SIP Irrigation Control

Self-Hosted

DIY Raspberry Pi irrigation controller with web UI

Active(82)

399stars

0views

Updated 28 days ago

Overview

Discover what makes SIP Irrigation Control powerful

SIP (Sustainable Irrigation Platform) is a lightweight, Python‑based controller designed to run on low‑power single‑board computers such as the Raspberry Pi. From a developer’s standpoint, SIP exposes a RESTful HTTP interface and an optional MQTT bridge that allow fine‑grained programmatic control of irrigation stations, pumps, lights and other peripheral devices. The core logic is written in Python 3, leveraging the `web.py` micro‑framework for routing and `Cheroot` as an embedded WSGI server. A separate JavaScript front‑end (jQuery, responsive CSS) serves the UI, but all business logic is available through API endpoints that return JSON payloads.

Runtime

Web Server

Database

Hardware Layer

Overview

SIP (Sustainable Irrigation Platform) is a lightweight, Python‑based controller designed to run on low‑power single‑board computers such as the Raspberry Pi. From a developer’s standpoint, SIP exposes a RESTful HTTP interface and an optional MQTT bridge that allow fine‑grained programmatic control of irrigation stations, pumps, lights and other peripheral devices. The core logic is written in Python 3, leveraging the web.py micro‑framework for routing and Cheroot as an embedded WSGI server. A separate JavaScript front‑end (jQuery, responsive CSS) serves the UI, but all business logic is available through API endpoints that return JSON payloads.

Architecture

Runtime: Python 3.8+ on Linux (Raspberry Pi OS, Debian‑based distros).
Web Server: Cheroot (WSGI) wrapped by web.py.
Database: SQLite is used for persistence of schedules, station metadata and user settings; the schema is auto‑generated on first run.
Hardware Layer: GPIO access via RPi.GPIO or the more modern gpiozero, with optional support for I²C relay hats.
Plugin System: SIP ships a plug‑in framework that loads modules from the plugins/ directory. Plugins can register new HTTP routes, MQTT topics or shell commands.
Event Bus: The blinker signal library propagates state changes (e.g., station start/stop) to both plugins and external modules.

Core Capabilities

Feature	Description
Station Scheduling	Define time‑based or rain‑delay schedules; supports multiple zones (sprinkler stations).
Real‑time Control	HTTP GET/POST endpoints (`/station/<id>/on`, `/off`) and MQTT topics for instant activation.
Plugin API	Register custom REST routes, CLI commands or hardware interfaces via a simple Python hook.
Shell Integration	Execute arbitrary shell scripts on station events, enabling integration with wireless relays or I²C devices.
Webhooks	Expose configurable callbacks that fire on state changes, useful for monitoring dashboards.
Node‑RED & Mobile	Built‑in Node‑RED node and mobile app plugin expose JSON payloads for cross‑platform automation.

Deployment & Infrastructure

Self‑Hosting: SIP runs natively on the Pi; no Docker required, but a lightweight container image is available for those preferring isolation.
Scalability: Single‑board deployment suffices for most residential setups; for larger farms, multiple SIP instances can be clustered behind a reverse proxy (NGINX) with shared SQLite or an external PostgreSQL database for high‑availability.
Resource Footprint: < 30 MB RAM usage, 5 % CPU on idle; ideal for low‑power edge deployments.
Upgrade Path: git pull from the main repository or the bundled System_Update plugin keeps the core and plugins current without downtime.

Integration & Extensibility

Plugin Ecosystem: Add-ons for OpenSprinkler boards, I²C relay hats, MQTT brokers, and custom hardware interfaces are community‑maintained.
API: All endpoints are documented in the wiki; developers can extend by writing new plugins that consume or emit JSON.
Webhooks & Events: Use blinker signals to hook into internal state changes; external services can subscribe via HTTP or MQTT.
Customization: The UI is fully templated; developers can replace the JavaScript or CSS without touching the core logic.

Developer Experience

Documentation: Comprehensive wiki covering installation, configuration, plugin development and API usage.
Community Support: Active GitHub issues thread, Discord/Telegram channels for rapid feedback.
Configuration: YAML‑style config files (config.json) allow toggling plugins, setting MQTT broker details, and customizing UI language.
Testing: Unit tests for core modules are included; developers can run pytest locally before deploying.

Use Cases

Home Garden Automation – Control multiple sprinkler zones, integrate with weather APIs via MQTT to pause watering during rain.
Hydroponics – Use SIP to manage pumps, lights and nutrient dosing with precise timing; trigger alerts on tank levels via shell scripts.
Commercial Irrigation – Deploy a cluster of SIP nodes behind an NGINX reverse proxy, share schedules across a farm, and expose metrics to Grafana.
DIY IoT Projects – Combine SIP with custom I²C relay hats to create a low‑cost multi‑device controller for hobbyist electronics.

Advantages

Open Source & Free – No licensing costs, fully modifiable source.
Hardware Flexibility – Works with standard GPIO, relay boards, I²C hats or external OpenSprinkler units.
Low Resource Footprint – Perfect for Raspberry Pi Zero or other minimal SBCs.
Extensible Architecture – Plug‑in system and event bus make it easy to add new protocols or hardware without touching the core.
Rich API Surface – REST, MQTT, and shell integration provide multiple paths for automation.

SIP delivers a robust, developer‑friendly irrigation control stack that can be tailored from simple home setups to complex commercial deployments—all while running on inexpensive, energy‑efficient hardware.