Introduction to Node MCU

-

In the previous blog we introduced you to Internet of Things. Today we will introduce you to a hardware device which is used to make IoT devices. There are many different boards available in the market such as Arduino Uno, Raspberry Pi, Node MCU, and so on.

For beginners, we would say node MCU is the best one to go with. So let's understand what is Node MCU.


The NodeMCU (Node MicroController Unit) is an open-source software and hardware development environment that is built around a very inexpensive System-on-a-Chip (SoC) called the ESP8266.

Esp8266 is the heart of node MCU.

                                                               


                        

Esp8266 is the component that helps us to connect Node MCU with Wi-Fi, thus we can share data using Node MCU over the internet. Sharing of data over the internet can be anything like storing the data in a cloud or storing it in any database, files, etc.


You can refer to this video for a better understanding.




We can program node MCU via C and C++ using the Arduino IDE. It was originally programmed using Lua script

Node MCU can be accessed with the internet. Don't confuse yourself here. Node MCU can operate without the internet also. We can attach sensors and make devices that work without the help of the Internet using Node MCU. If needed, we can connect Node MCU to the internet using Wi-Fi.


Node MCU has different connector pins that can be connected to different devices.


                                                    

       

  • USB to UART bridge is a kind of language converter. The one shown in this picture is square in shape but it can be rectangular in shape also. In the easiest term consider that USB connected to your computer is a language that is not understandable by Node MCU. So this bridge converts that language into one which is understood by Node MCU.
  • There are two LEDs in node MCU we will learn to switch them on and off in further videos
  • The regulator and the capacitors control the internal voltage of the board
  • The WiFi module is the esp8266 WiFi chip and microcontroller.


Now we will look at the pin diagram. Look at the left-hand side.


                                                              

          


  • There are 9 digital pins from pin D0 to D8 which sends digital and analog signals and receives digital signals.
  • There are Rx and TX pins that stand for receiver and transmitter. It is mostly used while working with Bluetooth.
  • On the right side, we have an A0 pin which is an analog pin that receives analog signals.
  • Vin is used to power the node MCU in case you don't use the USB cable.
  • Then we have gnd and 3V3 which is ground and voltage pins connected with ground and VCC of sensors.

These are the pins that are mostly used while developing a project.


Let us quickly summarize the features of node MCU - 

  • It is an open-source platform as you have all the packages and codes openly available.
  • It provides an interactive environment between physical devices which can be enhanced with the help of internet
  • Node MCU is easily programmable
  • It is a low-cost microcontroller which costs around Rs 300. It is very nominal considering the features it provides.
  • It is very simple to operate which will seem more simple if you keep on following Tech Stormers.
  • Node MCU is used to make smart IoT devices
  • It is WiFi-enabled which makes this device a very good platform to make smart devices, especially for beginners.

We will keep posting interesting blogs. Follow us to show your support, it keeps us motivated.!


YouTube - youtube.com/techStormers

Facebook - facebook.com/techstormers

Instagram - instagram.com/techstormers

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Connecting LED with Node MCU

-
Image
In this blog, we will learn how to connect an LED using a resistor with Node MCU. Hardware requirements- Led 200ohm resistor Node MCU Need for resistor If the maximum capacity of the led is 5 Volts and we give it a power supply of 10 volts then the LED will burn but if we use a resistor it prevents the extra flow of current. In the case of Node MCU, we don't need a resistor to turn an led on because node MCU supplies 3.3volts current that is bearable by an led, but it is a good practice. You can watch this video for a detailed understanding: There are two wires in an led. The long one is a positive wire which gets the power from digital pins and the short one is connected to the ground. How to make the connection- Connect one end of the led to one end of the resistor. Connect the other end of the led to the Ground pin of Node MCU. Then connect the resistor with the D1 pin of node MCU. You can use any GPIO pin from D0 to D8. For a detailed pin explanation of Node MCU watch this vide...
Read more

The Rise of Functional Programming

-
Image
Functional programming (FP) used to be an obscure paradigm that few software developers had heard of but today almost every major programming language - Java, C#, Python, Javascript -   has borrowed concepts or implemented features from FP to make development faster and easier. Functional programming is a programming paradigm for developing software using functions only. Following the FP philosophy means avoiding things like shared states, mutable data and side effects. Unlike procedures that depend on a local or global state, outputs in FP depend only on the arguments passed to the function. Taking out side effects, or state changes that don't depend on function inputs, makes software behave more predictably, which is a major selling point for many FP coders. Side effects: Side effects are any state changes that occur outside of a called function aside from the returned value like modifying a global variable, printing onto console. Higher order functions: Higher order fun...
Read more