MORE ABOUT Wireless

The ESP8266 from Espressif has made waves in the maker community with its low price: you can get one from AliExpress for just two or three euros/ dollars/pounds. Its big brother, the ESP32, is the result of Espressif’s efforts to make their WLAN SoCs fit for the future. Along with a dual-core processor, it has onboard Bluetooth, more RAM, and IO extensions. In this article we talk about programming the ESP32 with the Arduino IDE. In the next issue of Elektor we will turn our attention to the native development tool IDF.

Pycom is a young company producing small modules supporting multiple network topologies. Partly funded through a few Kickstarter campaigns they are now up and running. The goal of their products is to enable easy access to the Internet of Things (IoT). To achieve this goal they have crammed as much wireless network technology as possible into a few small modules and made them programmable with MicroPython.

Sometimes you want to have specific functions in a home automation system that are not available with any commercial product. That’s why the author decided to develop his own system, which features wireless communication between the various nodes and the central gateway. The gateway uses MQTT to send measurement data to an OpenHAB server, which processes and displays the data. His project has now been copied and extended by other users. In a series of two articles, the author describes the key elements of his system. More detailed information and the corresponding software are available for free on the Internet.

On Kickstarter a campaign has been started for the RokBlok, which, in their own words, is the world's smallest wireless record player. And it is also portable. It is really a “Soundwagon”, but one with Bluetooth functionality.

In cooperation with Würth Elektronik, in this article we present a pair of modules for high-efficiency wireless power transfer with a maximum capacity of 50 watts over distances up to a few centimeters. This set is available at a special price to enable Elektor community members to try out this highly promising technology.

Wireless transmission of power has been an attractive subject of research for long time. In recent years, the technology has evolved to the point that it is being used commercially, for example in smartphone charging stations. This pair of modules, developped in cooperation with Würth Elektronik, allow our community members to try out this highly promising technology at a special price.

HMicro, Inc., a wireless solutions developer of innovative products engineered to address the unique requirements of wireless peripherals and complex biosensor applications, and STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM) , a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronic applications, have launched their cooperation to create the industry’s first single-chip solution for clinical-grade, single-use disposable smart patches and biosensors.

The new Fluke Ti450 infrared camera has a unique feature to ensure sharp detail in the entire field of view. The camera takes several pictures in sequence at different focus distances and merges them into a single image.

The wiring was in place for the author’s home automation system, linking almost everywhere in the house with an RS-485 network. There were a few places, however, where the prospect of installing cabling met with resistance (of the non-electrical variety) from the author’s wife. A reliable, bi-directional, wireless communication system using low-cost modules was therefore required.

The Wi-Fi Alliance has rolled out Wi-Fi HaLow as the designation for products incorporating IEEE 802.11ah technology. The new standard operates in frequency bands below one gigahertz, offering longer range, lower power connectivity to Wi-Fi certified products.