1. Introduction While the ESP8266 microcontroller (with or without unicontrol) still remains to be a powerful choice for any IoT automation project, the bare ESP8266 in any of its forms has a critical lack of I/O options without a supporting PCB. With only 9 digital GPIO pins and 1 analog pin it is underequipped for … Read more
The pinnacle of DIY home automation is creating your own touchscreen dashboard that seamlessly integrates all the smart features of your home.
With the release of unicontrol 1.09, one of the most eye-catching smart home features has been implemented: the RGB LED strip driver.
The most universally applicable use of IoT devices is collecting a wide range of telemetry data. Whether your goal is to decrease energy consumption, gain new insights into your surroundings, enhance your security systems, improve your environmental quality, or catch early warnings of potential problems, the initial task is to gather the necessary data to … Read more
An excellent example of home automation is a self-operating irrigation system. Whether for a large garden or a small flower pot, you never want to do it manually. Fortunately, creating a system that handles this task autonomously with additional remote control and telemetry capabilities is straightforward with unicontrol when coupled with a standard ESP8266-based relay … Read more
Numerous third-party modules featuring the ESP8266 microcontroller are readily available in the market. Modules carrying the versions ESP-12E, ESP-12F, or ESP-12S are natively supported by unicontrol as they are equipped with 4MB Flash memory or more. They are typically less convenient when it comes to firmware uploads, compared to development boards like the WeMOS D1 … Read more
As you begin the transformation of your personal space into a modern smart home, a great starting point is to experiment with simple tasks. For instance, you could convert an old desk lamp into a smart light using just a few components: With these items, you can equip your old desk lamp with several smart … Read more
The majority of simple home projects do not require custom-made PCBs like the one demonstrated in the Bath Vent Project. Numerous ready-made modules featuring ESP8266 (or a socket for one) are available, most commonly integrating the ESP-12E or ESP-12F. These modules are natively supported by unicontrol, as they come equipped with 4MB Flash memory or more. Unlike development boards such … Read more
Manual flashing of the ESP8266 may be necessary if, for any reason, the standard web installer upload is inaccessible. We recommend uploading the software image in .bin format to your ESP8266 using the NodeMCU Firmware Programmer. This tool has an intuitive interface, works reliably, and is easy to use, even for beginners. Download the .bin … Read more