The ESP8266 is a programmable chip similar to the Arduino microcontrollers, but it can be easily connected to a WiFi network. This guide helps you to get started with your first Internet-of-Things (IoT) project: a crisp OLED display shows weather information on several side-scrolling screens.

In the first part of the book we cover how to setup the development environment. Summaries at the end of each chapter help to understand what has been accomplished. Info boxes explain important expressions and technologies to beginners.

New! In a second part, basic building blocks for programming the ESP8266 are explained: the structure of a Arduino sketch with the setup() and loop() functions, how to use the serial console, digitalRead and digitalWrite, interrupts and analogRead. Then we cover how to connect to a WiFi network and how to load data from a HTTP web server. Six exercises help to get practical experience with the topic: controlling the LED on the NodeMCU module, reading out the state of the FLASH button with interrupts, reading the current value of the supply voltage and accessing a web server over HTTPS and verifying its authenticity with a SHA1 fingerprint. The exercises and their solutions are available on Github: you start solving the tasks by filling in missing parts. Should you get stuck or you want to have a look at an alternative solution just open the solution sketch!

After this introduction in ESP8266 programming we get our first big project running: the ESP8266 WeatherStation! I explain step-by-step what you have to do to display the current weather in your area and a 3 day forecast.

In the last part of the book three more projects are introduced: a plane spotting tool which fetches information from the internet about the planes that are above your head; a world clock which displays times in various timezones together with beautiful icons; and do you want to measure temperature and humidity outside your house? The ClimateNode project explains how to collect data from a second ESP8266, store it in the cloud and display it in an additional frame on your WeatherStation.

This book is for beginners and ambitious programmers alike, but a basic understanding of programming is certainly helpful. In order to get started the following hardware is recommended: a ESP8266 NodeMCU V1.0, several jumper wires, a USB cable, a SSD1306 0.96" OLED display and (optional) a DHT11 or DHT22 temperature/humidity sensor. These components are also available as Starter Kit in the Amazon US Store. Just search for "ESP8266 IoT Starter Kit with OLED display for Arduino IDE". If you live outside the US you can also buy the starter kit from the author on his site: blog.squix.org

Content:
Introduction

Required Hardware

• ESP8266 Module


• OLED Display


• Wires and Cables

Tool Setup

• Download and Install the Serial Driver


• The Arduino IDE


• Install the ESP8266 tool chain


• Open the Arduino IDE


• Selecting the Correct Board


• Setting the Correct Port


• Testing the Setup: WiFi Scanner


• Summary

ESP8266 Programming Basics

• Preparation


• The Arduino Sketch


• Hello World: The serial console


• Input/Output: GPIO pins


• Interrupts


• Measuring analog signals


• WiFi


• HTTP

The ESP8266 WeatherStation

• Installing the libraries


• Open the Weather Station Example


• Getting the Wunderground API Key


• Configuring the Weather Station


• Connecting the Hardware


• First Run


• Summary

Collecting and Displaying Local Data

• The Climate Node Setup


• Thingspeak Setup


• Programming the Climate Node


• Displaying the data on the WeatherStation