Introduction

This document details the design and development of a smart stovetop monitoring accessory. The device mounts above stove dials and includes adjustable IR temperature sensors for each burner, an LED display for readout, and a piezoelectric buzzer that plays a jingle when water reaches a boil. It is designed to improve safety, precision, and awareness during stovetop cooking. The system is powered-on by detecting when the oven or burners are in use.

Table of Contents

URS
Physics
Free Body Diagram
Design
BOM
Electronics
Code
Modeling
Fabrication
Guides
Notes
Contact

URS

User Requirement Specifications

Constraints	Approach	Achieved
Size	Compact ledge mount above stove knobs
Depth	Less than 4 inches
Height	Less than 3 inches
Width	Varies by stove, typically 30 inches
Weight	Less than 1 lb
Cost	Under $60 BOM target
Power	Low-power; USB or oven cord-inductive wake-up
Decibels	< 65 dB (for jingle buzzer)
Geometry	Sensor arms on rotating cylinders; LED strip angled for visibility
Case	Heat-resistant, ABS or PLA w/ silicone mounts
Assemble	Snap-fit or screw-together enclosure with wiring pass-through
Temperature Range	-20°C to 350°C (IR sensor range)
Gas & Electric Ovens	Wake via current spike (electric) or heat/mic (gas)

Physics

Physics

• Stefan–Boltzmann Law for IR radiation
  P = εσAT⁴
• ΔT over time for boiling detection
• Heat transfer modeling from pan surface
• IR emissivity correction for shiny metals

Posted to: r/engineering, r/DIY, r/AskElectronics

FBD

Free Body Diagram

• Overhead ledge with force vectors showing mounting tension
• Rotating IR sensor arm with moment forces
• Display load with simple stick figure interaction

Sketch posted to Instagram & Pinterest. Animation made using Sketchbook on iOS.

Design

Design

• Ledge housing
• Cylindrical sensor mounts with dial knobs
• LED display bezel
• IR sensors on pivoting mounts
• Piezo speaker port
• Optional USB-C power input

Rough napkin drawing shared in Notability and uploaded to GitHub project page.

BOM

Bill of Materials || BOM

Quantity Needed	Item Description	Ordering Short Link	MOQ	Cost	Item Cost	Total Cost	Notes
4	MLX90614 IR Temp Sensor	www.sparkfun.com/mlx90614	1	$10	$10	$40	1 per burner
1	ESP32-S3 microcontroller	www.digikey.com/esp32s3	1	$7	$7	$7	Wi-Fi + Bluetooth
1	1ft LED Matrix Strip	www.adafruit.com/ledstrip	1	$5	$5	$5	Display across ledge
1	Piezo buzzer	www.adafruit.com/piezo	1	$2	$2	$2	Plays alert jingle
1	Inductive current sensor	www.amazon.com/ac-sensor	1	$3	$3	$3	Wake on power
1	USB-C Power Module	www.amazon.com/usbconverter	1	$2	$2	$2	Optional direct power

Electronics

Electronics

Schematics

Napkin schematic includes:

• ESP32-S3 core
• Four IR sensor inputs
• LED matrix output
• Buzzer GPIO
• Optional analog input from current ring

Wokwi

Simulate sensor polling and jingle trigger: wokwi.com/projects/stovemonitor

Notes

• Consider analog multiplexer if GPIOs limited
• Add ESD protection around sensors

Code

Coding

Sequence Diagram

User Turns Burner → Current Spike → MCU Wake →
Poll IR Sensors → Display Temps →
Detect Boiling → Play Jingle

Repo

GitHub: github.com/jamesparsons/ovenIRmonitor

Notes

• Add feature toggle for gas/electric oven modes
• Logging feature for beta testers

Modeling

Modeling

Parametric Model

• Ledge housing
• Sensor arm with dialable rotation
• Snap-fit PCB tray

Revisioning

• V1: Simple ledge with rear mounting holes
• V2: Magnetic brackets for tool-less install

Notes

• Keep wall thickness under 2.5mm for quick print
• Vent IR sensors for heat dissipation

Fabrication

Fabrication

• [ ] 1. Print ledge and sensor holders
• [ ] 2. Assemble sensors + mount
• [ ] 3. Solder PCB + test firmware
• [ ] 4. Install buzzer and LED matrix
• [ ] 5. Mount above oven knobs
• [ ] 6. Tune IR offsets and run field tests

Revisioning

• Add detachable sensor heads for cleaning
• Explore mirrored or dual-LED matrix

Notes

• Heat shielding required for safety

Guides

Guides

Assembly Guide

Google Doc: bit.ly/ovenIRguide

Operating Guide

• IR readout auto-starts when oven is detected
• Rotate sensor to target correct burner
• Boiling jingle triggers on rapid temp plateau

Notes

• Add demo video to YouTube

Notes

Notes

• Consider using ESP-NOW to daisy-chain sensors
• Research alternative emissivity correction methods
• Add override button to manually turn off jingle
• Share beta design with /r/DIY and /r/AskElectronics

Contact

Contacts

Name	Phone	Email	Notes
James Parsons	31O-999-9O4O	jamesparsons AT gmail DOT com	Project Lead