Getting Started With IOT

IOT Hardware Requirements to start application development

What do you need to buy for getting started?

1. esp-12 Module

2. USB to Serial Converter

3. 3.3V Power Supply

1. esp-12 Module or esp-01 Module

Choosing WiFi IOT module is very easy, I recommend you to go with ESP-12 having connections on both sides and also on bottom to get more IOs and Interfaces.

ESP-12 That I use (Recommended):

ESP-12 Without SPI Interface:

ESP-01:

 Useful where size requirement is small and you want to control one or two Relays (Device on/off), this module dose not contain ADC So not suitable for sensor interface.

2. Which USB to Serial converter is best suitable?

FT232RL based usb to serial converter is best suitable with voltage levels selection jumpers is recommended. keep usb to serial converter on 3.3V level

3. A 3.3V power supply

You can make or buy power supply using LM1117-3.3V Regulator.

Components required to make 3.3V power supply1. LM1117-3.32. 10uF/16V Capacitor

Circuit Diagram:

The ESP8266 runs on anything from 2.8 to 3.5 volts, so a couple of AA batteries will work. Most of us use a 3.3 volt regulated power source. Maximum current draw is 300 mA, so use a supply that can supply 500 mA to be safe. More is better. A weak or poor quality supply will cause the board to reset unexpectedly and make debugging difficult. The NodeMCU Development Board has a USB to 3.3V power supply on the board.

Step 2: Software Requirements