Soil moisture sensor
PRESENTED BY,
Prakruthi B S
Raghavendra P
Soil moisture sensor
• A soil moisture sensor is a device that monitors the moisture content
of soil in real time. It indirectly reflects the moisture condition of the
soil by measuring parameters such as electrical resistance,
capacitance or electromagnetic waves in the soil. These sensors are
usually installed in different locations in the farmland and transmit
data to the data center through wired or wireless means to provide
real-time and accurate soil moisture information for agricultural
production.
Types
1. Resistive soil moisture sensor
2. Capacitive soil moisture sensor
3. Frequency Domain Reflective Soil Moisture Sensor
4. Time Domain Reflective Soil Moisture Sensor
5. Tensiometers
Resistive soil moisture sensor:
• Principle: Humidity is inferred by measuring soil
resistance, which is negatively correlated with soil
moisture content. When soil moisture increases, the
electrical conductivity of the soil increases and the
resistance value decreases; conversely, the resistance
value increases.
• Advantages: simple structure, low cost.
• Disadvantages: affected by soil salinity, relatively low
accuracy.
Working procedure
1. Choose a suitable location:
Select a spot in the soil that represents the overall moisture content you want to
measure. Avoid areas with rocks or other obstructions that might make it difficult to
insert the probes.
2. Install the sensor:
Gently insert the sensor's probes into the soil, ensuring good contact with the
surrounding soil. Avoid shaking the sensor during insertion, as this can affect the reading.
3. Connect the sensor:
Connect the sensor to a microcontroller (like an Arduino) or other device using
appropriate wiring. Common connections include ground (GND), power (VCC), and an
analog output signal (usually labeled as "Aout").
4. Power the sensor:
Provide the necessary voltage (usually 3.3V or 5V) to the sensor.
5. Read the sensor output:
The sensor will output an analog voltage that varies with the soil's
moisture content. Use the microcontroller to read this voltage using an
analog-to-digital converter (ADC).
6. Interpret the readings:
Higher voltage readings generally indicate drier soil (higher resistance),
while lower voltage readings indicate wetter soil (lower resistance).It
should be calibrated to correlate the voltage readings with specific
moisture levels (e.g., dry, moist, wet) for particular soil type.
7. Calibration:
Calibrate the sensor by comparing its readings to known moisture levels.
Capacitive soil moisture sensor:
• Principle: Using the moisture-sensitive capacitor as
the sensitive element, reflecting the change of soil
moisture by measuring the change of capacitance
value.
• Advantages: Higher accuracy, applicable to a wide
range of soil types.
• Disadvantages: relatively high cost.
Working procedure
1. Connect the Sensor:
• Power: Connect the VCC pin of the sensor to a power source, typically
3.3V or 5V, depending on your microcontroller.
• Ground: Connect the GND pin to the ground of your power supply.
• Output: Connect the AOUT (analog output) pin to an analog input pin on
your microcontroller (e.g., A0 on Arduino).
2. Calibrate the Sensor:
• Dry Reading : Insert the sensor into dry soil and record the analog output
value. This is "dry" reading.
• Wet Reading: Insert the sensor in wet soil and record the analog output
value
• Calibration Values: using these "dry" and "wet" readings to map the
sensor's output to a moisture range (e.g., 0-100% humidity)
3. Read the Sensor:
• Analog Value: Read the analog value from the AOUT pin of the sensor using
microcontroller's analogRead function.
• Mapping: Use the map function to convert the raw analog value to a
meaningful range, like a percentage of moisture.
Frequency Domain Reflective Soil Moisture
Sensor
• Principle: Utilizing the electromagnetic pulse principle,
the apparent dielectric constant of the soil is measured
based on the frequency of electromagnetic wave
propagation in the medium to obtain the relative soil
moisture content
• Advantages: high accuracy, suitable for a wide range of
soil types, moderate cost.
• Disadvantages: requires periodic calibration.
Working procedure
1. Sensor Installation:
• Choose a Location:Select a representative spot in the soil where you
want to measure moisture.
• Prepare the Soil: Ensure the soil is relatively undisturbed and free of
large rocks or debris that could interfere with the sensor.
• Insert the Sensor: Carefully insert the sensor probes into the soil at
the desired depth.
• Ensure Good Contact: Make sure the sensor is in good contact with
the surrounding soil to get accurate readings.
2. Data Acquisition and Analysis:
• Connect to a Data Logger: Connect the FDR sensor to a data logger or
other device that can record and process the sensor's output signal.
• Calibrate the Sensor: FDR sensors often require calibration to accurately
relate the sensor's output to soil moisture content.
• Readings: The data logger will record the sensor's output, typically as a
voltage or frequency signal, which can then be converted to volumetric
water content using the calibration data.
• Analyze the Data: Analyze the data over time to monitor soil moisture
levels and make informed decisions about irrigation or other water
management practices.
