ESP32-C3 Mouse Trap Monitoring System

Real-time mouse trap monitoring with ESP-NOW mesh networking, MQTT, and web dashboard

Features

• 🐭 Instant Alerts: Sub-200ms trap trigger notifications via Telegram
• 🔋 Ultra-Low Power: 6-12 month battery life on single charge
• 📡 Mesh Network: ESP-NOW auto-routing extends range beyond WiFi
• 📊 Real-Time Dashboard: Live web interface with SocketIO updates
• 💾 Historical Data: SQLite database with trend analysis
• 🔌 Easy Setup: Complete deployment scripts and documentation

Hardware Requirements

Per Trap Node ($8-12 each)

• ESP32-C3 development board (Seeed XIAO ESP32-C3 or similar) - $3-5
• Victor M325 mouse trap - $0.64-1.00
• MC-38 reed switch - $0.30-0.50
• 6mm × 3mm neodymium magnet - $0.20
• 800-2500mAh LiPo battery with JST connector - $4-6
• Hot glue, wires, heat shrink tubing

Gateway (Single Unit)

• ESP32 or ESP32-C3 development board - $3-5
• USB power adapter

Server

• Raspberry Pi (any model with WiFi) - $15-50
• MicroSD card (8GB+) - $5-10

System Architecture

┌─────────────┐     ESP-NOW Mesh     ┌─────────────┐
│  Trap Node  │◄────────────────────►│  Trap Node  │
│   (ESP32)   │                      │   (ESP32)   │
└──────┬──────┘                      └──────┬──────┘
       │                                    │
       │         ESP-NOW Mesh               │
       └────────────┬───────────────────────┘
                    │
              ┌─────▼─────┐
              │  Gateway  │ WiFi
              │  (ESP32)  │◄────────┐
              └─────┬─────┘         │
                    │ MQTT          │
              ┌─────▼──────────┐    │
              │  Raspberry Pi  │◄───┘
              │  - MQTT Broker │
              │  - Database    │
              │  - Flask App   │
              │  - Telegram    │
              └────────────────┘

Quick Start

1. Clone Repository

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/esp32-trap-monitor.git
cd esp32-trap-monitor

2. Setup Raspberry Pi Server

cd raspberry-pi
chmod +x install.sh
sudo ./install.sh

Edit configuration:

nano config.yaml
# Add your Telegram bot token and chat ID

3. Flash ESP32-C3 Trap Nodes

Using PlatformIO:

cd firmware/trap-node
pio run -t upload

Using Arduino IDE:

1. Open firmware/trap-node/trap-node.ino
2. Edit config.h with your gateway MAC address
3. Select "ESP32C3 Dev Module" board
4. Upload

4. Flash ESP32 Gateway

cd firmware/gateway
pio run -t upload

5. Access Dashboard

Open browser to: http://raspberrypi.local:5000

Hardware Assembly

Trap Node Wiring

ESP32-C3 Pinout:
├─ D9 (GPIO9)  → Reed Switch (one terminal)
├─ GND         → Reed Switch (other terminal)
├─ 3V3         → Status LED (with 220Ω resistor)
└─ BAT+/BAT-   → LiPo battery JST connector

Reed Switch Installation:
1. Hot glue reed switch to trap base near striker bar pivot
2. Hot glue magnet to striker bar
3. Test trigger: LED should blink when trap snaps

Gateway Wiring

ESP32 Gateway:
├─ Connected via USB power (always on)
└─ No external components needed

Software Configuration

Raspberry Pi Setup

1. Install dependencies:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install mosquitto mosquitto-clients python3-pip
pip3 install paho-mqtt flask flask-socketio python-telegram-bot pyyaml

2. Configure Telegram Bot:

# Talk to @BotFather on Telegram
# Create new bot and get token
# Get your chat ID from @userinfobot

# Edit config.yaml
nano config.yaml

3. Start services:

sudo systemctl enable trap-monitor
sudo systemctl start trap-monitor

ESP32 Firmware Configuration

Edit firmware/trap-node/config.h:

#define NODE_ID 1  // Unique ID for each trap
#define GATEWAY_MAC {0x24, 0x0A, 0xC4, 0xXX, 0xXX, 0xXX}  // Gateway MAC address

Testing

1. Monitor MQTT Messages

mosquitto_sub -h localhost -t "trap/#" -v

2. Test Database

sqlite3 /var/lib/trap-monitor/trap_events.db
SELECT * FROM trap_events ORDER BY timestamp DESC LIMIT 10;

3. Verify Telegram

Trigger a trap and verify you receive a message within 1 second.

Battery Life Optimization

Expected battery life:

• 800mAh: 6 months
• 1500mAh: 12 months
• 2500mAh: 18+ months

Power consumption:

• Deep sleep: 44µA
• Wake + transmit: 140mA for 50ms
• Average: ~0.15mAh per day

Troubleshooting

Trap not reporting

1. Check battery voltage (should be >3.3V)
2. Verify MAC address in firmware matches gateway
3. Check reed switch alignment with magnet

No Telegram notifications

1. Verify bot token in config.yaml
2. Check chat ID is correct
3. Ensure Raspberry Pi has internet connection

Mesh network issues

1. Ensure nodes are within 30-50m of each other
2. Check for WiFi interference (change ESP-NOW channel)
3. Verify all nodes have correct gateway MAC

API Reference

MQTT Topics

trap/{node_id}/status    - Node status updates
trap/{node_id}/trigger   - Trap trigger events
trap/{node_id}/battery   - Battery voltage reports
gateway/status           - Gateway status

REST API Endpoints

GET  /api/traps          - List all traps
GET  /api/events         - Get recent events
GET  /api/stats          - Get statistics
POST /api/trap/{id}/test - Test trap notification

License

MIT License - See LICENSE file for details

Contributing

Pull requests welcome! Please open an issue first to discuss changes.

Support

• GitHub Issues: Report bugs
• Discussions: Ask questions