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We made an open source ESP8266 dev board for makers

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Re: We made an open source ESP8266 dev board for makers

#71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is the exact reason why I didn't see through my plan to build and sell the EspUSB (a very small ESP board that fits inside a USB-A port). I got 3 units built for myself by PCBWay at a cost of $77. I got quotes of ~$500 for 100 units from Elecrow and Makerfabs, but didn't know what to do with the other 90. Although I really want this great little gadget to be easily available, I can't afford $10,000 for FCC certi…

I wonder how the folks that sell on Tindie get around this... https://www.tindie.com/

[deleted]

Re: We made an open source ESP8266 dev board for makers

#72

Cool - it looks like a well-designed board, although the timing is a bit unfortunate with the ESP32-S2 emerging as an ESP8266 replacement with USB. A few questions: * Should the relay have some sort of isolation, like an optocoupler? * Is it FCC-certified? * Like other people asked, any information on how the antenna was designed? I like the old-school dome LEDs. And it's cool to see another project with a CH340 USB/…

One way to deal with high voltage is to use an external hockey puck solid state relay. Keeps the high voltage off the PCB and you don't have the kick from the relay coil finding it's way into the digital logic.

Re: We made an open source ESP8266 dev board for makers

#73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> * Is it FCC-certified? It would certainly appear to lack the FCC ID label/marking it is required to have if it is FCC certified. So probably not. Thus, it also appears doubtful whether it can legally be marketed or sold in the U.S.

This is the exact reason why I didn't see through my plan to build and sell the EspUSB (a very small ESP board that fits inside a USB-A port). I got 3 units built for myself by PCBWay at a cost of $77. I got quotes of ~$500 for 100 units from Elecrow and Makerfabs, but didn't know what to do with the other 90. Although I really want this great little gadget to be easily available, I can't afford $10,000 for FCC certi…

> I can't afford $10,000 for FCC certification, and therefore I have no solution.

That's not how it work. You start by selling them, prove the concept, and when you have the money, you sort out certifications & whatsnot.

You won't become a unicorn if you think about doing everything _by_the_book_ from day one.

Re: We made an open source ESP8266 dev board for makers

#74
post #48
post #25

Who has used RS232 voltage for serial in the last 10 years? I'd rather a few MOSFETs to cut the power to everything for lower power. I guess there is a specific market for this and it is not me. I have at least 20 of Esp8266 and esp32 boards around the house. A bit of fun to design and produce though. I would not bother with the ESP8266 anymore considering the marginal cost of the esp32 and it is a much better device…

Yeah, I'm regretting getting the esp8266 not knowing of the esp32. Besides being a better device for basically the same price, it has better tooling from espressif.

Don't the things costs like $2. Just get the new one as well.

Re: We made an open source ESP8266 dev board for makers

#75
post #51

I built something like this but more special-purpose. It just switches a USB-A power source on/off. I wanted it to control my 5-volt fish-tank lights. I didn't want to use a 120VAC smart switch for each light because I prefer to use a single USB hub to power them all, and a bonus feature was being able to PWM the lights so the fish aren't freaked out when the lights suddenly turn on 100% in the morning. I ordered PCB…

I am sure this is something will be able to answer:

I need to build a custom board for an ESP32 which should support low-power deep sleep and which should contain some additional circuitry (is that what you call it?) to drive an Eink display.

Basically this[1] board, but a different shape and better low-power sleep properties.

If I wanted to design this board myself, how long would it take to learn this? Are there good resources?

If I were to pay somebody to do design this, what order of magnitude would the cost be in?

> https://eckstein-shop.de/Waveshare-Universal-e-Paper-Raw-Pan...

Re: We made an open source ESP8266 dev board for makers

#76
post #51

I built something like this but more special-purpose. It just switches a USB-A power source on/off. I wanted it to control my 5-volt fish-tank lights. I didn't want to use a 120VAC smart switch for each light because I prefer to use a single USB hub to power them all, and a bonus feature was being able to PWM the lights so the fish aren't freaked out when the lights suddenly turn on 100% in the morning. I ordered PCB…

I am sure this is something will be able to answer: I need to build a custom board for an ESP32 which should support low-power deep sleep and which should contain some additional circuitry (is that what you call it?) to drive an Eink display. Basically this[1] board, but a different shape and better low-power sleep properties. If I wanted to design this board myself, how long would it take to learn this? Are there go…

I have used TTGO ESP32 2.9" e-Paper. For my projects it contains all what I need.

I recommend you to check that out.

Re: We made an open source ESP8266 dev board for makers

#77
post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I made lights using ws2812b leds and simulated sunrise, sunset, and a dim blue throughout the night. I used ws2812b leds, wemos d1, and a level translator since the d1 has 3.3v gpios but ws2812b technically requires a 5v signal.

That sounds awesome, can you do a write-up about it please?

For the software part, WLED [0] really does just about anything you’d want to do with those led strips.

I drive the wemos d1 and led’s from a 12V battery with a 12-5V stepdown converter. I attach the 5V to the esp and the led’s. The 3.3V logic level works on the first led and is repeated at 5V to all subsequent led’s.

[0] https://github.com/Aircoookie/WLED

Re: We made an open source ESP8266 dev board for makers

#78
post #51

I built something like this but more special-purpose. It just switches a USB-A power source on/off. I wanted it to control my 5-volt fish-tank lights. I didn't want to use a 120VAC smart switch for each light because I prefer to use a single USB hub to power them all, and a bonus feature was being able to PWM the lights so the fish aren't freaked out when the lights suddenly turn on 100% in the morning. I ordered PCB…

I am sure this is something will be able to answer: I need to build a custom board for an ESP32 which should support low-power deep sleep and which should contain some additional circuitry (is that what you call it?) to drive an Eink display. Basically this[1] board, but a different shape and better low-power sleep properties. If I wanted to design this board myself, how long would it take to learn this? Are there go…

I just got an Inkplate 6 and it seems pretty cool: inkplate.io.

Re: We made an open source ESP8266 dev board for makers

#79
post #51

I built something like this but more special-purpose. It just switches a USB-A power source on/off. I wanted it to control my 5-volt fish-tank lights. I didn't want to use a 120VAC smart switch for each light because I prefer to use a single USB hub to power them all, and a bonus feature was being able to PWM the lights so the fish aren't freaked out when the lights suddenly turn on 100% in the morning. I ordered PCB…

I am sure this is something will be able to answer: I need to build a custom board for an ESP32 which should support low-power deep sleep and which should contain some additional circuitry (is that what you call it?) to drive an Eink display. Basically this[1] board, but a different shape and better low-power sleep properties. If I wanted to design this board myself, how long would it take to learn this? Are there go…

>If I wanted to design this board myself, how long would it take to learn this? Are there good resources?

To learn it yourself, assuming no prior experience or knowledge, would take years of full-time study.

Re: We made an open source ESP8266 dev board for makers

#80
post #51

I built something like this but more special-purpose. It just switches a USB-A power source on/off. I wanted it to control my 5-volt fish-tank lights. I didn't want to use a 120VAC smart switch for each light because I prefer to use a single USB hub to power them all, and a bonus feature was being able to PWM the lights so the fish aren't freaked out when the lights suddenly turn on 100% in the morning. I ordered PCB…

I made lights using ws2812b leds and simulated sunrise, sunset, and a dim blue throughout the night. I used ws2812b leds, wemos d1, and a level translator since the d1 has 3.3v gpios but ws2812b technically requires a 5v signal.

I’ve been looking at something like this myself, did you use RGB, RGBW, RGBWW, RGBCCT or what to dynamically set the warmth of the light? I got really confused when I started looking into all these different types
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