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Cheap wifi option

TheHeadlessSourceMan's picture
Submitted by TheHeadlessSourceMan on Thu, 04/02/2015 - 5:03pm
Topic Type: 
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Make magazine recently did a series of three articles on a wifi processor that can be had for $5 - $7 USD. They've even added an arduino library. http://makezine.com/2015/04/01/installing-building-arduino-sketch-5-microcontroller/ http://makezine.com/2015/04/01/esp8266-5-microcontroller-wi-fi-now-arduino-compatible/ http://makezine.com/2015/04/01/designing-breadboard-adaptor-5-esp8266-microcontroller/

R.J. Steinert's picture
Submitted by R.J. Steinert on Thu, 04/02/2015 - 5:49pm

Aha! Alasdair Allan to the rescue! I had heard rumbling about this "cheap WiFi chip" for some time but brushed it off because people were not explaining it for what it really is. It's an Arduino IDE programmable micro-controller with built-in WiFi! Alasdair points out a quote from Brian Jepson...

This is inexpensive enough to be very much in the territory of ‘thousands of sensors-launched-out-of-a-cannon’-cheap.

If it was just a WiFi chip for $7, that's no terrific feat, there are plenty of those out there, and their range and reliability suck big time. On a side note, if you are looking for affordable WiFi capabilities but high reliability and good range, check out TL-WN722N. We use them for Fido and they beat out over a dozen other products we tested.

Thanks for posting that TheHeadlessSourceMan!

\ RJ