The idea for the pxlDigit_PCB came to me while building the first version of the pxlDigit (article here: https://nerdiy.de/en/howto-elektronik-sieben-segment-ziffer-pxldigit-aus-ws2812-leds-bauen/). The pxlDigit is built up from individual WS2812 LED segments. To […]
Read more
One of my past PCB projects is the “pxlBlck_multiPCB”. As the name suggests, this board is the heart of several future pxlBlck variants. So far I have used the Wemos […]
Read more
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 […]
Read more
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 […]
Read more
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. […]
Read more
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 […]
Read more
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 […]
Read more
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 […]
Read more
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 […]
Read more
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 […]
Read more
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 […]
Read more
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 […]
Read more
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 […]
Read more
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 […]
Read more
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. […]
Read more
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 […]
Read more
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. […]
Read more
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 […]
Read more
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 […]
Read more
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 […]
Read more
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 […]
Read more
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 […]
Read more
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 […]
Read more
I recently stumbled across the VL53L0X and VL53L1X TOF distance sensors. These sensors can determine distances with millimeter accuracy using a laser. In addition, they have a range of up […]
Read more