Solar WiFi Weather Station Setup

brooks

brooks

huh. is something wrong?

flux

Yes — the issue is with part availability, not your project idea.
Flux doesn’t currently have the key weather-station parts available as ready-to-place library components in this project, and the custom part projects I created from datasheet pin data aren’t immediately usable inside the current schematic session. So I can document the architecture and create candidate part projects, but I can’t yet place/wire a valid schematic with those parts.
What’s done:
  • Project brief/spec is updated.
  • Baseline architecture is defined.
  • Missing parts were identified.
  • Custom part projects were created for:
    • ESP32-C3-MINI-1-N4
    • MCP73871 LiPo charger/power-path
    • TPS63031 3.3 V buck-boost regulator
Best next options:
  1. Open and verify those new part projects, then add them to this design once available.
  2. Upload vendor KiCad/Altium/Eagle libraries for the parts and I can import them.
  3. Use different already-available Flux parts if you have preferred components.
Import vendor libraries
Use simpler placeholders
Verify custom parts
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Project Specification: Solar WiFi Weather Station
Project Overview
Status: Draft requirements / architecture planning. Schematic implementation is blocked until core active parts are available in the Flux library or custom part projects are created.
A small home weather station powered by solar energy with a rechargeable battery. The device should measure wind speed, wind direction, barometric pressure, and temperature, then report readings over WiFi.
System Architecture
Diagram



  
    
  
  
    
  

























Solar Panel
LiPo Solar Charger and Power Path
1S LiPo Battery
3.3 V Low-Iq Regulator
ESP32-C3 WiFi Module
Pressure and Temp Sensor
Anemometer Pulse Sensor
ESD and Filter
Wind Vane Direction Sensor
ESD and RC Filter
Home WiFi
Battery and Solar Voltage Monitor
Baseline Architecture Decision
Proceed with this baseline unless revised later:
  • ESP32-C3 module for WiFi MCU.
  • 1S LiPo/Li-ion battery.
  • Solar-capable 1S charger with power-path/load sharing.
  • Low-quiescent 3.3 V regulator sized for ESP32 WiFi bursts.
  • I2C pressure/temperature sensor, preferably BMP390/BMP388/BME280-class.
  • External protected connectors for wind speed and wind direction sensors.
  • Battery and solar voltage monitoring.
  • USB-C or debug header for programming.
Library Availability Blocker
Flux library searches did not find usable matches for the core active/non-generic parts needed to build a correct schematic:
  • ESP32-C3 WiFi module, e.g. ESP32-C3-MINI-1 or ESP32-C3-WROOM family.
  • Solar-capable 1S LiPo charger/power-path IC, e.g. MCP73871 or BQ24074 class.
  • Low-Iq 3.3 V regulator suitable for LiPo input and 500 mA ESP32 peak bursts.
  • I2C barometric pressure/temperature sensor, e.g. BMP390/BMP388/BME280 class.
  • USB-C 16-pin USB2 sink/device receptacle.
  • JST-PH 2-pin LiPo battery connector.
Schematic retry note, 2026-06-03: I gathered public datasheet pin data and created custom part projects for the ESP32-C3-MINI-1-N4, MCP73871 power-path charger, and TPS63031 3.3 V buck-boost regulator. However, newly created part projects are not immediately addable into this schematic from the current session, so the schematic still has no placed components. The next step is to open/verify the created part projects or import vendor CAD libraries, then add the verified parts to this design.
Created custom part projects:
A missing-part request was submitted for the main components. Next viable paths:
  1. Add/import/create these parts as Flux part projects, then build the schematic normally.
  2. Use alternate available parts if the user already has preferred Flux-compatible components.
  3. Build a temporary conceptual schematic with placeholder/custom parts, then replace with validated library parts before layout.
Power Budget Direction
Preliminary sizing target before datasheet validation:

Table

LoadModeEstimated Current
ESP32 WiFi TX burstPeak300-500 mA
ESP32 active measurementActive20-80 mA
ESP32 deep sleepSleepmodule-dependent, target tens of microamps system-level
Pressure/temp sensorActive<1 mA typical
Wind inputsPassive/pulse/ADCsmall, dominated by pull-ups/dividers
Design implication: regulator and power path should support at least 500 mA 3.3 V burst current with margin, while all always-on components must have low quiescent current for solar operation.
Open Questions Still Worth Confirming
  • Preferred reporting destination: Home Assistant, MQTT, web API, or local dashboard.
  • Desired reporting interval and cloudy-day autonomy.
  • Solar panel and battery size constraints.
  • Whether wind sensors are commercial off-the-shelf assemblies or custom mechanical assemblies.
  • USB-C programming vs. debug-header-only programming.

    Project Overview

    System Architecture

    Baseline Architecture Decision

    Library Availability Blocker

    Power Budget Direction

    Open Questions Still Worth Confirming

Documents

    Project Specification: Solar WiFi Weather Station

Assets

Assets are files uploaded to this project which can be used in various ways.

Solar WiFi Weather Station thumbnail
Solar-powered WiFi home weather station tracking wind speed, wind direction, barometric pressure, temperature, and battery-backed operation.

Properties

Properties describe core aspects of the project.

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