ESP8266 ESP-01/ESP-202 Development Board

The ESP8266 ESP-01/ESP-202 Development Board is an excellent addition to the array of Internet of Things boards that have been recently surging into the market. It is an upgrade from the previous ESP8266 ESP12 Test Board WiFi Module, and has been improved in almost every way with more reliable components as well as new software to connect and communicate with. The only way in which this board is not an improvement is in the fact that it doesn’t include an on-board Light Dependent Resistor, although this is a very minor factor when considering all of the added components and functionality.

The board is based on the ESP8266 WiFi Module, and allows users to connect to it wirelessly to control almost any electronic device or appliance directly from a smart phone. It offers complete, self-contained networking solutions with DNS generation, and even has a unique control interface that you can connect to with an SSID and password. From this onboard WiFi interface, you can configure the WiFi, find out more info about the board and components, reset the board if you need to, as well as run the code that you’ve installed onto the board. Another fine addition of this board is that it features a micro USB port, which can either be used as a serial interface or as a means of powering the board – opening up the possibility of powering the device with a long-lasting and rechargeable PowerBank.

While there is not a lot of information about this board freely available on the internet, the board is surprisingly easy to use with an intuitive design that is relatively quick to learn. It can be used for IoT Development, NodeMCU Lua development, as well as for AT firmware testing, and is compatible with the ESP-07 12 12e too.

Typical Applications for the ESP8266 ESP-01/ESP-202 Development Board:

If you are looking for ways to integrate your household appliances, electronics and computers into a personal wireless network, the ESP8266 ESP-01/ESP-202 Development Board is the perfect place to start. Based on the classic ESP8266 wireless SOC, this dev board includes a plethora of features added components to not only make it easy to integrate, but also more functional within a network. With its own DNS generation and on-board interface that can be controlled via smart devices and connected to via WiFi, the possibilities for this board are truly endless.

Additional Resources:

For more information and help with this board, check out the Github Page by “r3wald” as well as this developer’s Product Writeup on the board.

Additionally, the following is an insightful ESP8266 Wiki that contains information regarding ESP8266, with focused sections for the Test Board V2 and the Yellow Board.

This video also demonstrates the basic use of the board, as well as how to connect to it with the clever smart-phone app:

Espressif Systems have their headquarters based in Shanghai Zhangjiang High-Tech Park, which is considered to be “China’s Silicon Valley”, where they produce low-power WiFi and Bluetooth SoC’s and IoT hardware and software.

Their vision is to enhance the world by leveraging modern technologies like IoT and wireless communications to manufacture products that are more versatile, adaptable and eco-friendly, with the aim of reducing the amount of waste and pollution that the world produces each year. So far, they have been able to reduce the consumption of electrical components by hundreds of thousands of resistors, capacitors, inductors, baluns, switches and power management chips, while reducing the amount of Printed Circuits Boards, or PCB’s, by more than 50,000 square meters.

Espressif is quickly becoming the leading manufacturer of IoT and wireless components, modules and devices that cut out the need for cabling and unnecessary electronics, which will not only result in a world that is cleaner and more environmentally sustainable, but also more adaptable and capable of moving towards the future of human technologies.