NodeMCU is a firmware based open source development board which can help you build many IoT projects . It can serve many features like an Arduino board or raspberry pi. A NodeMCU is originally programmed in a language called Lua, but since the Arduino programming language is very heavily used in the microcontroller programming, there evolved certain libraries to code a NodeMCU using the Arduino IDE as well. It is based around the ESP-8266 module which is a low cost WIFI enabled microchip that can serve a lot of purposes.
Components
Node MCU
Generally, a Node MCU contains 13 GPIO pins, 10 PWM channels, I2C, SPI, ADC, UART, and 1-Wire. The pinout and ports of the ESP8266 NodeMCU are listed down:-
| Power | Micro-USB, 3.3V, GND, Vin |
| Control Pins | EN, RST |
| Analog Pin | A0 |
| GPIO Pins | GPIO1 to GPIO16 |
| SPI Pins | SD1, CMD, SD0, CLK |
| UART Pins | TXD0, RXD0, TXD2, RXD2 |
| I2C Pins |
Specifications
| Microcontroller | Tensilica 32-bit RISC CPU Xtensa LX106 |
| Operating Voltage | 3.3V |
| Input Voltage | 7-12V |
| Digital I/O Pins (DIO) | 16 |
| Analog Input Pins (ADC) | 1 |
| UARTs | 1 |
| SPIs | 1 |
| I2Cs | 1 |
| Flash Memory | 4 MB |
| SRAM | 64 KB |
| Clock Speed | 80 MHz |
How to use
Tutorial –
https://www.electronicshub.org/getting-started-with-nodemcu/
Common Applications
1. It is used widely to connect objects and transfer data over the Wi-Fi protocol.
2. IoT Projects
Some example projects that students can try out in the ATL Lab
1. Home Automation System using NodeMCU –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFGP1YqUPy0
2. WiFi Controlled Car –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gU7vlhU1HvU
3. Smart home with Google Assistant and Alexa –
Safety Measures to follow
1. Do not expose to water or moisture, or place on a conductive surface whilst in operation
2. Do not expose to heat from any source.
3. Take care whilst handling to avoid mechanical or electrical damage to the printed circuit board and connectors.
4. Whilst it is powered, avoid handling the printed circuit board, or only handle it by the edges to minimise the risk of electrostatic discharge damage.
Important Links
1. An overview of the Node MCU board (https://youtu.be/IHocU-VqsF0)
YouTube Video
2. Difference between Node MCU and Arduino Uno (https://youtu.be/AqfGvcpEecE)
YouTube Video
3. Projects using Node MCU –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maGERlv9FMk&list=PLpksGv8aG4d9iI18TbELh4P8C6MhSq3Vs
