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South Korea, Seoul
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Review on HiLetgo 2pcs ESP8266 NodeMCU CP2102 ESP-12E Development Board - Open Source Serial Module (2-Pack) by Shane Mack

Revainrating 5 out of 5

I use NodeMCU as my web server and it works great. It was hard to find a code sample.

Full project description follows. I use NodeMCU as my web server and it works great. It was hard to find a code sample that actually connects outside of my LAN, but I found something. I also had to learn the basics of HTML. The only problem is that it has to be restarted every 4 or 5 days. Since I'll be keeping it in a remote location, I'll add code to the MEGA sitting next to it to restart the NodeMCU every few days by pulling the RST pin low. The clearance under the Green Pond Bridge in Cape Cod is 6ft 6in or less, which is way too low for the boat I use. Tide charts for Falmouth, Massachusetts are theoretical and can vary up to 18 inches from what actually happens on the bridge. This system controls the dispatch and transmits information to the Internet. All of these parts were purchased from Revain. Transmitter The Elegoo UNO R3 board (Arduino) is connected to the Elegoo HC-SR04 ultrasonic distance sensor. The UNO and sensor calculate the distance from the fixed dock to sea level and then transmit that data using the MakerFocus NRF24L01 wireless transceiver to the receiver described below. The transmitter is located at the end of the dock where there is no power, so EnergyShield 2 supplies power to the UNO, transceiver and range sensor. This battery has a special function - it wakes up all devices every 15 minutes. The system measures the distance to the water a few times and then transmits that data, after which the battery shuts everything down. The data transmitted includes information from the battery - time, date and voltage. I tested this device at home (in Dallas) and it worked outdoors for about 20 days. Judging by the battery usage, it lasts about 4-5 months before needing to be recharged. When the temperature drops below zero, the system still works fine, but the battery voltage seems low. All of this is housed in a plastic box printed specifically for this purpose with FlashForge 3d Printer Creator Pro using eSun White ABS+ Filament. (Arduino) Elegoo MEGA 2560 R3 is connected to another NRF24 transceiver to receive data. MEGA performs calculations to convert the distance from the pier to the water into a bridge distance. The information is then displayed on the touchscreen of the Elegoo UNO R3 (which also works on the Mega). picture below. A small plastic frame for the receiver was also 3D printed. web server. Finally, the information in MEGA is sent to the Hiletgo ESP8266 NodeMCU ESP-12E Internet WIFI development board via the serial bus (also works with Arduino IDE programming). This board connects to MEGA via an XCSOURCE logic level shifter and is powered by a UCEC MB102 breadboard power module. Everything is assembled on the Elegoo breadboard. ESP8266 is programmed as a web server. Connection to the Internet is via a modem/router provided by AT&T. Picture from my phone below.

Pros
  • Great for me
Cons
  • No instructions