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Internet of Things (IoT)
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Articles related to Microcontrollers, single board computers, and other stuff. This page lists all posts in the category, in reverse chronological order.
Note: An AI Generated pill displayed in the list below indicates that the post description displayed on the page was generated from the post content using Generative AI (GenAI). The post content itself was written by a human (me).
Playing Around with Info Orbs
Posted Saturday, February 8, 2025 at 08:59 AM in ESP32, Internet of Things (IoT)A while back, I learned about this ESP32 project called Info Orbs; it's a simple project that pairs 5 1.8 inch circular displays with a simple stand and some pretty cool software. The kit seems to be designed as a first project for people interested in getting into Arduino; it requires a little bit of soldering and the entire software configuration and deployment process runs in Visual Studio Code. The assembly instructions are simple and easy to follow.
ESP32 HTTP Client Request with JSON Body
Posted Wednesday, February 5, 2025 at 06:57 AM in ESP32, Internet of Things (IoT)A few weeks ago I published an article called ESP32 Connect Using HTTPS that demonstrated how to build an Arduino sketch for the ESP32 platform that connected to a remote server using TLS (HTTPS). I wrote that article because I wanted to learn how to connect to a REST API running on a server online and I knew that most (all) modern API servers required TLS.
Certificate to Arduino Command-line
Posted Friday, January 24, 2025 at 06:59 AM in Arduino, JavaScript, Internet of Things (IoT)Before I created the web application described in Automated Public Cert to Arduino Header Conversion, I started with a simple node.js command-line utility. I like command-line tools and starting with the Node version made sense to me. I switched to the web app version once I realized that most people who needed to do the certificate conversion to Arduino wouldn't have node installed on their development systems.
ESP32 Connect Using HTTPS
Posted Wednesday, January 22, 2025 at 07:02 AM in ESP32, Internet of Things (IoT)As I described in my previous post, I'm working on a project where I'm using an M5Stack device to interact with a Google Firebase Function I have running in the cloud. As I started planning my project's code, I realized that the SSL (HTTPS) requirement Firebase Functions forces on applications would be a problem for me.
Automated Public Cert to Arduino Header Conversion
Posted Monday, January 20, 2025 at 07:59 PM in ESP32, Raspberry Pi, Internet of Things (IoT), Web DevelopmentAI Generated I was working on a project using an M5Stack device to interact with a Google Firebase Function, but I ran into an issue with the SSL requirement. After exploring different options, I found that ESP32 devices could send HTTPS requests, but required the server's public cert embedded in the code. To simplify this process, I created a web app called Cert2Arduino that automates the conversion of public certificates into Arduino-compatible code.
Corrupt Arduino IDE Installation
Posted Saturday, January 11, 2025 at 08:57 AM in Arduino, Internet of Things (IoT)AI Generated I recently encountered issues compiling code for an M5Stack project and struggled to resolve them. After finding outdated libraries on my system, I uninstalled everything, deleted leftover files, and reinstalled. I discovered additional files in the AppData folder that were causing the problem. Once I removed all the folders and reinstalled, my issues were resolved. It seems my system's configuration had become corrupted, preventing updated library installations.
Flame Throwing Pumpkin
Posted Tuesday, October 15, 2024 at 07:34 PM in Arduino, Internet of Things (IoT)Back in 2019, I decided to finally start work on a Flame Throwing pumpkin project for Halloween. I saw some projects like this in the past, and I wanted to do my own version. Some projects do some pretty sophisticated things to make a flame thrower in a pumpkin (like using a solenoid to push down the nozzle of a spray can (hair spray or WD-40)) but others use a simple air freshener (short spurt) in front of a candle.
Ali Express Parts
Posted Wednesday, June 19, 2024 at 12:17 PM in Internet of Things (IoT), Project BuildsIn my previous post, I mentioned that I like building electronic projects I find online. Historically, I purchased a lot of project components from online vendors like Adafruit and Sparkfun. Both offer their own proprietary boards as well as some standard electronics components you can use for your projects (such as battery connectors, cables, breakout boards, other connectors).
