Wireless & Communication

Looking to immerse yourself in wireless applications and communication-related projects and tutorials? This page serves as a comprehensive resource for DIY electronics projects and in-depth engineering tutorials, covering a broad spectrum of topics from the basics of wireless applications and GPS to the intricacies of radio communication. Whether you're interested in setting up your own Wi-Fi network, exploring the vast potential of LoRa, delving into software-defined radio (SDR), understanding the low-power wide-area network (LPWAN) technology of Sigfox, or getting to grips with the secure and efficient IoT protocols like Thread and 6LowPan, Elektor has you covered. Each tutorial and project is designed to not only provide valuable information but also to inspire innovation and practical application, making complex concepts accessible to both beginners and experienced practitioners in the field of wireless communications.

Wireless Applications

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The Elektor LoRa Node

Back in 2020, the Elektor Lab team developed a versatile, long-range, 868-MHz remote control with state feedback. The STM32-based Elektor LoRa Node comprises three elements: LoRa node, LoRa button, and LoRa AC power switch. You get not only a remote control with a range of 10 to 20 times that of a consumer-level Wi-Fi link on 2.4 GHz, but also a LoRa development platform with potential for LoRaWAN.

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Bluetooth LE With MAUI: Control Apps for Android & Co.

A mobile application is perfect for managing your personal electronic devices. To conserve energy, it can communicate using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). Nonetheless, creating and updating apps for both Android and iOS platforms demands a bit of work. This is where the MAUI framework comes in handy, as it allows for cross-platform app development. In this piece, we'll demonstrate how to interact with a smartphone's BLE interface.

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MCU Wireless Communication Made Flexible: EEPROM Opens Networking Prospects for Wireless MCUs

When integrating a microcontroller with a Wi-Fi network via an ESP8266, opting for a method beyond hard-coded, static WLAN credentials can offer more flexibility. In this piece, we offer an approach that involves selecting from a list of preferred AP networks in an interactive manner. Moreover, we explore utilizing the Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) function, which is supported by numerous access points and routers, to further enhance our connectivity options.

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How to Build a DIY GNSS Reference Station

GNSS Real-Time Kinematics (RTK) technology is impressive, yet accessing correction data can be challenging. This article aims to guide you through establishing your own fixed antenna atop a stable structure and setting up a mini-computer to distribute this precise data over the Internet. This way, the data can be accessed via Wi-Fi or, more typically, through a cellular phone or modem connection.

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Radio

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Raspberry Pi Pico Makes an MSF-SDR: Decode a Time Signal with a Pi Pico SDR

MSF serves as the UK's counterpart to Germany's DCF77 time signal transmitter. This software-defined radio (SDR) project demonstrates a straightforward and cost-effective approach to building a receiver and decoder for these (and other) time signals. The hardware requirements are minimal: use a Raspberry Pi Pico to receive, decode, and display information from the MSF time signal.

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AVR Software Defined Radio

Want to generate some signals? In the "AVR Software Defined Radio" article series, Elektor presents a variety of practical experiments: sine- and square wave generators, an RMS voltmeter, experiments in FM, AM and PM, FIR and IIR filters, wireless data transmission, reception of the DCF timecode signal, RTTY weather messages, and BBC long-wave radio transmissions. Read on to learn about a signal generator board, a DDS sinewave generator, an FM generator, and more.

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Radio Direction Finding: Tracking Down Lost Wireless Weather Sensors

Want to use radio direction finding (RDF) to locate a lost weather sensor? The process doesn't have to be overly complicated. The device is built as a compact unit, so no inner compartment screening is required and only the overall receiver assembly is enclosed in soldered sheet metal for shielding. Freestanding construction or operation of the module, for example in a weather station, is only possible if the ground connections at the pins are kept short and not too thin, with decoupling capacitors fitted where necessary.

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FM/DAB+ Receiver: The Best of Both Worlds

Building a DIY radio receiver has always been a favorite project of electronics enthusiasts. Today, many makers are still passionate about DIY radio projects, especially digital ones. This article covers the process of creating a digital radio using an ESP32 module and an Arduino shield, which leverages the Si4684 digital receiver chip from Skyworks to achieve this goal.

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GPS

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LoRa GPS Tracker: With Open Hardware and Software

A GPS tracker capable of transmitting its location data at customizable intervals offers a highly versatile tool with a variety of uses. Unlike conventional models that rely on 3G or 4G cellular networks, this design utilizes the cost-free LoRa network to communicate positional info. By employing Node-RED, the data is seamlessly transferred to various devices such as PCs, Raspberry Pis, and smartphones, where it can be visualized on a map within a web browser.

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A GPS Controlled Glider

Would you liek to implement autonomous steering in a model aircraft? You can create the controller on your own. It doesn't require high computational power; a microcontroller will do the trick. For this setup, the primary sensor used is a compact GPS receiver. Additionally, the design includes connectors for the optional attachment of a multi-axis accelerometer, a rotation sensor, and a magnetometer, allowing for further customization and precision in control.

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GPS-Based Speed Monitor

The gadget introduced here is not designed to cap speed by altering the vehicle's mechanics; instead, the GPS-Based Speed Monitor serves as an alarm that activates when the vehicle exceeds a predefined speed threshold. The GPS module is a NEO-6 module from u-blox. The TinyGPS+ library does all the work of decoding the NMEA 0183-formatted data stream output by the GPS module.

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An Open-Source GPS Tracking Platform

Numerous hardware modules are available for GPS tracking movable assets such as vehicles. Typically, analyzing the data requires transferring it to an external cloud server for storage and visualization. Traccar, an open-source software, offers an alternative by enabling on-premises server hosting. You can control data access. Traccar is compatible with a Raspberry Pi and integrates with the Node-RED automation framework.

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Communication Protocols

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Wireless Protocols: A Panorama

There are several protocols on the market: Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, Wi Fi, LoRa, Zigbee, Sigfox, Thread, 6LowPan, MiWi, ANT, Z Wave, and more. Are you stressed out by all the options? Do you find yourself wondering which protocol would be the best to select for your next project? Here are some insights.

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Sigfox CO2 Traffic Light: No Wi-Fi Network Needed!

Considering Sigfox? Take a look at this project, a "CO2 traffic light," which connects to the Internet of Things via the Sigfox network. The approach gives the sensor wider range and enables it to operate when a Wi-Fi network isn't available. The circuit features an Arduino Uno and the MKR FOX1200 board.

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A Monster LED Clock with Wi-Fi and Temperature Display

Want to build a large LED clock and learn about Wi-Fi and MQTT along the way? Follow the steps outlined in this article to construct a 4-inch tall display that shows Internet time via an ESP32. The design not limited to displaying just the time. You can incorporate new sensors that deliver data using the MQTT protocol.

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Over-Air LiPo Battery State Monitor

Elektor has published dozens of article and news items about ZigBee and its uses. The board featured in this article measures the voltage and the current up to 170 A supplied by the battery in a model. It then transmits the data via radio to a remote-control transmitter or via USB to a Qt application on a computer. Of course, you can adapt this project for a variety of other applications based on ZigBee and 1-Wire or I²C buses.

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