Ball Counter Project with ESP32 and Firebase

**This repo is under construction, might be almost blank if you land on it (2024-11-25).

**The README.md document has been written by ChatGPT, might contain errors

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Features
• Hardware Requirements
• Software Requirements
• Circuit Diagram
• Installation
• Configuration
• Usage
• Web Application
• Firebase Setup
• Acknowledgments
• License

Introduction

This project is a ball counting system using an ESP32 microcontroller and Firebase Realtime Database. The ESP32 counts the number of balls detected by a sensor and sends the data to Firebase. A web application retrieves this data in real-time and displays it to the user. Everytime a ball is detected, a signal is sent to a linear actuator to open a door for a certain period of time and the door is than closed. The system also includes controls to open and close a door using buttons connected to the ESP32.

Features

• Real-time Ball Counting : Counts balls passing through a sensor and updates the count in real-time.

• Firebase Integration : Sends data to Firebase Realtime Database for storage and retrieval.

• Web Application : Displays the ball count and system status on a web page.

• Door Control : Allows manual opening and closing of a door via connected buttons.

• ESP32-Based : Utilizes the powerful ESP32 microcontroller with Wi-Fi capabilities.

Hardware Requirements

• ESP32 Development Board

• Ball Detection Sensor (e.g., IR sensor, photodiode) connected to GPIO pin 13

• Open Door Button connected to GPIO pin 27

• Close Door Button connected to GPIO pin 14

• Door Control Outputs :

  • Open Signal: GPIO pin 25

  • Close Signal: GPIO pin 26

• LED Indicator (optional) connected to GPIO pin 33

• Power Supply for the ESP32

• Breadboard and Jumper Wires for connections

Software Requirements

• Visual Studio Code with PlatformIO extension

• Firebase ESP32 Client Library by Mobizt

• Firebase Account with Realtime Database enabled

• Web Hosting Service (optional, Firebase Hosting can be used)

• Web Browser for accessing the web application

Circuit Diagram

(Insert circuit diagram image here if available)

Installation

1. Set Up Hardware

• Connect the ball detection sensor to GPIO pin 13.

• Connect the open door button to GPIO pin 27.

• Connect the close door button to GPIO pin 14.

• Connect the door control outputs to GPIO pins 25 (open signal) and 26 (close signal).

• Connect the LED indicator to GPIO pin 33 (optional).

• Power the ESP32 using a suitable power source.

2. Install Visual Studio Code and PlatformIO

• Download and install Visual Studio Code .

• Install the PlatformIO IDE extension for VSCode.

3. Install Required Libraries

• Open VSCode and start PlatformIO.

• Open the project or create a new one for the ESP32.

• Install the Firebase ESP32 Client library:

  • Open the PlatformIO Library Manager .

  • Search for "Firebase ESP32 Client" by Mobizt .

  • Click Add to Project and select your project.

Configuration

1. Configure Wi-Fi Credentials

In the main .cpp file of your PlatformIO project, update the following lines with your Wi-Fi network's SSID and password:

const char* ssid = "YOUR_WIFI_SSID";
const char* password = "YOUR_WIFI_PASSWORD";

2. Configure Firebase Credentials

Set your Firebase project credentials in the code:

#define FIREBASE_HOST "YOUR_FIREBASE_PROJECT_ID.firebaseio.com"
#define FIREBASE_API_KEY "YOUR_FIREBASE_API_KEY"

• Replace YOUR_FIREBASE_PROJECT_ID with your actual Firebase project ID.

• Replace YOUR_FIREBASE_API_KEY with your Firebase Web API Key found in the project settings.

3. Update Database Rules (For Testing)

For testing purposes, you may set your Firebase Realtime Database rules to allow public read and write access:

{
  "rules": {
    ".read": true,
    ".write": true
  }
}

Note : This setting is not secure. Ensure you update the rules to secure your database in a production environment.

Usage

1. Build and Upload the Firmware

• Connect your ESP32 to the computer via USB.

• In VSCode, select the correct serial port for your ESP32.

• Build and upload the project using PlatformIO's controls (e.g., click on PlatformIO: Upload ).

2. Run the System

• Power on the ESP32 if not already powered via USB.

• The ESP32 will connect to the configured Wi-Fi network and initialize Firebase.

• When a ball is detected by the sensor, the counter increments, and data is sent to Firebase.

• Use the open and close door buttons to control the door mechanism.

3. Monitor via Web Application

• Access the web application through your hosting service or Firebase Hosting URL.

• The web app will display the current ball count and system status in real-time.

Web Application

Features

• Displays the number of balls counted.

• Shows the last reset time and build date (if provided).

• Automatically refreshes data every few seconds.

Setup

1. Configure Firebase in Web App In your index.html file, update the Firebase configuration:

const firebaseConfig = {
  apiKey: "YOUR_FIREBASE_API_KEY",
  authDomain: "YOUR_FIREBASE_PROJECT_ID.firebaseapp.com",
  databaseURL: "https://YOUR_FIREBASE_PROJECT_ID.firebaseio.com",
  projectId: "YOUR_FIREBASE_PROJECT_ID",
  storageBucket: "YOUR_FIREBASE_PROJECT_ID.appspot.com",
  messagingSenderId: "YOUR_SENDER_ID",
  appId: "YOUR_APP_ID"
};

2. Deploy the Web App

• Use Firebase Hosting or another web hosting service to deploy your web application.

• Follow Firebase Hosting setup instructions here .

Firebase Setup

1. Create a Firebase Project

• Go to Firebase Console and create a new project.

2. Enable Realtime Database

• In your Firebase project, navigate to Database > Realtime Database .

• Click on Create Database and select your preferred location.

• Choose the appropriate security rules.

3. Obtain Firebase Configuration

• In the Firebase Console, go to Project Settings .

• Under Your Apps , select Web App and register an app if you haven't already.

• Copy the Firebase configuration object to use in your web app and ESP32 code.

Acknowledgments

• Firebase ESP32 Client Library by Mobizt

• Firebase for providing the Realtime Database and hosting services

• PlatformIO and Visual Studio Code for their development tools

• Arduino Community for extensive resources and support

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

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Disclaimer : Ensure you secure your Firebase Realtime Database by updating the security rules before deploying this project in a production environment. Replace all placeholder values with your actual configuration details.

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