Project Development Guide
From concept to production: A complete project workflow
Planning & Requirements
Define Project Scope
π Requirements Gathering
- What problem are we solving?
- Who is the target user?
- What are the must-have features?
- What are the constraints (budget, time, technology)?
- What are the success metrics?
Document Requirements
# Project: Smart Home Temperature Monitor
## Functional Requirements
- FR1: Measure temperature and humidity every 30 seconds
- FR2: Display data on LCD screen
- FR3: Send data to cloud dashboard via WiFi
- FR4: Alert when temperature exceeds threshold
- FR5: Battery life of 48+ hours
## Non-Functional Requirements
- NFR1: Response time < 1 second
- NFR2: WiFi reconnection within 30 seconds
- NFR3: Cost per unit < $25
- NFR4: Operating temperature: -10Β°C to 50Β°C
## Constraints
- Development time: 8 weeks
- Budget: $500 for prototypes
- Platform: ESP32-basedCreate Project Roadmap
Week 1-2: Planning & Design
Requirements, architecture, component selection
Week 3-4: Prototype Development
Breadboard testing, initial firmware
Week 5-6: PCB Design & Software
Custom PCB, web dashboard, integration
Week 7-8: Testing & Deployment
Validation, bug fixes, documentation
Design Phase
System Architecture
Define high-level system structure.
βββββββββββββββ
β Sensors β (DHT22, BMP280)
ββββββββ¬βββββββ
β I2C/GPIO
ββββββββΌβββββββ
β ESP32 β (Main Controller)
β + WiFi β
ββββββββ¬βββββββ
β MQTT/HTTP
ββββββββΌβββββββ
β Cloud β (AWS IoT / Firebase)
β Database β
ββββββββ¬βββββββ
β API
ββββββββΌβββββββ
β Web Dashboardβ (React)
βββββββββββββββComponent Selection
| Component | Part Number | Purpose | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microcontroller | ESP32-WROOM-32 | Main processor + WiFi | $4 |
| Temperature Sensor | DHT22 | Temp & humidity | $5 |
| Display | SSD1306 OLED | Local display | $3 |
| Power | LiPo 3.7V 2000mAh | Battery power | $8 |
Software Architecture
src/
βββ main.c # Entry point
βββ sensors/
β βββ dht22.c # Temperature sensor
β βββ sensor_task.c # RTOS task
βββ network/
β βββ wifi.c # WiFi connection
β βββ mqtt.c # MQTT client
βββ display/
β βββ oled.c # Display driver
βββ utils/
βββ logging.c # Debug logging
βββ config.c # ConfigurationImplementation
Development Process
Start with Breadboard
Test individual components and communication protocols
Develop Core Functionality
Implement basic features with modular code
Integrate Components
Connect modules and test end-to-end flow
Optimize Performance
Profile, optimize power consumption and speed
Version Control Strategy
# Daily workflow
git pull origin main # Get latest changes
git checkout -b feature/my-work # Create feature branch
# ... make changes ...
git add .
git commit -m "feat: Add feature"
git push -u origin feature/my-work
# Create PR for reviewTesting & Validation
Testing Levels
π¬ Unit Testing
Test individual functions and modules in isolation
- Use Unity or Google Test
- Mock hardware interfaces
- Test edge cases
π Integration Testing
Test component interactions
- I2C communication
- WiFi connectivity
- Data flow end-to-end
π― System Testing
Test complete system behavior
- Long-term reliability (24hrs+)
- Power consumption
- Edge cases and errors
Test Documentation
# Test Report - Temperature Monitor v1.0
## Test Date: 2025-11-06
## Tester: Inderpreet Singh
### Test Cases
| ID | Test Case | Expected | Result | Status |
|----|-----------|----------|--------|--------|
| TC-01 | Power on | Boot in <5s | 3.2s | β
Pass |
| TC-02 | Sensor read | Accurate Β±0.5Β°C | Β±0.3Β°C | β
Pass |
| TC-03 | WiFi connect | Connect in <30s | 12s | β
Pass |
| TC-04 | Battery life | 48+ hours | 52 hours | β
Pass |
| TC-05 | Error handling | Graceful recovery | Recovered | β
Pass |
### Issues Found
1. LCD brightness too high in dark room (Minor)
2. WiFi disconnect after 12 hours (Fixed in v1.1)
### Conclusion
System meets all requirements. Ready for production.Deployment
Release Checklist
Versioning
Use Semantic Versioning (SemVer): MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH
- MAJOR (1) - Breaking changes
- MINOR (2) - New features (backward compatible)
- PATCH (3) - Bug fixes
Maintenance & Support
Issue Tracking
Use GitHub Issues for bug tracking and feature requests.
**Bug Description**
WiFi fails to reconnect after network interruption
**Steps to Reproduce**
1. Power on device
2. Disconnect router for 5 minutes
3. Reconnect router
4. Device does not reconnect
**Expected Behavior**
Device should auto-reconnect within 30 seconds
**Actual Behavior**
Device stays disconnected indefinitely
**Environment**
- Firmware: v1.2.0
- Hardware: ESP32-WROOM-32
- Router: TP-Link AC1750
**Logs**
```
[ERROR] WiFi connection failed: timeout
[INFO] Retrying connection... (attempt 1/3)
```
**Priority:** High
**Labels:** bug, networkingDocumentation
π User Manual
- Installation guide
- Quick start tutorial
- Feature overview
- Troubleshooting
π§ Technical Docs
- Architecture overview
- API reference
- Hardware schematics
- Pinout diagrams
π» Developer Docs
- Build instructions
- Code structure
- Contributing guide
- Testing procedures
π― Quick Reference: Project Lifecycle
Brainstorm, research, validate idea
Requirements, timeline, budget
Architecture, schematics, mockups
Build, test, iterate
Deploy, document, support
- Start small - MVP first, features later
- Document as you go - don't leave it for the end
- Test early and often - catch bugs before they multiply
- Get feedback - show prototypes to users early
- Version everything - code, hardware, documentation