The Project
The Elixir Nerves Weather Station is a comprehensive IoT solution that demonstrates the power of Elixir for embedded systems development. This multi-application “poncho” project combines hardware sensor data collection with real-time web visualization, showcasing how Elixir can bridge the gap between IoT devices and modern web applications.
Architecture Components
SensorHub (Nerves IoT Application)
- Embedded Data Collection: Runs on Raspberry Pi and BeagleBone Black devices
- Multi-Sensor Support: Integrates BMP280, SGP40, and VCNL4040 sensors
- Environmental Monitoring: Tracks temperature, humidity, pressure, and air quality
- Fault-Tolerant Operation: Leverages Erlang/OTP supervision trees for reliability
WeatherTracker (Phoenix Web Dashboard)
- Real-Time Visualization: LiveView-powered dashboard for sensor data
- Responsive Interface: Modern Tailwind CSS design for all devices
- Data Persistence: PostgreSQL database for historical data storage
- API Endpoints: RESTful APIs for data access and integration
Publisher (Data Publishing Library)
- HTTP Communication: Handles data transmission between devices and server
- JSON Serialization: Efficient data formatting and transmission
- Modular Design: Reusable library for IoT data publishing
Technologies Used
- Elixir 1.15+: Functional programming for concurrent, fault-tolerant systems
- Nerves: Embedded software framework for IoT devices
- Phoenix Framework: Modern web framework with LiveView capabilities
- Erlang/OTP 26+: Battle-tested virtual machine for distributed systems
- PostgreSQL: Reliable database for sensor data storage
- Docker: Containerized deployment for easy setup
- Tailwind CSS: Utility-first styling for responsive interfaces
Key Features
- Multi-Platform Support: Runs on various embedded hardware targets
- Real-Time Updates: Live data streaming from sensors to web dashboard
- Scalable Architecture: Poncho project structure for modular development
- Production Ready: Docker deployment with proper monitoring
- Educational Value: Based on “Build a Weather Station with Elixir and Nerves”
Hardware Integration
Supports multiple embedded platforms including:
- Raspberry Pi: Popular single-board computer for IoT projects
- BeagleBone Black: Industrial-grade embedded platform
- Custom Targets: Extensible to other Nerves-supported devices
Use Cases
Perfect for developers interested in:
- IoT Development: Learning embedded systems with Elixir
- Real-Time Applications: Building responsive sensor monitoring systems
- Edge Computing: Processing data locally on embedded devices
- Environmental Monitoring: Weather stations, air quality tracking, smart agriculture
This project demonstrates how Elixir’s unique strengths in concurrency and fault tolerance make it an excellent choice for IoT applications that require both reliability and real-time capabilities.