This Wi-Fi module is based on the popular ESP8266 chip. The module is FCC and CE certified and RoHS compliant.
Fully compatible with ESP-12E. 13 GPIO pins, 1 analog input, 4 MB flash memory.
There are many so-called 'Arduino compatible' platforms on the market. The ESP8266 – in the form of the WeMos D1 Mini Pro – is one that really stands out. This device includes WiFi Internet access and the option of a flash file system using up to 16 MB of external flash memory. Furthermore, there are ample in/output pins (though only one analogue input), PWM, I²C, and one-wire. Needless to say, you are easily able to construct many small IoT devices!
This book contains the following builds:
A colourful smart home accessory
refrigerator controller
230 V power monitor
door lock monitor
and some further spin-off devices.
All builds are documented together with relevant background information for further study. For your convenience, there is a small PCB for most of the designs; you can also use a perf board. You don’t need to be an expert but the minimum recommended essentials include basic experience with a PC, software, and hardware, including the ability to surf the Internet and assemble PCBs.
And of course: A handle was kept on development costs. All custom software for the IoT devices and PCB layouts are available for free download from at Elektor.com.
Recently, the development of a tiny chip called the ESP8266 has made it possible to interface any type of microcontroller to a Wi-Fi AP. The ESP8266 is a low-cost tiny Wi-Fi chip having fully built-in TCP/IP stack and a 32-bit microcontroller unit. This chip, produced by Shanghai based Chinese manufacturer Espressif System, is IEEE 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi compatible with on-chip program and data memory, and general purpose input-output ports. Several manufacturers have incorporated the ESP8266 chip in their hardware products (e.g. ESP-xx, NodeMCU etc) and offer these products as a means of connecting a microcontroller system such as the Android, PIC microcontroller or others to a Wi-Fi. The ESP8266 is a low-power chip and costs only a few Dollars.
ESP8266 and MicroPython – Coding Cool Stuff is an introduction to the ESP8266 chip and describes the features of this chip and shows how various firmware and programming languages such as the MicroPython can be uploaded to the chip. The main aim of the book is to teach the readers how to use the MicroPython programming language on ESP8266 based hardware, especially on the NodeMCU.
Several interesting and useful projects are given in the e-book (pdf) to show how to use the MicroPython in NodeMCU type ESP8266 hardware:
Project “What shall I wear today?”: You will be developing a weather information system using a NodeMCU development board together with a Text-to-Speech processor module.
Project “The Temperature and Humidity on the Cloud”: You will be developing a system that will get the ambient temperature and humidity using a sensor and then store this data on the cloud so that it can be accessed from anywhere.
Project “Remote Web Based Control”: You will be developing a system that will remotely control two LEDs connected to a NodeMCU development board using an HTTP Web Server application.
The ESP8266 from Espressif is a Wi-Fi microchip with full TCP/IP stack and microcontroller capability. It has made waves in the maker community with its low price.
But many developers were unhappy with ESP8266's high power consumption. The ESP32, equipped with a ULP (Ultra Low Power) coprocessor, offers a remedy for this.
This e-book features a number of projects featuring ESP32 & ESP8266 as well as an interview with the CEO of Espressif Teo Swee Ann.
Articles
ESP32 for Use in Industry 4.0 Equipment
Scrolling Message Display, 512 LEDs controlled over Wi-Fi via an ESP-12F
The Connected Greenhouse IoT demonstration project using MQTT and Node-RED
VFD-tube Clock with ESP32 with an accurate Internet-derived time
ESP32 Low Power
DCF77 Emulator with ESP8266
ESP8266 on the Elektor Android I/O Board
The Reason Behind the Hugely Popular ESP8266?
