Looking for a starting point for Micro-controllers...

[KennyIII65]

Hey all-

I am an old geek/nerd and need some "learnin'" about how to start a simple project to make wifi/bluetooth things I can run remotely (IoT).
Looking for a jump in spot. I have a raspberry pi to start with. I guess I'm looking for a place to start.

Starting with test modules with a proto board. Micro-controllers that support Bluetooth & Wifi like the ESP32, but in a "pluggable" way that handles things like step motors, limit switches, servos, etc.

Of course it has to have an IDE/SDK/SDP for developing software... I see that depends on the MC and the build platform.

Has anyone here stepped down that path and have any recommendations or sites/groups in mind?

Thanks in advance,
Kenny H

 

[Harald Kapp]

For wireless the ESP series og controlles is very well suited. For easy startes it can be programmed using the beginner friendly Arduino IDE, see e.g. here. Also tons of instructional videos and blogs out there.
If you don't want to deal with breadboards so much, look into the M5stack modules. Easy to handle, but at a cost.
Note that ESP32s come in a variety of flavors, not every type equally well suited for a given task. Use your favorite search engine and look up "selecting the right esp32" to inform yourself about the options and find the right ESP32 for your project.

Your Raspberry Pi is also suitable. Lots of Hats available for different purposes and also lots of tutorials.

Raspberry Pi and ESP32, however, play in different leagues. Where a Raspberry Pi comes with a full-blown OS, An ESP32 is in, imho, the majority of examples used with a single task, at least when programmed using the Arduino IDE. But it is not limited to single tasking. ESP32s come with a built-in FreeRTOS. Hre is an example how to use FreeRTOS for multitasking on an ESP32.

 

[danadak]

Cypress, now Infineon owned, has an extensive line of AFM based SOC's. Example
part has all these resources, ,most multiples of whats shown.



Above is PSOC 4/5 families. There is a PSOC 6 family with huge BT resources and capabilities as well.
100's of projects to cut and paste from.

Check out this chat

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[KennyIII65]

For wireless the ESP series og controlles is very well suited. For easy startes it can be programmed using the beginner friendly Arduino IDE, see e.g. here. Also tons of instructional videos and blogs out there.
If you don't want to deal with breadboards so much, look into the M5stack modules. Easy to handle, but at a cost.
Note that ESP32s come in a variety of flavors, not every type equally well suited for a given task. Use your favorite search engine and look up "selecting the right esp32" to inform yourself about the options and find the right ESP32 for your project.

Your Raspberry Pi is also suitable. Lots of Hats available for different purposes and also lots of tutorials.

Raspberry Pi and ESP32, however, play in different leagues. Where a Raspberry Pi comes with a full-blown OS, An ESP32 is in, imho, the majority of examples used with a single task, at least when programmed using the Arduino IDE. But it is not limited to single tasking. ESP32s come with a built-in FreeRTOS. Hre is an example how to use FreeRTOS for multitasking on an ESP32.

Thank You! That's a great start!

 

[doc.cotton]

I am older than dirt sooooo. Start with 1 Arduino uno and the Arduino free user interface. Just know that the Arduino is 5 volts on the I/O pins and everything else will be 3V on the I/O. After success with the C/C++ programming language and the Arduino move on to the ESP32 of your choice, still using the Arduino API. Reason? The Arduino has many example programs to learn from!!!. , and it will support the smaller RPi's. Have fun and enjoy. Oh and look at Random Nerd Tutorials -> https://randomnerdtutorials.com/esp32-web-server-timer-schedule-arduino/ for a bunch of projects with wiring and code.