Time Domain Reflective Soil Moisture Sensor
• Principle: Soil moisture is determined by
measuring the propagation time of an
electromagnetic wave through the sensor probe.
Advantages: High accuracy, suitable for scientific
research and demanding agricultural
applications.
• Disadvantages: high cost and complex operation.
Working procedure
1.Preparation:
• Select a suitable location: Choose a spot that represents the area of
interest, avoiding compacted areas or areas with excessive organic
matter.
• Install the sensor: Ensure the sensor is installed vertically, preferably
using a borehole installation tool for accurate and consistent
placement.
• Ensure good soil-to-sensor contact: Push the sensor probes straight
into the soil, avoiding any air gaps.
2. Sensor Activation and Measurement:
• Power on the TDR meter: Turn on the display unit or device connected
to the sensor.
• Initiate measurement: Press the designated button or follow the on-
screen instructions to start the measurement process.
3. Data Acquisition and Analysis:
• Wait for the reading: The sensor will send an electromagnetic pulse and
analyze the reflection.
• View the results: The display will show the calculated soil moisture
content, often in volumetric water content (VWC).
Tensiometers
• Principle: Indirect assessment of moisture
by measuring the tension of the soil to
hold water. Tensiometers are suitable for
specific research or special soil conditions.
• Advantages: Can provide quantitative
measurements of soil moisture tension.
• Disadvantages: Complicated to operate
and costly.
Working procedure
1.Choose a representative location: Select an area in the field that is typical
for the soil type and crop.
Prepare the soil: Dig a small pit to the desired depth, ensuring the soil is
suitable for tensiometer installation.
Prepare the tensiometer: Fill the tensiometer with de-aired, distilled water.
2. Installation:
• Create an access hole: Use a pipe or auger to create a hole slightly
narrower than the tensiometer's diameter.
• Insert the tensiometer: Carefully slide the tensiometer into the hole,
ensuring the ceramic cup is at the desired depth and making good contact
with the soil.
• Secure the tensiometer:Pack the soil around the tensiometer to create a
good seal and prevent water from running down the sides.
• Allow for equilibration:Wait for the tensiometer to reach equilibrium
with the soil moisture.
• 3. Measurement:
• Read the gauge:Observe the vacuum gauge on the tensiometer to get a
reading of the soil water tension.
• Interpret the reading:A higher reading indicates drier soil, while a lower
reading indicates wetter soil.
• Monitor and adjust irrigation:Use the readings to schedule irrigation,
aiming to keep the soil moisture within a desirable range for the crop.
Introduction
• The advancement of the Internet of Things (IoT) has revolutionized agricultural
practices through real-time monitoring and automation. Soil moisture is a critical
parameter in agriculture, geology, and environmental sciences. Reliable and
affordable sensors are vital for widespread adoption in IoT-based smart farming
systems. Capacitive soil moisture sensors, which measure changes in soil
permittivity, offer a low-cost solution. This study focuses on experimentally
evaluating the performance of a commercial low-cost capacitive soil moisture
sensor (SKU:SEN0193) to assess its accuracy and limitations for potential IoT
applications.
Objectives
• To analyze the electrical behavior and circuit design of the SKU:SEN0193
capacitive soil moisture sensor.
• To experimentally characterize sensor performance under controlled conditions
using silica sandy soil.
• To investigate the influence of soil compaction and gravimetric water content
(GWC) on sensor output.
• To determine the reliability and repeatability of sensor measurements for
potential use in IoT-based irrigation systems.
Materials and Methods
Materials:
• Commercial capacitive soil moisture sensors (SKU:SEN0193, version 1.2).
• Silica sandy soil with 96% SiO₂.
• Distilled water.
• Graduated cylinders (1000 mL).
• TL555I timer, microcontroller (ADC), oscilloscope.
• Laboratory waveform generator for controlled tests.
Methods:
• Circuit Analysis: The internal circuit of the sensor was studied, focusing on
how it produces and processes output voltage based on soil permittivity.
• Sensor Calibration:
• Two sets of experiments were conducted:
• Constant GWC: Soil samples with 7.5% GWC were compacted to varying
volumes to assess the impact of soil density.
• Constant Volume: Soil volume was fixed while GWC was varied from
2.5% to 20%.
• Two sensors were inserted into each sample, and output voltages were
recorded.
• Statistical analysis and curve fitting were performed to analyze the data trends
and deviations.
Results
• Sensor Output Variability: Output voltage varied with both GWC and soil
compaction. Repeated measurements were precise, but results differed between
sensors, indicating sensitivity to local moisture distribution.
• Effect of Compaction: At constant GWC, increasing soil compaction (i.e., reduced
porosity) resulted in significant changes in sensor output voltage.
• Effect of GWC: At constant soil volume, a clear nonlinear relationship was found
between sensor output voltage and GWC.
• Sensor Calibration Curve: Polynomial and exponential fits showed good
correlation (correlation coefficient ~ −0.945), suggesting that the sensor can
reliably measure soil moisture when properly calibrated.