Wi-Fi Desktop Thermostat
Timers for the Wi-Fi Desktop Thermostat
PlatformIO, the Universal Programming Tool
Weather Display, Visualize current weather data on an LC display
GoNotify, a Flexible IoT Sensor Interface
ESP32 for Power Users
USB Programming Adaptor for ESP8266
Getting started with ESP32 and the Arduino IDE
MicroPython, Python for small systems
RGBDigit Clock
WLAN for Microcontrollers
Return of the Wi-Fi Controller Board
Compact and Self-contained WLAN
Book: Mastering the Arduino Uno R4
Based on the low-cost 8-bit ATmega328P processor, the Arduino Uno R3 board is likely to score as the most popular Arduino family member, and this workhorse has been with us for many years. Eleven years later, the long-overdue successor, the Arduino Uno R4, was released. It is built around a 48 MHz, 32-bit Arm Cortex-M4 microcontroller and provides significantly expanded SRAM and Flash memory. Additionally, a higher-precision ADC and a new DAC are added to the design. The Uno R4 board also supports the CAN Bus with an interface.
Two versions of the board are available: Uno R4 Minima, and Uno R4 WiFi. This book is about using these new boards to develop many different and interesting projects with just a handful of parts and external modules. All projects described in the book have been fully tested on the Uno R4 Minima or the Uno R4 WiFi board, as appropriate.
The project topics include the reading, control, and driving of many components and modules in the kit as well as on the relevant Uno R4 board, including
LEDs
7-segment displays (using timer interrupts)
LCDs
Sensors
RFID Reader
4x4 Keypad
Real-time clock (RTC)
Joystick
8×8 LED matrix
Motors
DAC (Digital-to-analog converter)
LED matrix
WiFi connectivity
Serial UART
CAN bus
Infrared controller and receiver
Simulators
… all in creative and educational ways with the project operation and associated software explained in great detail.
Arduino Uno R4 WiFi
The Arduino Uno R4 is powered by the Renesas RA4M1 32-bit ARM Cortex-M4 processor, providing a significant boost in processing power, memory, and functionality. The WiFi version comes with an ESP32-S3 WiFi module in addition to the RA4M1, expanding creative opportunities for makers and engineers.
The Arduino Uno R4 runs at 48 MHz, which provides a 3x increase over the popular Uno R3. Additionally, SRAM has been upgraded from 2 kB to 32 kB, and flash memory from 32 kB to 256 kB to support more complex projects. Responding to community feedback, the USB port is now USB-C, and the maximum power supply voltage has been raised to 24 V with an enhanced thermal design. The board includes a CAN bus and an SPI port, enabling users to reduce wiring and perform parallel tasks by connecting multiple shields. A 12-bit analog DAC is also provided on the board.
Specifications
Microcontroller
Renesas RA4M1 (ARM Cortex-M4)
USB
USB-C
Programming Port
Pins
Digital I/O Pins
14
Pins
Analog input pins
6
DAC
1
RTC
1
PWM pins
6
Communication
UART
1x
I²C
1x
SPI
1x
Qwiic I²C connector
1x
CAN
1x CAN Bus
Power
Circuit operating voltage
5 V
Input voltage (VIN)
6-24 V
DC Current per I/O Pin
8 mA
Clock speed
Main core
48 MHz
Memory
RA4M1
256 kB Flash, 32 kB RAM
LED Matrix
12 x 8 (96 red LEDs)
Dimensions
68.9 x 53.4 mm
Downloads
Datasheet
Schematics
This bundle contains:
Book: Mastering the Arduino Uno R4 (normal price: €40)
Arduino Uno R4 WiFi (normal price: €30)
Functionality, structure and handling of a power module
For readers with first steps in power management the “Abc of Power Modules” contains the basic principles necessary for the selection and use of a power module. The book describes the technical relationships and parameters related to power modules and the basis for calculation and measurement techniques.
Contents
Basics
This chapter describes the need of a DC/DC voltage converter and its basic functionality. Furthermore, various possibilities for realizing a voltage regulator are presented and the essential advantages of a power module are mentioned.
Circuit topologies
Circuit concepts, buck and boost topologies very frequently used with power modules are explained in detail and further circuit topologies are introduced.
