Background
I read about the ESP8266 first in March this year and I didn’t know what to do with. And now I’m really fascinated how easy the connection of an Arduino to the Internet can be. Like others I set up a weather station on a breadboard first and sent data to thingspeak.com. This ends up in a highly condensed stripboard layout and the needed software package.
Why stripboarding and not etching a PCB?
There are a lot of good PCB layouts around. But I want to build something that everybody can do easily at home. A soldering stick, stripboards and parts are easy to get. But etching a PCB is often a hurdle. So, my challenge was to make the design on a stripboard within the size and functionality of a etched PCB.
What are the functionalities?
- measure temperature, humidity, pressure and illuminance (brightness)!
- send all data to thingspeak
- ESP8266 can be turned on and off by Arduino for energy saving
- additional digital IOs
- Runs on 5 to 12 V
- and a lot more
Why ESP8266 and Arduino?
Every one of them have its advantages. The Arduino is perfect for dealing with sensors. And the ESP8266 is perfect for the Internet connection. And I can turn off the Internet for energy saving ;).
And the best:
The weather functionalities are only one aspect. You can measure nearly everything with this board because you have the following sensor pinouts of the Arduino:
- 2x analog
- 6x digital
- I2C for WIRE connections
- 1x reset
- 1x button
For More Details: ESP8266 Weather Station with Arduino – #1 Hardware
