Hello,
I need the cheapest and smallest possible microcontroller + wi-fi.
And if possible to work with 5V.
p.s. It doesn’t need to be arduino compatible!
Its difficult to recommend a MCU without knowing what you need to do with it. I’m assuming it needs to do more than talk on WiFi, what other devices are you talking to? Requirements for A-D or D-A? If you need the most basic of MCU’s, I would go with an ATTINY which come about as small as you can get. Also, how much code do you need to run on them? Do you want to run the TCP/IP stack on the MCU or have some kind of stand-alone wifi device you talk with serial?
RonBeyer:
Its difficult to recommend a MCU without knowing what you need to do with it. I’m assuming it needs to do more than talk on WiFi, what other devices are you talking to? Requirements for A-D or D-A? If you need the most basic of MCU’s, I would go with an ATTINY which come about as small as you can get. Also, how much code do you need to run on them? Do you want to run the TCP/IP stack on the MCU or have some kind of stand-alone wifi device you talk with serial?
Actually i need to trace some events from magnet switches. Nothing more than that. Simple intrusion system… Indoor and not huge space.
I would make it work on 433 mhz or so but i want it to be simple, directly connecting to wi-fi and sending events… so that i don’t need some central box to get and pass events… that is all
Well, if you’ve got wifi up and running constantly and you’ve got a box that’s going to monitor everything, why not go 433Mhz or Xbee or otherwise and tap into a serial port or keyboard or something that’s cheaper/easier/etc?
skimask:
Well, if you’ve got wifi up and running constantly and you’ve got a box that’s going to monitor everything, why not go 433Mhz or Xbee or otherwise and tap into a serial port or keyboard or something that’s cheaper/easier/etc?
I want to avoid that “box”… I want the devices to be as independent as possible… so sending sms alert or tweet directly from the device (or through some peace of software which i make for free) is much simpler to maintain and to build. Just the question how cheap it can be.
Microcontroller - Irrelevant. They’re so cheap compared to the wifi module it won’t make much difference at all.
WiFi module - about the cheapest you’re going to get it one of the WiFly module at about $30.
Question is…can you write code for microcontroller X and build up a circuit to fit?
skimask:
Microcontroller - Irrelevant. They’re so cheap compared to the wifi module it won’t make much difference at all.WiFi module - about the cheapest you’re going to get it one of the WiFly module at about $30.
Question is…can you write code for microcontroller X and build up a circuit to fit?
You didn’t understand me at all.
I was looking for a device like https://www.spark.io
But that one is too expensive…
No question about it,
New Arduino is a solution, Raspberry PI with wi-fi is a solution, beagle bone IS a solution … there are many solutions…
BUT I NEED IT to be as small, as simple, as cheap as possible and to give me possibility JUST TO:
-
attach one sensor (which is magnet swotch)
-
send and event via wi-fi in a primitive http GET/POST way
That is all. If i can have that without PSU for under 20$ THAT IS GREAT…
that is all…
Ahhh…I getcha…
Ok, ya, the Spark.IO is about as cheap as your going to get. I can’t think of anything off the top of my head that’s much cheaper, and more importantly (in my head), easier to use.
Maybe, you use one “Spark.IO” type device with some cheaper RF… Coagulate all those sensors to one WiFi unit. For one thing, only one IP to worry about (not that it’s a worry in the first place, but you know how WiFi is sometimes).
better/cheaper ways than WiFi to communicate wirelessly, e.g., IEEE 802.15.4. WiFi's 20MHz channel is a big disadvantage for low rate data.RonBeyer:
Its difficult to recommend a MCU without knowing what you need to do with it. I’m assuming it needs to do more than talk on WiFi, what other devices are you talking to? Requirements for A-D or D-A? If you need the most basic of MCU’s, I would go with an ATTINY which come about as small as you can get. Also, how much code do you need to run on them? Do you want to run the TCP/IP stack on the MCU or have some kind of stand-alone wifi device you talk with serial?
XBee Series 1 is a good way to go, instead of WiFi.
Get a pair.
There are cheaper yet, but not plug-and-play.
How about an Electric Imp?
how about
http://www.digi.com/products/wireless-w … xbee-wi-fi
http://www.digikey.com/product-detail/e … medium=cpc
Many remote data acquisition and control apps can be done with this and no added microprocessor (and coding) needed.
Same concept as the XBee 802.15.4.
4 A/Ds
10 digital I/Os
and built in timers and automatic sampling and transmission.
Hello ALL:
I also need the cheapest and smallest possible microcontroller + wi-fi, works with 3.3 or 5V.
Board should accommodate just one IR sensor (receiver) and send information over the network
Thanks
Problem is that bare Wi-Fi modules are $15 to $25 even in thousand unit quantities. Add to that the higher level network protocols pretty well consume an Arduino class MCU, so you have to upgrade to a more expensive one. So now you are at $22 to $32 for just the core components. By the time you flesh it out, manufacture it and tuck in a little profit you are pretty much right where the Spark.io is, $39 retail.
That said, if you are creative (and will compromise) and can wade through the details of the docs, you don’t need the MCU if you use a bare RN-171. It has the IO pins to do what you want. That puts you back down in the $25 range in quantity, but you are still paying $35 for just one from Sparkfun or $27 for a raw one from Digi-Key.
As others have pointed out, XBees or other 915MHz radio modules (Moteino from lowpowerlab.com, Jeenode from jeelabs.com) are much cheaper but you will need to build a gateway to get them on the internet. Two of these are still cheaper than one Wi-Fi device.
Spark.io is on track to build a cheap usable unit. If even marginally successful their products should get more integrated and cheaper over time. If you are building a one-off device, pay the $39 and be done with it. If you intend to sell them or just use lots, then you can either pick a cheaper radio or wait for prices to come down.
Good luck,
- Chip
My recommendation is a pair of $15 boards with Mega32P, wireless radio/mass storage/Clock chip boards combined with the Networking software (free) RadioHead.
Sorry, but Sparkfun doesn’t sell these. Google for Anarduino comany’s Miniwireless board (board, not bare radio), and RadioHead software. I’d link to them but it seems bad form to do that on this forum.
I use these boards with the RFM22 and RFM69 radio options, with one connected to a PC with a large body of software I’ve written on top of RadioHead.
For low volume data, WiFi is too expensive, too power hungry, and the radios as above, being sub-GHz, have much better range and lower channel width which enables longer range and use of weaker signals. WiFI channel widths are 20MHz. These sub-GHz radios are well under 0.1MHz (100KHz). That’s the essence lowering cost/power/size and increasing range. And the radios are up to 100mW. The PC end is a serial interface - USB/Serial adapter - good one from Anarduino too.
You’re looking for an ESP8266, I think.
It’s marketed as a wifi to serial board, but you can program it in the arduino environment directly, and make it do pretty much whatever you like.
You can ebay “esp8266” and you’ll see what I mean.
( http://www.ebay.com/itm/ESP8266-Serial- … Sw-vlVhBXf )
Then you can slap it into the arduino environment:
Oops… I mean the link for the esp8266 is here:
You do know you posted in a year and a half old thread, right?
Yep. If I found it via google, so will others, eventually. May as well be current, right?
Or maybe I was just bored and ready for some drive-by philanthropy. Either way, I still can’t believe my wonderful sparkfun esp8266, it’s unreal.