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SparkFun ESP8266 Thing Starter Kit
The SparkFun ESP8266 Thing Starter Kit is a great place to start learning about the Internet of Things (IoT)! Inside this kit you will find a ESP8266 Thing, a Serial Basic Breakout to program it (and USB cable), jumper wires, breadboard, LEDs, and plenty of headers. We've also included a pair of stackable 10-pin headers as well as 40 regular headers to connect your Serial Basic Breakout to the Thing or breadboard. If you have ever been interested in learning about IoT, Arduino, and wireless solutions, the SparkFun ESP8266 Thing Starter Kit is a perfect place to start!
The SparkFun ESP8266 Thing is a breakout and development board for the ESP8266 WiFi SoC – a leading platform for Internet of Things (IoT) or WiFi-related projects. The Thing is low-cost and easy to use, and Arduino IDE integration can be achieved in just a few steps. We've made the ESP8266 easy to use by breaking out all of the module’s pins, adding a LiPo charger, power supply, and all of the other supporting circuitry it requires.
Why the name? We lovingly call it the “Thing” due to it being the perfect foundation for your Internet of Things project. The Thing does everything from turning on an LED to posting data with datastream, and can be programmed just like any microcontroller. You can even program the Thing through the Arduino IDE by installing the ESP8266 Arduino addon.
Note: You may want to either use a second USB cable to power the board while programming or connect the solder jumper on the back of the board to provide power over the FTDI port.
- All module pins broken out
- On-board LiPo charger/power supply
- 802.11 b/g/n
- Wi-Fi Direct (P2P), soft-AP
- Integrated TCP/IP protocol stack
- Integrated TR switch, balun, LNA, power amplifier and matching network
- Integrated PLLs, regulators, DCXO and power management units
- Integrated low power 32-bit CPU could be used as application processor
- +19.5dBm output power in 802.11b mode
SparkFun ESP8266 Thing Starter Kit Product Help and Resources
ESP8266 Thing Hookup Guide
May 21, 2015
An overview of SparkFun's ESP8266 Thing - a development board for the Internet of...Things. This tutorial explains the circuitry driving the board, and how to get it up and running in an Arduino environment.
Three Quick Tips About Using U.FL
December 28, 2018
Quick tips regarding how to connect, protect, and disconnect U.FL connectors.
Using Home Assistant to Expand Your Home Automations
May 9, 2019
An introduction to Home Assistant, an open source home automation hub.
Core Skill: Soldering
This skill defines how difficult the soldering is on a particular product. It might be a couple simple solder joints, or require special reflow tools.
Skill Level: Noob - Some basic soldering is required, but it is limited to a just a few pins, basic through-hole soldering, and couple (if any) polarized components. A basic soldering iron is all you should need.
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Core Skill: Programming
If a board needs code or communicates somehow, you're going to need to know how to program or interface with it. The programming skill is all about communication and code.
Skill Level: Competent - The toolchain for programming is a bit more complex and will examples may not be explicitly provided for you. You will be required to have a fundamental knowledge of programming and be required to provide your own code. You may need to modify existing libraries or code to work with your specific hardware. Sensor and hardware interfaces will be SPI or I2C.
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Core Skill: Electrical Prototyping
If it requires power, you need to know how much, what all the pins do, and how to hook it up. You may need to reference datasheets, schematics, and know the ins and outs of electronics.
Skill Level: Rookie - You may be required to know a bit more about the component, such as orientation, or how to hook it up, in addition to power requirements. You will need to understand polarized components.
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