Have anyone else played with any of the ESP8266 modules that started showing up on the market in the last couple of months?
http://rayshobby.net/?p=9734
http://www.xess.com/blog/esp8266-resources/
http://www.esp8266.com/
There are maybe a dozen variations currently available but each consists of a ESP8266 WiFi module coupled with a Tensilica Xtensa LX3 microprocessor. The processor provides a TCP/IP stack along with a Hayes-like AT command set for communication/control. I ordered ten of the ESP-01 version on ebay for $30 including shipping so the price is definitely right. After fussing around for a bit until realizing that each command needs to be CRLF terminated, I had one talking to my access point within a couple of minutes. Development has been proceeding fast and furious but it seems so far that folks are using these in one of three ways:
1) As an attached processor using the default AT command set
2) As either an attached processor or standalone device using an alternative firmware that provides a Lua interpreter https://github.com/nodemcu/nodemcu-firmware
3) As either an attached processor or standalone device using custom firmware built via the available SDK http://hackaday.com/2014/10/25/an-sdk-for-the-esp8266-wifi-chip/
I was originally interested in this because I must have a half dozen different Moteino/Anarduino/RadioHead projects scattered around the house and my one and only Raspberry Pi got pressed into service as a dedicated server monitoring the temperature of the refrigerator in the garage. With these little puppies building a bridge between multiple radio networks and the WiFi network should be straightforward and much more affordable. Looking forward to having some more time over the holidays to play with them. A Moteino Mega with a RFM69 AND an ESP8266 would be pretty slick. -- Jeff
Well what can I say. They brag and hail this as the next best thing after sliced bread, but there are as many pros as cons.
My focus is to provide a battery operate-able/friendly platform, which the current Moteinos certainly are. With so many variants of this chip out there it's hard to settle on a single one, and making a Moteino based on this is not an impossibility for the future but I like to sit and watch before I jump head on. I also have a few projects sitting on my desk for weeks waiting to be released, just not the time to deal with all of it.
Quote from: Felix on December 19, 2014, 06:40:24 PM
Well what can I say. They brag and hail this as the next best thing after sliced bread, but there are as many pros as cons.
My focus is to provide a battery operate-able/friendly platform, which the current Moteinos certainly are. With so many variants of this chip out there it's hard to settle on a single one, and making a Moteino based on this is not an impossibility for the future but I like to sit and watch before I jump head on. I also have a few projects sitting on my desk for weeks waiting to be released, just not the time to deal with all of it.
I wouldn't modify Moteino to incorporate this. Since this would be a Gateway type of add-on (ie, the Gateway would still require existing Moteino functionality), a Moteino 'shield' would be the best way to add this type of device and any of us could do that...
Tom
I have a couple of ESP8226 modules (specifically the ESP-12 variant) and am quite pleased with them. There's a nice development board offered by the NodeMCU guys which you can find on E-Bay and AliExpress for around $12-$15 - similar in some respects to the Moteino. So far I've played with the Lua image and the C SDK for the ESP8266 and haven't had any problems. You can't beat the price (> $4.50 for the ESP-12 module). It's effectively an Arduino on steriods + WiFi. It may not be suitable for truly low power applications (e.g. battery powered) but if you can plug into a USB wall-wart, it should be fine. The one drawback is the documentation isn't great but gradually the community is filling in the gaps. It's an ideal solution if you already have an always-on server (e.g. NAS or RPi) connected to your home network where you run some sort of home automation server (e.g. OpenHAB). I have an MQTT client running on the ESP12 module that talks to a MQTT broker. Works like a charm if you don't mind writing a little C code. Plus, if you want, the ESP8266 can also function as an AP directly (or both AP and client).
I'm still exploring what I can do with the little module. Again, it may not be as low-power as the Moteino+RF69, but it sure is easier to integrate into my home network. Definitely an option worth exploring . . .
Hi guys, sorry for necroposting, but im really interested in this topic. Could anyone send data to the module esp from the moteino?
Grettings
No .. The ESP8266 is Wifi, 2.4ghz. Moteinos are all running sub-ghz modules at the moment.
The ESP is not really good for low power although I see blogs about people trying hard to make it happen.
I still don't see the light with ESP, but it's probably great for projects where you got plenty of power and your node network makes sense to share your Wifi.
But it being hailed the holy grail of IoT is misleading. If this were true you'd find similar technology in commercial IoT products that run on battery power, which is not the case.
I do 100% agree Felix, ESP8266 is not for low power node 250mA in burst mode and I don't speak about idle mode :(
But, because there is a but, it could really be used on gateway side, plenty of RAM/Flash and Wifi, this allow us lot of features.
I already made a POC of these kind and using it with a Particle Photon (Ok not a ESP8266 but code will remain the same) and I received frame from moteino on my photon (on wich I added a SPI RFM69 of course)
For those who're interested it's here, hard, soft and pictures (in French)
hardware example https://github.com/thibdct/programmateur-fil-pilote-wifi/tree/master/Mat%C3%A9riel/1.2 (https://github.com/thibdct/programmateur-fil-pilote-wifi/tree/master/Mat%C3%A9riel/1.2)
software side https://github.com/thibdct/programmateur-fil-pilote-wifi/tree/master/Logiciel/remora (https://github.com/thibdct/programmateur-fil-pilote-wifi/tree/master/Logiciel/remora)
Gotta agree that at 250mA bursts this is not yet a low power solution - but I;ve run both Particle Core and Photon - and both draw around 160mA when connecting to Wifi. In the case of the Photon, I have to say, I'm really disappointed - it is one of the most unreliable units I've used so far - often going into a hardware loop that won't allow connection to WiFi until physically rebooted. I'm sure the Particle guys will sort it out but it killed one of my projects. I'm looking at integrating the ESP8266 with Moteino - which has constantly been solid as a rock, Great work Felix
Quote from: DRCO on August 06, 2015, 05:07:31 AM
Gotta agree that at 250mA bursts this is not yet a low power solution - but I;ve run both Particle Core and Photon - and both draw around 160mA when connecting to Wifi. In the case of the Photon, I have to say, I'm really disappointed - it is one of the most unreliable units I've used so far - often going into a hardware loop that won't allow connection to WiFi until physically rebooted. I'm sure the Particle guys will sort it out but it killed one of my projects. I'm looking at integrating the ESP8266 with Moteino - which has constantly been solid as a rock, Great work Felix
Looking at the photon it's one of the prettiest wrapping products I've seen. Like the liquor bottles at the grocery store, they look delicious.
Pick 2 things:
1) pretty blue silkscreen on
black soldermask :-*
2) solid as a rock 8)
3) cheap ;D
Pretty manicured kickstarter videos sell pretty PCBs well these days.