Using the DFRobot I2C 16x2 LCD display
Posted Saturday, April 13, 2024 at 10:22 AM in Internet of Things (IoT)Describes how to use the DFRobot I2C 16x2(1602) LCD Display Module for Arduino in a project.
Mounting the DFRobot mmWave RADAR
Posted December 8, 2023 in Internet of Things (IoT)A while back, I started building a project using the DFRobot mmWave RADAR. However, as I described in IoT Component Manufacturers Ignoring Mounting Needs, I had some trouble figuring out how to mount the device in my project.
Accessing an Arduino ESP32 Web Server
Posted November 19, 2023 in Internet of Things (IoT), ESP32The third (and, I think, final) article in this series. In this post, I show the different options for connecting to the ESP32 web server highlighting the limitations and restrictions that apply to make your life miserable.
Using UDP Broadcast to Synchronize Actions Across Arduino Devices
Posted November 5, 2023 in Arduino, ESP32, Raspberry Pi, Internet of Things (IoT)Describes a way to synchronize actions or activities across multiple Arduino devices using UDP (broadcast and receiver).
Arduino UDP Broadcast Receiver
Posted November 2, 2023 in Arduino, ESP32, Internet of Things (IoT), FlutterI created an Arduino sketch that implements an UDP broadcast receiver which allows me to control multiple Arduino devices simultaneously from a mobile app.
Read Pin State Between Two Arduino Devices
Posted November 1, 2023 in Arduino, Internet of Things (IoT)As I worked on my latest Halloween project, I realized that one of the things I wanted to do was read the pin state from a different/separate Arduino device. My project used two Arduino-compatible devices for different purposes and I wanted to be able to send a signal from one to the other. I looked around for a while and found a bunch of Forum questions on this topic and answers for the most part, but I couldn't find a post that actually described it in detail. This post does that.
A Better Arduino MicroFogger Controller Redux
Posted October 30, 2023 in Internet of Things (IoT), ArduinoIn my previous post, I demonstrated a better way to randomly generate smoke using the Vosentech MicroFogger 5 Pro from an Arduino sketch. That version was better because it didn’t block the main loop, instead it let other stuff while it generated smoke and waited.
A Better Arduino MicroFogger Controller
Posted October 29, 2023 in Arduino, Internet of Things (IoT)Describes a better way to control a Vosentech MicroFogger from an Arduino sketch. The example provided in the previous post blocked the sketch's `loop` function and this one doesn't.
Controlling the Vosentech MicroFogger From An Arduino
Posted October 28, 2023 in Internet of Things (IoT), ArduinoDescribes how to use an Arduino device to control the Vosentech MicroFogger.
IoT Component Manufacturers Ignoring Mounting Needs
Posted October 8, 2023 in Internet of Things (IoT)I'm building some microcontroller-based projects and struggling to find a simple but secure mechanism to mount components in my project. This post highlights some of the challenges.
Glowing Pumpkin Project Refresh
Posted August 30, 2023 in Arduino, ESP32, Internet of Things (IoT)Years ago I published a several Glowing Pumpkin projects: Arduino Glowing Pumpkin and Arduino Glowing Pumpkin (Adafruit Feather). Both projects used Arduino compatible devices plus either one of the Adafruit multi-NeoPixel devices or a NeoPixel shield. The shield approach was easy because I just had to solder some male and female headers to the boards and press them together into a unit. My first project used the NeoPixel Ring which required soldering wires and running them into an enclosure where the Arduino device resides.
Arduino ESP32 Web Server on a Processor Core
Posted August 27, 2023 in Internet of Things (IoT), Arduino, ESP32The second article in this series, describes in detail how to run a web server in an Arduino project on the Espressif ESP32 microcontroller.
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Header image: Photo by Robin Glauser on Unsplash.