I have a Mega2560 - my longer term goal is to get it talking to alexa... I would like alexa to send the arduino a command - and in response the arduino would execute an RF command.
I've figured out how to capture and transmit the RF commands... however linking it up to alexa will be a new area to learn.
I have done a bit of reserach and the impression I get is that I need to start off by getting an IOT device?
Is this correct?... does anyone have any suggestions or guidance of what IOT device to get hold of, and what i need to look into and learn in order to achieve my longer term goal with it?
Thanks
Nathan Webb
P.S. I am also interested to learn how people turn their arduino projects into something a little more solid... i.e. not a load of wires connected to a bread board. Is it possible to get custom circuit boards made etc to contain the electronics?
Drop the Mega 2560, start with an ESP - ESP8266 or ESP32 if more connections involved.
What does "executing an RF command" mean?
You can certainly get custom PCBs made - quite cheaply nowadays, depending on your patience.
Do not however, try and reproduce an Arduino or ESP into your own PCB, just use it as a module (a Pro Mini, Nano or ESP module) mounted as a "daughterboard" to your PCB design.
are you suggesting an ESP8266 would do everything I need? or are you suggesting use it with another chip such as mega 2560. A bit confused as to why you mention dropping the mega 2560 when the ESP8266 simply looks like a wifi chip (at a glance).
executing an RF command - what I meant by this was that Alexa would send a signal to the arduino board - and the arduino code would send a predefined HEX code to the RF Transmitter chip using the IRsend library.... so I say "alexa turn on the TV" ... alexa sends a signal to arduino and arduino sends a infrared signal out which the TV would pick up.
NIce to know you can get custom PCB's made... the reproducing the arudino or ESP into your own pbc is an interesting poiint which I had thought about... so basically just have a custom PCB to contain the custom circuits and components and connect it to an arduino.
I can be patient when it comes to waiting for something - I am in no rush... just enjoying learning how to use the board at the moment.
are you suggesting an ESP8266 would do everything I need? or are you suggesting use it with another chip such as mega 2560. A bit confused as to why you mention dropping the mega 2560 when the ESP8266 simply looks like a WiFi chip (at a glance).
The ESP8266 is a massively more capable microcontroller than the 2560. Once you involve it in your project, you have to ask just why you would want to complicate matters by having another microcontroller in addition as you then have to figure out your communications protocols between the two. You may mistakenly be thinking in terms of the 2560 "telling the ESP what to do" but really it would need to be be a matter of the ESP instructing the 2560.
In addition the Mega 2560 is a cumbersome form factor derived from the UNO. If you must assemble a project, the Nano or Pro Mini are a more useful form.
hihip2004:
executing an RF command - what I meant by this was that Alexa would send a signal to the Arduino board - and the Arduino code would send a predefined HEX code to the RF Transmitter chip using the IRsend library.... so I say "Alexa turn on the TV" ... Alexa sends a signal to Arduino and Arduino sends a infrared signal out which the TV would pick up.
"RF" in my lexicon stands for "Radio Frequency" but you actually mean Infrared - I was a trifle puzzled and you yet again refer to an "RF Transmitter chip". Naturally, the ESP8266 is itself more than capable of sending the IR commands, though you may have to tell it not to attend to the WiFi for the time it is actually clocking out that command depending on how it performs the timing involved.
hihip2004:
Nice to know you can get custom PCB's made... the reproducing the Arduino or ESP into your own PCB is an interesting point which I had thought about... so basically just have a custom PCB to contain the custom circuits and components and connect it to an Arduino.
Well, by "connect", you make your custom PCB and allocate a pinout area where an ESP (or a Pro Mini or Nano if you were to use them) mounts as a "daughterboard" by its header pins (as on a WeMOS D1 Mini) or castellated edges. If using header pins, it can be soldered or socketed for possible replacement.
Be aware that without using a special skill your limited on what commands you can issue to Arduino (ESP's).
An example of something like your looking for can be seen here if your wanting to just turn things on/off.
Have an extensive google - you can make an 8266 appear to Alexa as a commercially available device and therefore use the skill for that .
Did this few years back so can’t recall off the top of my head ... but it’s out there .
hammy:
Have an extensive google - you can make an 8266 appear to Alexa as a commercially available device and therefore use the skill for that .
Did this few years back so can’t recall off the top of my head ... but it’s out there .
I flash Tasmota firmware on my ESP devices (switches, sensors, etc) Almost every switch or light in my house is controllable over Alexa. (It helps that I have an Echo device in almost every room).
My control is over a website by Home Assistant and/or Node-Red. Sending controls ("kitchen light on" for example) is trivial using the Alexa Home node in Node Red. Getting sensor data back is still a work in progress. I recently discovered on a post in this forum that there is an Arduino Alexa Skill, but I haven't started researching it.