The unPhone is an open-source IoT development platform powered by the ESP32S3 microcontroller. It features integrated LoRa, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth connectivity, a touchscreen, and a LiPo battery, offering a robust and versatile solution for IoT development. Its compatibility with Adafruit's FeatherWing standard enables easy expansion, making it an ideal choice for educators, makers, and developers seeking a flexible and user-friendly platform.
Features
ESP32S3 microcontroller (with 8 MB flash and 8 MB PSRAM)
LoRaWAN licence-free radio communication (plus the ESP32's excellent wifi and bluetooth support)
3.5" (320 x 480) LCD capacitive touchscreen for easy debugging and UI creation
IR LEDs for surreptitiously switching the cafe TV off
1200 mAh LiPo battery with USB-C charging
Vibration motor for notifications
Compass/Accelorometer
A robust case
SD card slot
Power and reset buttons
Programmable in C++ or CircuitPython
Expander board that supports two Featherwing sockets and a prototyping area
Open source firmware compatible with the Arduino IDE, PlatformIO and Espressif's IDF development framework
Included
unPhone (assembled)
Expander board
FPC cable (to link the expander board to unPhone)
Self adhesive mounts for the expander board
Code Examples
C++ library
Kick the tyres on everything in the box
The main LVGL demo
CircuitPython
Support forum
Textbook (especially chapter 11)
The MKR IoT Carrier comes equipped with 5 RGB LEDs, 5 capacitive touch buttons, a colored display, IMU and a variety of quality sensors. It also features a battery holder for a 18650 Li-Ion battery, SD card holder and Grove connectors.
Data Capture: Map the environment around the carrier using the integrated temperature, humidity, and pressure sensors and collect data about movement using the 6 axis IMU and light, gesture, and proximity sensors. Easily add more external sensors to capture more data from more sources via the on-board Grove connectors (x3).
Data Storage: Capture and store all the data locally on an SD card, or connect to the Arduino IoT Cloud for real-time data capture, storage, and visualization.
Data Visualisation: Locally view real-time sensor readings on the built-in OLED Color Display and create visual or sound prompts using the embedded LEDs and buzzer.
Total Control: Directly control small-voltage electronic appliances using the onboard relays and the five tactile buttons, with the integrated display providing a handy on-device interface for immediate control.
The AVR-IoT WA development board combines a powerful ATmega4808 AVR MCU, an ATECC608A CryptoAuthentication secure element IC and the fully certified ATWINC1510 Wi-Fi network controller – which provides the most simple and effective way to connect your embedded application to Amazon Web Services (AWS). The board also includes an on-board debugger, and requires no external hardware to program and debug the MCU.
Out of the box, the MCU comes preloaded with a firmware image that enables you to quickly connect and send data to the AWS platform using the on-board temperature and light sensors. Once you are ready to build your own custom design, you can easily generate code using the free software libraries in Atmel START or MPLAB Code Configurator (MCC).
The AVR-IoT WA board is supported by two award-winning Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) – Atmel Studio and Microchip MPLAB X IDE – giving you the freedom to innovate with your environment of choice.
Features
ATmega4808 microcontroller
Four user LED’s
Two mechanical buttons
mikroBUS header footprint
TEMT6000 Light sensor
MCP9808 Temperature sensor
ATECC608A CryptoAuthentication™ device
WINC1510 WiFi Module
On-board Debugger
Auto-ID for board identification in Atmel Studio and Microchip MPLAB X
One green board power and status LED
Programming and debugging
Virtual COM port (CDC)
Two DGI GPIO lines
USB and battery powered
Integrated Li-Ion/LiPo battery charger
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.
Affordable solutions with the ESP8266 and 3D printing
If you are looking for a small yet powerful IoT device, you are likely to come across the ESP8266 and compatible products on the market today. One of these, the Wemos/Lolin D1 Mini Pro board strikes a remarkable balance between cost and performance. A small and very affordable prototype board, the D1 Mini Pro stands out with its WiFi functionality and a 16-Mbytes flash memory for easy creation of a flash file system. In addition, there are sufficient input and output pins (only one analog input though) to support PWM, I²C, and One-Wire systems to mention but a few. The book describes the operation, modding, construction, and programming of home appliances including a colorful smart home accessory, a refrigerator/greenhouse controller, an AC powerline monitor, a door lock monitor, and an IKEA Trådfri controller.
As a benefit, all firmware developed for these DIY, "IoT-ized" devices can be updated over-the-air (OTA).
