Hoping for board recommendation for this project

Using Arduino Project Guidance
1

Hi there, long time lurker, first time poster as I’m trying to start my first “proper” Arduino project.

The software side I’m fine with as my job is in software dev, but hardware wise I’m completely lost and have been trying to compare boards all day so I’m really hoping someone can assist with a recommendation or two.

I’m building a small IoT project, what id like:

  • A board with WiFi connection so i can build / test
  • But more importantly, a way to add 4G sim connection as the board will be installed remotely once ready
  • Ability to add up to say 5 sensors (GNSS and temperature sensor (BME280?)) as a starting point
  • Power to originate from 12V vehicle battery (with whatever required to make that power usable by the board)

The end result being the board will be able to send sensor data via either MQTT or HTTP to a web server at regular intervals.

Sorry if this has been asked loads but I think I’ve baffled myself with science and just want to order something!!

2

It is probably safe to say that any board with a WiFi module built in will work for this project. The question is how many GPIO pins are needed.

To safely power the project from a vehicle battery, a separate voltage regulator will be required. If the vehicle battery is in a vehicle, this also needs to be thoroughly protected from the large voltage transients associated with vehicle power systems.

1 Like
3

Perfect thank you, so I currently have a “Nano ESP32” in my basket (I was recommended an ESP32 board prior but that’s about all I know)

Sorry for the incredibly dumb question, but would any board like this be able to be upgraded to use 4G / LTE instead of WiFi when it is finally installed remotely?

4

No, but any MCU board can communicate with a separate 4G/LTE module to send and receive messages.

5

Thank you yep I think that’s what I meant, an additional 4G module could be connected without needing to replace the underlying board itself.

Space isn’t a concern for this project and it’s mostly a proof of concept to start.

So lastly, my basket of

  • WiFi enabled board
  • Separate BME280 sensor
  • Separate GPS module
  • 4G module (that I’ll add later)

Just to test out the concept might be a bit clumsy to look at but wouldn’t be a total waste of money as it will ultimately all connect together?

Thanks for this info, learning as I go so appreciate the help.

6

Plenty of articles describing working setups similar to what you propose have been posted on the web.

7

recommend a ESP32 (onboard WiFi, Bluetooth Classic and BLE), plenty of IO facilities (cost about £7 in UK). Supported by Arduino IDE.
In the past attached various modems to the ESP32 including a Quectel EC21 Series using a Quectel Mini PCIe EVB kit

8

Your SIM module probably has GPS included. You may not need a 4G shield, I understand some people can still use 2G.
If you use a SIM shield, the Wifi may be redundant, in which event a plain-vanilla Uno may suffice.