A Place in the Sun
We take an inexpensive ESP8266 WiFi/processor combination and turn it into a solar-powered device.
A solar-powered ESP8266 WiFi module joins the IoT
Lead Image © Oleksiy Tsupe, 123RF.com
In the previous issue's SwitchDoc Labs column [1], I looked at the ESP8266 [2] microcontroller plus WiFi front end and three types of firmware, along with the advantages and disadvantages of each. In particular, I looked at the Adafruit Huzzah ESP8266 WiFi/CPU [3], which I also use for the project in this issue.
In the beginning, I wanted to build two ESP8266 devices to test sun-tracking solar panel efficiencies. Rather quickly, I found I was consumed with learning about the ESP8266, setting up a REST interface, and indulging in a little bit of 3D printing, so I'll have to wait until the next issue to look at sun tracking with the units. Therefore, the unit I am creating here is really just the basis for an IoT device, because all I am doing is focusing on the solar power aspects of the project in this column.
ESP8266
To review, the main features of the Huzzah ESP8266 chip include:
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