For most of the designs in the book, a small printed circuit board (PCB) and an enclosure are presented so readers can have a finished and attractive-looking product. Readers having – or with access to! – a 3D printer can "print" the suggested enclosures at home or in a shop.
Some of the constructions benefit from a Raspberry Pi configured as a gateway or cms server. This is also described in detail with all the necessary configuring.
You don’t need to be an expert but the prerequisites to successful replication of the projects include basic skills with PC software including the ability to surf the Internet. In terms of hardware, you should be comfortable with soldering and generally assembling the PCBs presented in the book.
All custom software written for the IoT devices, the PCB layouts, and 3D print files described in the book are available for free downloading.
In 35 Projects with the Raspberry Pi and Arduino
The Internet of Things (IoT) is a trend with a strong technological impulse. At home, we want to do everything on our tablets, from browsing Facebook to watching TV, from operating lights to keeping an eye on the temperature.
In 35 fun projects, this book will show you how to build your own Internet of Things system. We'll cover the hardware (primarily the Raspberry Pi and Arduino) and the software that makes control via Internet possible. We employ Wi-Fi and radio links so no requirement any longer to install cabling crisscross through your home.
Assuming the projects in the book are finished, you have a complete Internet of Things system that allows you to control and view of everything in your home. For example, if there's something in the mail box or the car is securely in the garage. Also, you can switch on the lights and the alarm from your couch. The crisp explanations allow the projects to be customized with ease, for example, to turn on your coffee machine or TV remotely. The index gives easy access to creative projects that can serve as an example, enabling you to do all the connecting to the IoT independently. All project software can be downloaded free of charge from the Elektor website.
In this unique book, Raspberry Pi, Arduino and HTML webpages with stylesheets and JavaScript come together in clearly-described, easy-to-build projects. This special book is an essential part of your collection!
The Arduino Pro Portenta Cat. M1/NB IoT GNSS Shield allows you to enhance the connectivity features of your Portenta H7 applications. The shield leverages a Cinterion TX62 wireless module by Thales, designed for highly efficient, low-power IoT applications to deliver optimized bandwidth and performance.
The Portenta Cat. M1/NB IoT GNSS Shield combines with the strong edge computing power of the Portenta H7 to enable the development of asset tracking and remote monitoring applications in industrial settings, as well as in agriculture, public utilities and smart cities. The shield offers cellular connectivity to both Cat. M1 and NB-IoT networks with the option to use eSIM technology. Easily track your valuables – across the city or worldwide – with your choice of GPS, GLONASS, Galileo or BeiDou.
Features
Change connectivity capabilities without changing the board
Add NB-IoT, CAT. M1 and positioning to any Portenta product
Possibility to create a small multiprotocol router (WiFi - BT + NB-IoT/CAT. M1)
Greatly reduce communication bandwidth requirements in IoT applications
Low-power module
Compatible also with MKR boards
Remote Monitoring
Industrial and agricultural companies can leverage the Portenta Cat. M1/NB IoT GNSS Shield to remotely monitor gas detectors, optical sensors, machinery alarm systems, biological bug traps and more.
Technology providers providing smart city solutions can compound the power and reliability of the Portenta H7 with the Portenta Cat. M1/NB IoT GNSS Shield, to connect data and automate actions for a truly optimized use of resources and enhanced user experience.
Asset Monitoring
Add monitoring capabilities to any asset by combining the performance and edge computing features of the Portenta family boards. The Portenta Cat. M1/NB IoT GNSS Shield is ideal to monitor valuable goods and also for monitoring industrial machinery and equipment.
Specifications
Connectivity
Cinterion TX62 wireless module; NB-IoT - LTE CAT.M1; 3GPP Rel.14 Compliant Protocol LTE Cat. M1/NB1/NB2; UMTS BANDS: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 8 / 12(17) / 13 / 18 / 19 / 20 / 25 / 26 / 27 / 28 / 66 / 71 / 85; LTE Cat.M1 DL: max. 300 kbps, UL: max. 1.1 Mbps; LTE Cat.NB1 DL: max. 27 kbps, UL: max. 63 kbps; LTE Cat.NB2 DL: max. 124 kbps, UL: max. 158 kbps
Short messaging service (SMS)
Point-to-point mobile terminated (MT) and mobile originated (MO) Text Mode; Protocol Data Unit (PDU) Mode
Localization support
GNSS capability (GPS/BeiDou/Galileo/GLONASS)
Other
Embedded IPv4 and IPv6 TCP/IP stack access; Internet Services: TCP server/client, UDP client, DNS, Ping, HTTP client, FTP client, MQTT client Secure Connection with TLS/DTLS Secure boot
Dimensions
66 x 25.4 mm
Operating temperature
-40° C to +85° C (-104° F to 185°F)
Downloads
Datasheet
Schematics
Learn programming for Alexa devices, extend it to smart home devices and control the Raspberry Pi
The book is split into two parts: the first part covers creating Alexa skills and the second part, designing Internet of Things and Smart Home devices using a Raspberry Pi.
