ESP8266 Thing Developpment Board w/ Headers Introduction

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ESP8266 Thing Development Board Hookup Guide
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Introduction
The ESP8266 is a cost-effective, and very capable WiFi-enabled microcontroller. Like any microcontroller, it can be programmed to
blink LEDs, trigger relays, monitor sensors, or automate coffee makers, and with an integrated WiFi controller, the ESP8266 is a
one-stop shop for almost any Internet-connected project. To top it all off, the ESP8266 is incredibly easy-to-use: firmware can be
developed in Arduino and uploaded over a simple, serial interface.
To take advantage of all of those benefits, we’ve created the ESP8266 Thing Development Board – an ESP8266 development
board, with an integrated FTDI USB-to-Serial chip.
The ESP8266 Thing Development Board breaks out all of the module’s pins, and the USB-to-serial converter means you don’t need
any peripheral components to program the chip. Just plug in a USB cable, download the Arduino board definitions, and start IoT-ing.
Covered in this Tutorial
This tutorial will help you get your ESP8266 Thing Development Board from zero to Internet-controlled blinking. It’s split into the
following sections:
Hardware Overview – A quick rundown of the Thing Development Board’s components and pinout.
Hardware Setup – Tips and recommendations on what to solder to the Thing Development Board’s I/O pins.
Setting Up Arduino – What truly makes the ESP8266 so powerful is its potential for Arduino-compatibility.
Example Sketch: Web Server – Run an HTTP server on the Thing. Use it to serve web pages, print status messages, and
control LEDs!
Example Sketch: Blink with Blynk – One of our favorite new toys is the Blynk phone app, which allows you to toggle LEDs and
monitor inputs with a simple multi-platform phone app.
Using the ESP8266 in Arduino – A few gotchya’s to look out for when programming the ESP8266 in Arduino.