooldown: 1 hour
Target: Plant-specific
Description: Automatic watering when soil moisture drops below 30%

Example 5: pH Adjustment

Rule Name: "pH Auto-Adjustment"
Condition: pH < 6.0 OR pH > 7.0
Action: Activate pH dosing pump (up if < 6.0, down if > 7.0)
Priority: High
Cooldown: 30 minutes
Target: Grow-level
Description: Maintain pH within optimal range (6.0-7.0) automatically

Example 6: High Humidity Control

Rule Name: "High Humidity Dehumidifier"
Condition: Humidity > 65%
Action: Turn on dehumidifier
Priority: High
Cooldown: 10 minutes
Target: Grow-level
Description: Prevent mold and bud rot by reducing humidity above 65%

Example 7: Low CO₂ Injection

Rule Name: "CO₂ Supplementation"
Condition: CO₂ < 1000 ppm AND lights are on
Action: Activate CO₂ injection system
Priority: Medium
Cooldown: 15 minutes
Target: Grow-level
Description: Boost CO₂ levels during light hours for enhanced growth

Example 8: Phase Transition Automation

Rule Name: "Auto Phase Transition - Flowering"
Trigger: Plant phase changes to "Flowering"
Actions:
  1. Adjust light schedule to 12/12
  2. Update temperature target to 65-80°F
  3. Update humidity target to 40-50% RH
  4. Send notification to user
Priority: High
Target: Plant-specific
Description: Automatically adjust all settings when plant enters flowering phase

Example 9: Scheduled Nutrient Feeding

Rule Name: "Weekly Nutrient Feed"
Schedule: 0 8 * * 1 (Every Monday at 8:00 AM)
Action: Activate nutrient dosing pump for 5 minutes
Priority: Medium
Cooldown: 7 days
Target: Grow-level
Description: Weekly automated nutrient feeding schedule

Example 10: Emergency Temperature Shutdown

Rule Name: "Emergency High Temperature"
Condition: Temperature > 95°F
Action: 
  1. Turn off all lights
  2. Turn on all fans at 100%
  3. Send critical alert
Priority: Critical
Cooldown: None
Target: Grow-level
Description: Emergency response to prevent plant damage from extreme heat

Scheduled Tasks

The scheduler service manages time-based automation with cron job support.

• Loads rules on startup and every 5 minutes
• Validates cron expressions before scheduling
• Tracks execution history (last 100 executions per task)
• Timezone-aware scheduling
• Integration with automation service for action execution

Common Schedules

• Light Cycles: 18/6 (vegetative), 12/12 (flowering), 24/0 (seedling)
• Watering: Daily at specific times, or based on soil moisture
• Feeding: Weekly nutrient schedules
• Monitoring: Periodic sensor readings and health checks

Setting Up Automation

1. Create a Grow: Set up your grow operation in the system
2. Register Devices: Register and configure your IoT devices
3. Define Rules: Create automation rules with conditions and actions
4. Set Priorities: Assign priority levels to rules
5. Configure Cooldowns: Set appropriate cooldown periods
6. Test Rules: Test automation rules in a controlled environment
7. Monitor Execution: Monitor rule execution and adjust as needed

Best Practices

• Start Simple: Begin with basic rules and gradually add complexity
• Use Cooldowns: Always set cooldown periods to prevent device cycling
• Priority Management: Assign high priority to safety-critical rules
• Monitor Performance: Regularly review rule execution and adjust thresholds
• Test Changes: Test automation changes before deploying to production
• Document Rules: Keep notes on rule purposes and expected behavior
• Backup Configuration: Export and backup automation rules regularly