The first chapters describe the process of Alexa communication, opening an Amazon account and creating a skill for free. The operation of an Alexa skill and terminology such as utterances, intents, slots, and conversations are explained. Debugging your code, saving user data between sessions, S3 data storage and Dynamo DB database are discussed.
In-skill purchasing, enabling users to buy items for your skill as well as certification and publication is outlined. Creating skills using AWS Lambda and ASK CLI is covered, along with the Visual Studio code editor and local debugging. Also covered is the process of designing skills for visual displays and interactive touch designs using Alexa Presentation Language.
The second half of the book starts by creating a Raspberry Pi IoT 'thing' to control a robot from your Alexa device. This covers security issues and methods of sending and receiving MQTT messages between an Alexa device and the Raspberry Pi.
Creating a smart home device is described including forming a security profile, linking with Amazon, and writing a Lambda function that gets triggered by an Alexa skill. Device discovery and on/off control is demonstrated.
Next, readers discover how to control a smart home Raspberry Pi display from an Alexa skill using Simple Queue Service (SQS) messaging to switch the display on and off or change the color.
A node-RED design is discussed from the basic user interface right up to configuring MQTT nodes. MQTT messages sent from a user are displayed on a Raspberry Pi.
A chapter discusses sending a proactive notification such as a weather alert from a Raspberry Pi to an Alexa device. The book concludes by explaining how to create Raspberry Pi as a stand-alone Alexa device.
Ready-to-use devices and self-built Arduino nodes in the 'The Things Network'
LoRaWAN has developed excellently as a communication solution in the IoT. The Things Network (TTN) has contributed to this. The Things Network was upgraded to The Things Stack Community Edition (TTS (CE)). The TTN V2 clusters were closed towards the end of 2021.
This book shows you the necessary steps to operate LoRaWAN nodes using TTS (CE) and maybe extend the network of gateways with an own gateway. Meanwhile, there are even LoRaWAN gateways suitable for mobile use with which you can connect to the TTN server via your cell phone.
The author presents several commercial LoRaWAN nodes and new, low-cost and battery-powered hardware for building autonomous LoRaWAN nodes. Registering LoRaWAN nodes and gateways in the TTS (CE), providing the collected data via MQTT and visualization via Node-RED, Cayenne, Thingspeak, and Datacake enable complex IoT projects and completely new applications at very low cost.
This book will enable you to provide and visualize data collected with battery-powered sensors (LoRaWAN nodes) wirelessly on the Internet. You will learn the basics for smart city and IoT applications that enable, for example, the measurement of air quality, water levels, snow depths, the determination of free parking spaces (smart parking), and the intelligent control of street lighting (smart lighting), among others.
Learn programming for Alexa devices, extend it to smart home devices and control the Raspberry Pi
The book is split into two parts: the first part covers creating Alexa skills and the second part, designing Internet of Things and Smart Home devices using a Raspberry Pi.
The first chapters describe the process of Alexa communication, opening an Amazon account and creating a skill for free. The operation of an Alexa skill and terminology such as utterances, intents, slots, and conversations are explained. Debugging your code, saving user data between sessions, S3 data storage and Dynamo DB database are discussed.
In-skill purchasing, enabling users to buy items for your skill as well as certification and publication is outlined. Creating skills using AWS Lambda and ASK CLI is covered, along with the Visual Studio code editor and local debugging. Also covered is the process of designing skills for visual displays and interactive touch designs using Alexa Presentation Language.
The second half of the book starts by creating a Raspberry Pi IoT 'thing' to control a robot from your Alexa device. This covers security issues and methods of sending and receiving MQTT messages between an Alexa device and the Raspberry Pi.
Creating a smart home device is described including forming a security profile, linking with Amazon, and writing a Lambda function that gets triggered by an Alexa skill. Device discovery and on/off control is demonstrated.
Next, readers discover how to control a smart home Raspberry Pi display from an Alexa skill using Simple Queue Service (SQS) messaging to switch the display on and off or change the color.
A node-RED design is discussed from the basic user interface right up to configuring MQTT nodes. MQTT messages sent from a user are displayed on a Raspberry Pi.
