5 ms·
I have to ask this most of the time I see an r-pi project: why r-pi instead of ESP8266 for something this simple?
by mdorazio 6y ago
I have to ask this most of the time I see an r-pi project: why r-pi instead of ESP8266 for something this simple?
- karlshea 6y agoI’ve never heard of the ESP8266, but I have heard of (and used, for several projects) the RPi. That’s probably the reason for a lot of people.
- entropie 6y agoIf you want to do things that need an OS use RPI, if you want read/transfer sensor data or control basic servos esp8266 is a joy to work with. There are plenty of others, arduino is maybe more known as buzzword for microcontrollers.
- scsilver 6y agoYou need a computer and the right cords to program a controller, the pi is that computer as well as the controller.
- rhinoceraptor 6y agoYes, but you also get the downsides of having a full computer. Namely, it has an OS, it has an SD card that can wear out, it takes longer to boot, etc.
- martin_a 6y agoYes! Replace the ESP8266 with some Arduino clone for 3.50 € and you'll even be more beginner friendly...
- sokoloff 6y agoMakes it harder to make it work with Homebridge/Alexa though.
- lights0123 6y agoIt's not hard to get an ESP8266 dev board for that much.
- hellweaver666 6y agoIf you're willing to wait you can get an ESP8266 dev board such as the WeMos D1 mini from aliexpress for less than $2!
- Isamu 6y agoIt is true that pi is complete overkill for such a project, but it is very convenient and lots of people have experience with it. Plus your standing desk could also be a pi-hole for wifi security.
- schwartzworld 6y agoor a Plex server.
- abraae 6y agoI've just been on this same journey building a sensor for the level in our home water tanks. I started with a raspberry pi, but then discovered esp32 with an lcd display for just a few bucks https://www.amazon.com/LILYGO-T-Display-Bluetooth-Development-Arduino/dp/B07V7FDHWR https://www.amazon.com/LILYGO-T-Display-Bluetooth-Developmen....
- xxxtentachyon 6y agoHow long have you been using it? I find random ESP32s off of Amazon to be a bit of a crapshoot, and I’ve taken to just sticking to big microcontroller integrators that I’ve used before.
- abraae 6y agoIt's still in dev, so I haven't run it for more than a few hours at a time. Seems OK so far.
- tomahony 6y agoFor me, simply because it was lying around!
- flak48 6y agoFaster prototyping, I can ssh into a RasPi wirelessly and control the gpio via my terminal like a REPL, for the ESP I need to keep flashing newer firmware and control it via USB to serial. Feels a bit clunkier although not a huge difference. If I were making and selling some IoT hardware or if I wanted to re-use the RasPi for something else in my house, it would definitely make sense to move to an ESP/Arduino
- deivid 6y agoyou can use micropython for this, a repl over usb or wifi
- numpad0 6y agoI personally don’t like accidentally bumping Pi and waiting couple minutes with monitors to see if I have to start over from microSD part. Flashing ESP is slower than Atmega Arduinos but not as slow as Raspbian booting.
- amelius 6y agoBecause it can't be extended so much as the r-pi. Why limit yourself when you don't have to? It's like asking why one would buy a 1TB harddrive when Linux fits in a few GB.
- ddevault 6y ago>Why limit yourself when you don't have to? Cost, power consumption, reliability, performance, security, weight, and volume, to name just a few. I really dislike the attitude that we should use the biggest hammer we can find for any size of nail just because we can.
- scsilver 6y agoAnd if you dont have to meet those requirements, why waste time, energy, thoughts trying to. Theres a reason multitools are every day carry, and its not that they are the perfect tool for the job.
- amelius 6y ago> security The ESP8266 is a product developed by a Chinese company, which would be reason for some to avoid it from a security standpoint.