IOT Relay and ESP8266 to Control Lighting

Here is a quick project that I did to control lighting for our seedlings.  I wanted something that could be controlled via MQTT and then managed in Thingsboard.  On this initial prototype, I am using Adafruit’s IOT http://io.adafruit.com.  It works pretty well, but is limited in some of the features that I want (like scheduling events on a timed basis).

The components of the project are:

• NodeMCU ESP8266 module.  I am developing in c++
• Visual Micro plugin for Visual Studio.  Much easier for debugging and features than just the straight Arduino IDE
• IOT Relay (See on Amazon):  This is an enclosed relay for both AC and DC switching.  And it has a simple port that allows you to control from a microcontroller.

NOTE:  I have sample code below the video. Continue Reading →