MP3 players, smartphones and USB sticks with 128GB and more memory are now part of everyday life. Storing and transporting music has therefore never been easier. About 30 years ago […]
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Category: SmartHome
The SmartHome category contains all articles that deal in any way with the configuration and operation of various SmartHome systems.
HowTo: ESPEasy – Connect the APDS-9960 gesture sensor to the ESP8266 / ESP32 and read its values
The APDS-9960 is a sensor that can be connected to a microcontroller such as the ESP8266 via the I2C bus. With the help of the sensor it is possible to […]
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HowTo: ESPEasy – Set up password protection, save and restore configurations
I am not sure whether ESPs can really be abused to set up a botnet. Either way, you shouldn’t neglect the issue of security, even with the small ESPEasy devices. […]
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HowTo: Node Red – Switch the Raspberry Pi screen on and off
So that my MagicMirror is only switched on when I actually use it, I have configured a small automation using NodeRed. The screen is only switched on if movement is […]
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HowTo: Node Red – Trigger actions via Windows shortcut / mouse click
So that I can switch off my 3D printer automatically after the printing process, I installed a Sonoff relay so that it can interrupt the power supply to the entire […]
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HowTo: ESPEasy – Connect VL53L0X / VL53L1X distance sensor to the ESP8266 / ESP32 and read its data
The VL53L0x or its sister / brother, the VL53L1X is a very precise and relatively inexpensive laser distance sensor. With this, distances can be measured almost at millimeter-accuracy. In one […]
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HowTo: ESPEasy – Connect the BME280 / BMP280 to the ESP8266 and read its data
The BME280 is one of the sensors that I use in almost all of my projects. With this sensor one can not only measure the temperature. The air humidity and […]
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HowTo: ESPEasy – Configure MQTT server on the ESP8266 and subscribe to topics
ESPEasy can read out a large number of different sensors and / or control actuators (see also ESPEasy – Sensors & Actuators). With the help of the “Rules” it is […]
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HowTo: 3D printing – Build a servo-controlled 125mm butterfly valve
I recently built an extraction system for my soldering station and the chamber of my 3D printer. The built extraction system has two connections. One of them sucks the air […]
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HowTo: ESPEasy – Connect a rotary encoder to the ESP8266 and evaluate it
Especially if your own circuit has a display to show values, the next step is often to connect an interface option. You can connect buttons or switches. A relatively cool […]
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HowTo: ESPEasy – Connect the PCA9685 PWM port extension to the ESP8266
The PCA9685 is quite a practical IC. This is connected to the microcontroller (e.g. ESP8266) via I2C and can then control up to 16 individual PWM channels. You can control […]
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HowTo: Node Red – Control Spotify via NodeRed
What I really appreciate about Spotify is the good connectivity. You can play or control music or podcasts on another device with just a few clicks. Thanks to the free […]
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HowTo: Node Red – Display close by gas station prices on the dashboard
Mit NodeRed bzw. den passenden Nodes könnt Ihr sehr leicht Daten aus dem Internet abrufen und aufbereitet anzeigen lassen. Ein praktischer Anwendungsfall dafür ist zum Beispiel der Abruf von Tankstellenpreisen […]
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HowTo: ESPEasy – Connect an LDR to the ESP8266 and read its value
There are some situations in which connecting an LDR to an ESP makes sense. In this way, the brightness in a room can be measured relatively easily and for little […]
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HowTo: pxlBlck – Display relative values as a BarGraph
I started with the documentation of the pxlBlcks (which I had been postponed for a too long time) in November 2020 after Hackaday.com had announced the “GoodBye 2020” challenge. (More […]
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HowTo: pxlBlck – Build your own pxlBlck_RingClock
The pxlBlck_RingClock is very similar to the pxlBlck_SlotClock. It is also built using a 1 × 60 LED matrix and can display the time according to the same scheme as […]
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HowTo: pxlBlck – Build your own pxlBlck_8x8
The pxlBlck_8x8 was one of the first members of the pxlBlck family. Thanks to the few parts and the prefabricated WS2812 8×8 LED matrix, it is set up fairly quickly […]
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HowTo: pxlBlck – Build your own pxlBlck_Pot
The idea for the pxlBlck_Pot is heavily inspired by a design that Lukas (@i_am_lukas) had created. He agreed that I can use his basic design. Thanks again for that. 🙂 […]
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HowTo: pxlBlck – Design icons, transfer them to the pxlBlck and display them
I started developing the pxlBlcks because I was looking for a way to stay informed about events in the SmartHome. There are now two options integrated into the pxlBlck plug-in. […]
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HowTo: pxlBlck – Install and configure the pxlBlck plugin
The pxlBlck plugin for the ESPEasy framework is the “software counterpart” to the pxlBlck platforms. With the plugin you can easily control the built-in LED matrices and with the help […]
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HowTo: pxlBlck – Commands to configure the pxlBlck
The pxlBlck plugin and the functions of your pxlBlck can be configured in two different ways. One possibility is to configure most of the functions via the plugin’s web menu. […]
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HowTo: pxlBlck – Configure and display animations
With the pxlBlck you can be informed about events in different ways. One of these possibilities is to be able to display previously set icons. Unfortunately, this option only works […]
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HowTo: pxlBlck – Configure watch faces and screensavers
The adjustable dials differ from the type of LED matrix used. Unfortunately, this is the case because different LED-matrix sizes allow or do not allow different dials and screensavers. In […]
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HowTo: pxlBlck – Automatic setting of the display brightness via LDR
If you not only want to stay informed about events with your pxlBlck and also use it to display the current time, then it might be you noticed that a […]
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pxlBlck – An IOT/SmartHome information system
pxlBlck is a system of hardware and software to set up an information system for the SmartHome. Various software and hardware options are available. Thanks to the integration in an […]
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HowTo: ESPEasy – Activate NTP time retrieval from the Internet
Thanks to WiFi and thus (often) an internet connection, an ESP8266 or ESP32 programmed with ESPEasy also has the option to retrieve the actual time. In order for this to […]
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HowTo: Node Red – Fridge door monitoring by fridge energy consumption
In the past few weeks I’ve had the problem that my freezer door didn’t close properly. As a result, at least one night, the refrigerator door was not properly closed […]
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HowTo: ESPEasy – Use a PCA9685 and ESPEasy to control servos
The PCA9685 is a PWM port expander. This makes it possible to connect up to 16 LEDs, servos or other components to your ESP8266 and supply them with a PWM […]
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How To: Raspberry Pi – Configure audio output
The RaspberryPi can be equipped with a speaker in various ways. The easiest way is the connection via the 3.5mm jack plug. There is also the option of having the […]
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HowTo: Raspberry Pi – Use a Raspberry Pi with “Raspotify” as a Spotify speaker
In the article RaspberryPi – Install “Shairport” Airplay-server on the RaspberryPi, I described how you can easily expand your RaspberryPi with the function of an AirPlay speaker. Thanks to another […]
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