Technology, construction and regulation technology
The mechanical construction of a power module is presented, which has a significant influence on EMC and thermal performance. Furthermore, control methods are explained and circuit design tips are provided in this chapter.
Measuring methods
Meaningful measurement results are absolutely necessary to assess a power module. The relevant measurement points and measurement methods are described in this chapter.
Handling
The aspects of storage and handling of power modules are explained, as well as their manufacturing and soldering processes.
Selection of a power modules
Important parameters and criteria for the optimal selection of a power module are presented in this section.
This Crowtail series 4G module is a high-performance LTE Cat1 wireless module. It uses the SIM A7670E communication module from Simcom and communicates through a UART interface, which enables 4G data transmission and voice communication. The module supports multiple LTE bands, including B1/B3/B5/B7/B8/B20, as well as WCDMA and GSM networks. In addition, it supports various protocols such as TCP/IP, FTP, HTTP, and multiple satellite navigation systems such as GPS, GLONASS, and BDS.
The module comes with a charging interface and can be powered by a 3.7 V lithium battery or a 5 V USB-C interface. It also has a 3.5 mm headphone jack, and by connecting a headphone with a microphone, it can be used for making and receiving phone calls. Its compact size makes it easy to integrate into various IoT devices and meet various application requirements. Furthermore, its low power consumption and reliable performance are also the reasons why it is widely used in IoT, smart home, automotive, and industrial control fields.
Features
Integrate the A7670E communication module, enabling 4G data transmission and voice communication with low power consumption and high reliability
Supports multiple LTE bands, including B1/B3/B5/B7/B8/B20, as well as WCDMA and GSM networks
Supports various protocols such as TCP/IP, FTP, HTTP, and multiple satellite navigation systems such as GPS, GLONASS, and BDS
Comes with a charging interface and a headphone jack, which can be used for making and receiving phone calls by connecting a headphone with a microphone
Small but powerful, compact size makes it easy to integrate into various IoT devices.
Specifications
Main Chip: SIM A7670E
LTE-FDD: B1/B3/B5/B7/B8/B20
GSM: 900/1800 MHz
GSM/GPRS power class
EGSM900: 4 (33 dBm ±2 dB)
DCS1800: 1 (30 dBm ±2 dB)
EDGE power class:
EGSM900: E2 (27 dBm ±3 dB)
DCS1800 : E1 (26 dBm +3 dB/-4 dB)
LTE power class: 3 (23 dBm ±7 dB)
Supply Voltage: 4 V ~ 4.2 V
Power: 3.8 V
LTE(Mbps): 10 (DL)/5 (UL)
GPRS/EDGE(Kbps): 236.8 (DL)/236.8 (UL)
Protocol: TCP/IP/IPV4/IPV6/Multi-PDP/FTP/FTPS /HTTP/HTTPS/DNS
Communication interface: USB / UART
Firmware Upgrade: USB/FOTA
Support phonebook types: SM/FD/ON/AP/SDN
Interfaces: 1x Power button, 1x BAT, 1x UART, 1x USB-C, 1x SIM Card slot
Dimensions: 35 x 50 mm
Included
1x Crowtail-4G SIM-A7670E
1x 4G GSM NB-IoT Antenna
1x GPS ceramic antenna
Downloads
Wiki
A7670 AT Command Manual
A7670 Datasheet
Source Code
The perfect tool for quick repairs
The FNIRSI HS-01 is a powerful, adjustable smart soldering iron with a built-in 0.87-inch OLED display that quickly reaches temperatures between 80-420°C (180-780°F). The display shows all important information, including the status of the temperature level, the set temperature, the supply voltage and the power percentage. You can set the input voltage from 9-20 V directly in the menu according to your needs. The integrated sleep mode automatically turns off the iron after 30 minutes.
