I am currently working on a project that reads data values on my MPU6050 using Arduino code through an ESP32 and from there, the values are translated into angular data. I am using an ESP32 as my micro-controller as I am using WiFi for the transfer of data from the ESP to my phone. The app allows me to view real time live data and also export data into an excel format for post processing, the app is called Blynk.
However the data transfer for this method heavily depends on the strength on WiFi signal. So my question is: Is there other methods for transferring my ESP32 data wirelessly so that I can view it live and also store the data recorded (maybe a text file) for post processing?
I tried looking into bluetooth for the ESP32 but I couldn't find a solution to my problem as most of the bluetooth projects involving ESP32 just sends commands over a serial terminal.
I am also not too sure if this is the correct platform for my question as I am using an ESP32 but it involves Arduino IDE. I already have my whole setup working when using WiFi but I am looking for other wireless alternatives in the case when WiFi is not an option.
Any help and advice will be greatly appreciated!
Thank you!
Your phone is the limiting factor. You can connect all kinds of radios to an Arduino but your phone has WiFi, BLE and the mobile network. BLE being a lower power standard living in the same 2.4GHz band as WiFi will not give you any longer distance. It was designed to allow sensors powered by coin cells for month.
The ESP32 can create its own WiFi network and your phone can connect to it directly.
Quite a few people use a Raspberry Pi to run data services with for multiple Arduinos/ESP32 sensors. e.g.
Node-RED a programming tool for wiring together hardware devices ( installed by default in RaspberryPi OS) has interfaces for databases, graphical data display, some data processing is already integrated and can be extended with JavaScript https://nodered.org/
There are plenty of Youtube videos and tutorials to get you started. A few people in the forum use this or something similar. I have a test system running 24/7/365 collecting sensor data and providing a nice web page for data analysis.
Hi Klaus!
Thanks for taking the time to reply!
So what you are suggesting is that I use a Raspberry Pi for the transfer of data? Do you have any links to those projects or even your own project?
Is the flow MPU6050 > ESP32 > Raspberry Pi > Laptop
This is up to you. You can run this software on a laptop as well. The reason people use Raspberry Pi is that they are cheap and can run 24/7/365 using little power compared to a laptop.
The Raspberry Pi can do many things for you.
create a WiFi network where you connect the sensor and the laptop if no other WiFi network is nearby
run the MQTT broker
collect the data while you are somewhere else with your laptop
run a database that contains all the data (I use influxDB.)
create a web site to display the data when you connect with your laptop, phone, tablet browser
Just search "Raspberry Pi Node-RED" in Youtube to see whether you would like this.
I prefer helping others with their projects here in the forum than create tutorials.