Learning how to combine a NodeMCU(ESP8266 based µC) with the Blynk application!

Hello Blynkers! I have been using the NodeMCU for a while now, and I thought that I shall share it to the community. I made a basic tutorial for beginners on what the ESP8266 is, how it works and how to use it in combination with the Blynk app in order to create awesome WiFi-controlled projects! The link to this article is below:

I hope you find it useful and learn something new by the way! If so, please let me know, so I can continue make other tutorials, with more enhanced projects.

Having hung-out on this forum for the past year or so, there are a couple of recurring issues that crop up - confusion about the difference between the “D” numbers screen printed on the board and GPIO numbers, and people choosing inappropriate pins.

Maybe including a punout diagram, and discussing the pin numbering issue and how to avoid that pitfall would be a useful addition?

Including this info about “special” pins might be handy:

I think most people come to Blynk thinking that the Arduino boards are the way to go, whereas for most situations the NodeMCU boards are a much better option. However, there are a few situations where the Arduino is a better choice - if you need more analogue or digital pins than you can get with the NodeMCU, or if you’re interfacing with 5v logic levels.
Maybe an intro, or a separate tutorial, about the best choice of board for a particular scenario might also be a good idea?

Pete.

Hello Pete! Thank you for your comment!

So you mean that there is a more detailed explanation needed about the NodeMCU board itself? About the pin layout and the issue with the 5 V incompatibilty? I could also refer to the pros and cons when deciding either to go with the NodeMCU board or just stick to an Arduino µC in another article.

There is also the possibility to combine an Arduino µC with a NodeMCU board. In this way you can offer a WiFi interface to a project based on an Arduino. The WiFi board can be use to recieve commands from the Blynk app and transmit them to the Arduino.

Robert.

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