Features
96 W input (DC)
65 W PD power
OLED display
Constant temperature & fast heating
CNC metal integral molding
Smart safety anti-scald
Mini pocket size
Ergonomic design
Aluminum material
Left/right hand switch
Efficient heat radiation
Inductive sleep
Color: Black
Specifications
Power
65 W
Screen
0.87" OLED
Operating voltage
9-20 VDC
Power supply
USB-C
Temperature range
80-420°C (180-780°F)
Fast charging protocol
PD trigger
Dimensions
184 x 20 x 20 mm (7.24 x 0.79 x 0.79')
Weight
56 g
Power Selection
Operating voltage
20 V
15 V
12 V
9 V
Operating current
≥3.25 A
≥2.5 A
≥2 A
≥1.5 A
Power
65 W
37.5 W
24 W
13.5 W
Tin melting time
8s
12s
17s
30s
Included
1x FNRISI HS-01 smart soldering iron
6x Soldering iron tips (HS01-BC2, HS01-KR, HS01-K65, HS01-B2, HS01-ILS, HS01-BC3)
1x DC to USB-C power cable
1x Mini soldering iron stand
1x Manual
Required
Power adapter
USB-C cable
Downloads
Manual
Firmware V0.3.s19
Elektor GREEN and GOLD members can download their digital edition here.
Not a member yet? Click here.
Accelerating IoT Innovation
A Color E-Ink Wi-Fi Picture Frame
ESP-Launchpad TutorialFrom Zero to Flashing in Minutes
ESP32 and ChatGPTOn the Way to a Self-Programming System…
Walkie-Talkie with ESP-NOWNot Quite Wi-Fi, Not Quite Bluetooth!
From Idea to Circuit with the ESP32-S3A Guide to Prototyping with Espressif Chips
AIoT Chip InnovationAn Interview With Espressif CEO Teo Swee-Ann
Simulate ESP32 with WokwiYour Project’s Virtual Twin
Trying Out the ESP32-S3-BOX-3A Comprehensive AIoT Development Platform
Electronics Workspace EssentialsInsights and Tips From Espressif Engineers
The ESP RainMaker StoryHow We Built “Your” IoT Cloud
Assembling the Elektor Cloc 2.0 KitAn Elektor Product Unboxed by Espressif
Unleashing the ESP32-P4The Next Era of Microcontrollers
Rust + EmbeddedA Development Power Duo
Who Are the Rust-Dacious Embedded Developers?How Espressif is Cultivating Embedded Rust for the ESP32
Espressif’s Series of SoCs
Building a PLC with Espressif SolutionsWith the Capabilities and Functionality of the ISOBUS Protocol
The ESP32-S3 VGA BoardBitluni’s Exciting Journey Into Product Design
Acoustic Fingerprinting on ESP32Song Recognition With Open-Source Project Olaf
Circular Christmas Tree 2023A High-Tech Way to Celebrate the Holiday Season
A Simpler and More Convenient LifeAn Amateur Project Based on the Espressif ESP8266 Module
How to Build IoT Apps without Software ExpertiseWith Blynk IoT Platform and Espressif Hardware
Building a Smart User Interface on ESP32
Quick & Easy IoT Development with M5Stack
Prototyping an ESP32-Based Energy Meter
A Value-Added Distributor for IoT and More
In-Depth Insights: Interview With Arduino on the Nano ESP32Alessandro Ranellucci and Martino Facchin Discuss Espressif Collaboration
Your AIoT Solution ProviderInsights From Espressif
Streamlining MCU Development With ESP-IDF Privilege Separation
An Open-Source Speech Recognition Server……and the ESP BOX
The Thinking EyeFacial Recognition and More Using the ESP32-S3-EYE
ESP32-C2-Based Coin Cell SwitchDesign and Performance Evaluation
The Smart Home Leaps Forward with MatterUnlocking Smart Home IoT Potential
Tech the Future: Where Is Smart Home IoT Headed?
,
by Jean-François Simon
Fnirsi HS-01 Smart Soldering Iron (Review)
Get to know the Fnirsi HS-01, a soldering iron designed for versatility. The adjustable soldering iron features a built-in 0.87-inch OLED display that quickly reaches...