A chapter discusses sending a proactive notification such as a weather alert from a Raspberry Pi to an Alexa device. The book concludes by explaining how to create Raspberry Pi as a stand-alone Alexa device.
A low-power, open source, 2.7-inch IoT display powered by an ESP32-S2 module and featuring SHARP's Memory-in-Pixel (MiP) screen technology
The Newt is a battery-powered, always-on, wall-mountable display that can go online to retrieve weather, calendars, sports scores, to-do lists, quotes…really anything on the Internet! It is powered by an ESP32-S2 microcontroller that you can program with Arduino, CircuitPython, MicroPython, or ESP-IDF. It's perfect for makers:
Sharp’s Memory-in-Pixel (MiP) technology avoids the slow refresh times associated with E-Ink displays
A real-time clock (RTC) was added to support timers and alarms
The Newt was designed with battery operation in mind; every component on the board was chosen for its ability to operate at low power.
Newt was designed to operate 'untethered,' which means it can be mounted in places where a power cord would be inconvenient, for example a wall, refrigerator, mirror, or dry-erase board. With the optional stand, desks, shelves, and nightstands are also good options.
Newt is open source, and all design files and libraries are available for review, use, and modification. However, doing that is not required. Each Newt is delivered with working code with the following features:
Current weather details
Hourly and daily weather forecast
Alarm
Timer
Inspirational quotes
Air-quality forecast
Habit calendar
Pomodoro timer
Oblique Strategy cards
Only following the Wi-Fi provisioning instructions is needed to get started. No app downloads are required.
Specifications
Display
Sharp Memory LCD
Screen Size
2.7 inch
Resolution
240 x 400
Deep Sleep Current
30 uA
Refresh Rate
< 0.001 s
Periodic Screen Refresh Required
No
Input Buttons
10 capacitive pads, 1 push button
RTC included
Yes
Speaker included
Yes
Power Input
USB Type-C
Battery included
No
Programming Languages
Arduino, CircuitPython, ESP IDF, MicroPython
Dimensions
91 x 61 x 9 mm
Microcontroller
Espressif ESP32-S2-WROVER Module with 4 MB flash and 2 MB PSRAM
Wi-Fi capable
Supports Arduino, MicroPython, CircuitPython, and ESP-IDF
Deep sleep current as low as 25 μA
Display
2.7-inch, 240 x 400 pixel MiP LCD
Capable of delivering high-contrast, high-resolution, low-latency content with ultra-low power consumption
Reflective mode leverages ambient light to eliminate the need for a backlight
Time Keeping, Timers, and Alarms
Micro Crystal RV-3028-C7 RTC
Optimized for extreme low-power consumption (45 μA)
Able to simultaneously manage a periodic timer, a countdown timer, and an alarm
Hardware interrupt for timers and alarms
43 bytes of non-volatile user memory, 2 bytes of user RAM
Separate UNIX time counter
Buzzer
Speaker/buzzer with mini class-D amplifier on DAC output A0 can play tones or lo-fi audio clips
User Input
Power switch
Two programmable tactile buttons for Reset and Boot
10 capacitive touchpads
Power
Newt is designed to operate for one to two months between charges using a 500 mAH LiPo battery. The exact run time varies. (Heavy Wi-Fi use, in particular, will reduce battery charge more quickly.)
USB Type-C connector for programming, power, and charging
Low-quiescence voltage regulator (TOREX XC6220) that can output 1 A of current and operate as low as 8 μA.
JST connector for a Lithium-Ion battery
Battery-charging circuity (MCP73831)
Low-battery indicator (1 μA quiescence current)
Software
Newt hardware is compatible with open-source Arduino libraries for ESP32-S2, Adafruit GFX (fonts), Adafruit Sharp Memory Display (display writing), and RTC RV-3028-C7 (RTC)
Arduino libraries and sample programs are under development and will be available in our GitHub repository before launch
CircuitPython libraries and registration are on the roadmap, with the development of a CircuitPython library for the RV-3028 real-time clock as a key dependency
Included
Phambili Newt – Fully assembled with pre-loaded firmware
Laser-cut desktop stand
Mini-magnet feet
Required screws
Support & Documentation
Full instructions for use
GitHub: Arduino Library and Codebase
GitHub: Board schematics
Videos of prototypes or demos (build tracked on Hackaday)
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by Saad Imtiaz
SparkFun Thing Plus Matter (MGM240P): A Versatile Matter-Based IoT Development Board (Review)
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