[Which wireless protocols are best for home automation?]

1. Coverage:

   • Zigbee: Zigbee operates on a mesh network, allowing devices to relay signals to extend coverage throughout your home. It's particularly effective for larger homes with multiple floors and rooms.
   • Z-Wave: Similar to Zigbee, Z-Wave also utilizes a mesh network for extended coverage. Both Zigbee and Z-Wave are suitable for multi-room and multi-floor setups.
   • Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi offers excellent coverage but may experience interference in densely populated areas or larger homes with thick walls.
   • Bluetooth: Bluetooth's coverage is typically limited to a single room, making it less ideal for expansive smart home setups.

2. Energy Consumption:

   • Zigbee: Zigbee devices are known for their low power consumption, leading to longer battery life for battery-operated devices.
   • Z-Wave: Z-Wave devices also boast low power consumption, contributing to extended battery life.
   • Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi devices tend to consume more power compared to Zigbee and Z-Wave, potentially leading to more frequent battery replacements.
   • Bluetooth: Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) is designed for energy efficiency, but battery life can still vary depending on device usage.

Some smart home hubs support multiple wireless protocols, allowing you to integrate devices using different standards. This provides flexibility and compatibility but may require additional setup and configuration.The best wireless protocol for your smart home depends on your specific requirements, including coverage, energy efficiency, security, and future expansion plans. Consider factors such as the size of your home, the types of devices you plan to connect.

Here is an example of a wifi-based home automation project. 

https://www.pcbway.com/project/shareproject/Alexa_Control_Smart_Home_Automation_Using_Arduino_Nano_ESP32_45d0b79a.html

[Ultrasonic Sensor with Home Assistant]

The project looks really great. Here is another good ESPhome project https://www.pcbway.com/project/shareproject/homeThing_S3_2b3ac3ac.html

HomeThing is a universal remote platform that works with any smart home. Now faster, with Voice Assistant, and easier to set up.

[Integrating DHT11 with Beetle ESP32 C3 and Home Assistant]

Thanks for sharing the project. Here is another good project based on DHT11. This is done with ESP8266. But it can be done with ESP32 too. This is a room-temperature monitor. We can use it to monitor our room from anywhere in the world with dht11: https://www.pcbway.com/project/shareproject/Room_Temperature_Over_Internet_With_BLYNK_ESP8266_DHT11_91b0d3f5.html

[Automatic electric bell using wifi]

A suitable microcontroller for this project would be the ESP32. It's a budget-friendly microcontroller with built-in Wi-Fi capability, which makes it easy to connect to the internet and fetch real-time data. The ESP32 also has plenty of GPIO pins for controlling multiple bells and interfacing with other peripherals. You can also print PCB of your project from PCBway. 

https://www.pcbway.com/project/shareproject/ESP32_Power_Montiroing_PZEM_004T_and_Relay_Control_c8098cc0.html

[ESP32 Web Server with Slider]

Good project. I can see another ESP32 Webserver for Home Weather Station PCB. 

https://www.pcbway.com/project/share/ESP32_Webserver_for_Home_Weather_Station.html

[Led Control with ESP Webserver]

Very good project. If you want to customize an ESP32-C3 board of yourself, you can see the BOM here:

https://www.pcbway.com/project/shareproject/ESP32_C3_DevBoard_208483e1.html

[Neo Pixels Ring with Arduino Nano]

Thanks a lot for the elaborate tutorial. Here I found another Neopixel ring clock. This one is also nice and well built.

https://www.pcbway.com/project/shareproject/NeopixelQuarterRing_cbc70e1a.html

[Node-Red Telegram Bot with Temperature Logger Part-2]

Thanks a lot for sharing this project. Earlier, I came across many telegram-related projects like this.

https://www.pcbway.com/blog/PCB_Design_Tutorial/ESP32_CAM_with_Telegram__Take_Photos__Control_Outputs__Sensor_Readings_and_Motio.html

Your blog is much more elaborate. 

