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Build your own IoT/MQTT node for less than $2

albert-david.blogspot.com

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Re: Build your own IoT/MQTT node for less than $2

#21

Post by samstave »

blackfawn wrote: post #19
samstave wrote: post #13

Can someone ELI5 what can be accomplished with these devices? I am not familiar with them, and the build looks simple - but what do once created? Is it simply a BLE beacon?

The ESP8266 is wifi. The slightly more expensive ESP32 adds Bluetooth and some extra features. You can use them to run mini web server, MQTT, etc. Think of them like a supercharged Arduino with connectivity built in.

Ahh - so coupled with whatever sensor you have, you can have a wifi broadcast capability at extreme low cost...

So, ostensibly - if you have these all participate in an SSID of e.g. "sensors", then you can place these all over and have a low-cost mechanism to deliver the reads to your (already) existing wifi infra...

So the key, then, is the family of sensor types you want to place on them. The limitations in the case of this object are power and size....

So given that - whats the minimum size battery req'd to run this little guy?

Then What is the power req of the sensors you attach -- then whats the lifespan of that power budget and then servicability to replace it?

I like this... a lot.

I have a bunch of BLE sensor beacons from china which cost ~8 but they are dumb as rocks.

This provides a heck of a lot more functionality than those...

Unless there are gotcha's which I am naive to?

Re: Build your own IoT/MQTT node for less than $2

#23

Post by sargun »

blattimwind wrote: post #14

I don't get why DIY/Maker folks are so extremely bent on finding and buying the cheapest shit from China in every regard of their builds.

What else would you recommend? I haven’t found anyone who is better than the ESP32 at a similarish price point. Iirc, there was one designer from Europe that did sigfox / WiFi / GSM, but they were in the $75-100 range, and getting inventory wasn’t easy.

From what I can tell, for stuff like this, Chinese companies build better stuff, and tend to be way better about documenting it.

Re: Build your own IoT/MQTT node for less than $2

#24

Post by wybiral »

megaremote wrote: post #15
blattimwind wrote: post #14

I don't get why DIY/Maker folks are so extremely bent on finding and buying the cheapest shit from China in every regard of their builds.

Are you serious? It make it easier for everyone to get into, especially kids. Also makes it so you can use it on small projects that might not work and not worry about it failing, or losing it.

The downside is that they tend to be less reliable in terms of obeying the specs and break unexpectedly.

I've been doing reviews of different dev boards on my channel and have had to send multiple cheap Chinese boards back because they were broken out of the box and a few others were dead within a few weeks of testing them.

For contrast, I have other chips that have lasted for years without issue... And their performance matches the spec (because they aren't cheap knock-off components).

You get what you pay for and with the cheapo ones you're usually trading paying a bit more once for paying a bit less multiple times.

Re: Build your own IoT/MQTT node for less than $2

#25

Post by narag »

StavrosK wrote: post #7
rzzzt wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Those are really cool. Here's an esp8266 framework primarily intended for home automation: https://github.com/xoseperez/espurna

I use this in about ten devices (one of which is a custom-built dog feeder) and love it. I hate using closed-source IoT devices and this is a perfect alternative.

custom-built dog feeder

You better not hook up to the amplifier. There's a slight possibility for overload.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjX1jU9pQeY

Re: Build your own IoT/MQTT node for less than $2

#26

Post by NicoJuicy »

I recently found out about Sonoff-Tasmota ( https://github.com/arendst/Sonoff-Tasmota ), i hate it. Because now i bought for 300 € of Sonoff products for home-automation based on the MQTT protocol.

(The project allows you to flash the Sonoff products with custom firmware)

They also have an IR module, for customizing your remote.

Anyone else has other ideas that are similar for home automation without adjusting your electronic wiring?

Re: Build your own IoT/MQTT node for less than $2

#27

Post by ohazi »

diafygi wrote: post #5

Is there an hobby equivalent for Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)? Wifi tends to be power hungry for battery-operated devices. With BLE, you can get months of lifespan while still being able to connect to it with your phone. I was looking at the micro:bit, but it's still $15. Anything in the $2 range for BLE?

I wouldn't use an esp32 if your concern is power consumption, as they tend to be pretty power hungry, even when they're only doing BLE. The Nordic nRF52 series is pretty good, and you can find shielded modules for around $10-15 in single unit quantities.

$2 is a bit of a stretch... You can probably get the bare IC for ~$5 if you're willing to do the antenna yourself.

Re: Build your own IoT/MQTT node for less than $2

#28

Post by whitlock »

NicoJuicy wrote: post #26

I recently found out about Sonoff-Tasmota ( https://github.com/arendst/Sonoff-Tasmota ), i hate it. Because now i bought for 300 € of Sonoff products for home-automation based on the MQTT protocol. (The project allows you to flash the Sonoff products with custom firmware) They also have an IR module, for customizing your remote. Anyone else has other ideas that are similar for home automation without adjusting your e…

Like you hinted, flashing Sonoff-Tasmota firmware on ESP8266 hardware lets you get A LOT of home automation equipment for fairly little. They make many devices and someone getting started should checkout the Sonoff-Tasmota for supported devices AND check out Sonoff.

If you don't want to use a Sonoff Basic or maybe the bigger 4 channel option, I'd suggest getting some of their wall adapters like the S31 (think Wemo wall plug). There is a confirmed flash for Sonoff-Tasmota & ESPurna for it and would let someone dip their toes into cheap home automation with MQTT.

Re: Build your own IoT/MQTT node for less than $2

#29

Post by windexh8er »

sargun wrote: post #23
blattimwind wrote: post #14

I don't get why DIY/Maker folks are so extremely bent on finding and buying the cheapest shit from China in every regard of their builds.

What else would you recommend? I haven’t found anyone who is better than the ESP32 at a similarish price point. Iirc, there was one designer from Europe that did sigfox / WiFi / GSM, but they were in the $75-100 range, and getting inventory wasn’t easy. From what I can tell, for stuff like this, Chinese companies build better stuff, and tend to be way better about documenting it.

I think you're thinking of the Pycom hardware. It's not quite as pricey as you referenced, but far more than the ESP32 based units. They also have a more formal ecosystem around their products, so for some that may be worth the price delta. I own a few of their boards and they have been nice to work with for what I've used them for.

https://pycom.io/solutions/hardware/

Re: Build your own IoT/MQTT node for less than $2

#30

Post by whitlock »

samstave wrote: post #13

Can someone ELI5 what can be accomplished with these devices? I am not familiar with them, and the build looks simple - but what do once created? Is it simply a BLE beacon?

Cheap boards like the ESP-12F (ESP8266) allow you to remotely control a device or receive sensor data, like that from a DHT11 temperature-humidity sensor. Instead of paying a lot of money, you can flash your own firmware on a device and make your own custom IoT device.

MQTT is a messaging protocol used to communicate with the device. You can use something like Mosquitto to communicate with your new IoT device. It is lightweight protocol and easy to work with.

You'd use something like an ESP32 – which has Bluetooth – if you want a simple BLE beacon, otherwise if you don't need Bluetooth then an ESP8266 device would likely work better.; If you want to look at related videos, I'd suggest looking at the YouTube channel Andreas Spiess publishes with various devices. He has a few videos on BLE and ESP32 (ex: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNoFdKgvskU) where he goes into detail.

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