In my last post on the ESP8266 and IFTTT, I said that I would prefer keeping the ESP8266 decoupled from the overall system. This meant using the standard AT commands to control the default firmware. However, after a few attempts at sending AT commands and parsing the responses, I’ve given up that idea; using the AT commands is too annoying and slow.
Instead, I plan to go in the opposite direction completely. I’m going to make the system completely coupled to the ESP8266s. The plan is to design a circuit board with the ESP8266-12 module which comes in a small surface mount layout. The GPIOs will be broken out similar to 3-pin servo connections to facilitate easy connection of various devices. If I can keep the overall circuit below $10 including the ESP-12 module, this circuit will be a very nice development board for low-cost smart home devices.
Here’s a quick snapshot of the CircuitMaker schematic in development (very basic start):
The circuit still needs all of its connectors and the power regulator. As soon as I have the first version done, I’ll include a reference so that anyone can order these boards/fork the project.
Stay tuned for more updates on this project…
Fully-Loaded Geek 