[Unknow tiny PCB contact]

You can post your query to digikey forum. 

[Lattepanda alternative]

On 9/13/2023 at 3:32 PM, Celine Dion said:

If your project involves machine learning and IoT, a more powerful SBC like Lattepanda or a Raspberry Pi might be a more suitable choice.

Thanks a lot.

[Crypto Mining with ESP32]

Thanks for the detailed discussion of the project. Here somebody designed a smaller alternative https://www.pcbway.com/project/shareproject/Atiny_85_crypto_miner_9415f34a.html

It is based on Attiny85. 

[Digital Sound / Bell Timer Announcer]

I think for this type of smart projects, you must choose STM microcontrollers. With Arduino, the nearest thing I could find is this one: 

If you just want to make simple Arduino-based school bell, you can follow this design:

https://www.pcbway.com/project/shareproject/Arduino_School_Bell_Simple_DIY_058abe6e.html 

[Lattepanda alternative]

On 8/2/2023 at 1:25 PM, rykerson said:

What project? this link?

Yes. The link I posted. The smart grocery cart project. 

[DHT11 with ESPNOW]

If you are interested, you can make a PCB of your project: https://www.pcbway.com/project/shareproject/Battery_powered_and_compact_design_ESP32_temperature_and_humidity_sensor_ba934715.html

This PCB also features ESP32 and DTH11. It's quite compact.  

[Transformers PCB BADGE]

It's really beautiful. 

[Circuit to monitor your Ac transformer and send you a message unto your phone]

This paper may help you: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10053405

[[Internet of Things Antenna Selection Guide] 2.4GHz Band Gain Antenna Module Equipment Selection]

Can these modules E73-2G4M04S1A, E73-2G4M04S1B, E73-2G4M08S1C, E73-2G4M04S1D be used instead of ESP8266?

[3-Wires/4-Wires FAN Control and Over Temperature Protection using LM35 and ATTiny13]

Wow! What a detailed video. Thanks. 

[IR Remote Tester and Decoder]

Thanks. I did the decoder with Arduino. I could change the color of an RGB LED by pressing different numbers on the remote. I wish to try it without Arduino someday. 

[Simple Audio sensor board connection to a speaker]

You need a Sound Detector module, speaker, amplifier, and connecting wires.

 The Sound Detector module provides both analog and digital outputs. To obtain an analog audio signal, connect the AO (Analog Output) pin of the module to the input of an amplifier circuit. You can use a simple op-amp-based amplifier circuit or an audio amplifier module for this purpose. The amplifier circuit will boost the audio signal to a level suitable for driving the speaker.

Connect the output of the amplifier circuit to the input of the speaker. If you're using an audio amplifier module, it may have dedicated inputs and outputs for connecting to speakers.

Ensure that the power supply for the amplifier circuit and the speaker is suitable for their requirements. Amplifiers may require a separate power supply or use the same one as the Sound Detector module, depending on the specifications.

Adjust the gain of the amplifier circuit, if necessary, to achieve the desired volume level.

Once the connections are made, power on the circuit and test it by making sounds near the Sound Detector module. The detected audio signals should be amplified by the circuit and played through the speaker.

 

[Creating a USB-C Passthrough with power charging detection]

Hi, have you completed this project yet?

[LED Fader Using 555 Timer IC]

You did a lot of hard work I must say. For this type of fading effect, I always use Arduino or AVR microcontroller. It is very easy to do this with the PWM pins of the Arduino. But making the project this much compact and without programming really needs good skills. Good work. 

[Stereo Digital FM Transmitter Circuit]

Is there any receiver part of this circuit?

[Wallys/Qualcomm IPQ5018 solution application wifi6 , support M.2 Card Slot for QCN9074 WIFI 6E Card.]

This is the first time I am hearing about IPQ5018. Is there any datasheet?

[High Precision Digital AC Energy Meter Circuit]

Super device. How much did it cost?