Best cheap WiFi board for Arduino newbies?
Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2017 12:23 pmI've recently got into Arduino after purchasing the starter kit which included an Uno board. When my invention got the point of requiring internet access I went and purchased a WeMos D1 from eBay, as this looked like an Uno type board with WiFi capability.
While it was relatively easy to get the WiFi working on the D1, I've come across a few downsides of it:
So I'm wondering what the best alternative is?
I like using the official Uno as my development board as it works great. But it's price coupled with the lack of WiFi make it prohibitive to use for my various projects.
Is there a better Uno-like board out there that includes ESP8266? Or am I better going for an Uno-clone plus a ESP8266 board? If so, which ones?
They need to be available to purchase in the UK, and ideally less than £10 ($12). I'm currently using the Arduino IDE.
Any advice appreciated.
While it was relatively easy to get the WiFi working on the D1, I've come across a few downsides of it:
- Slow to upload to
- Intermittent errors on upload
- Fewer digital pins
- Strange pin assignment
So I'm wondering what the best alternative is?
I like using the official Uno as my development board as it works great. But it's price coupled with the lack of WiFi make it prohibitive to use for my various projects.
Is there a better Uno-like board out there that includes ESP8266? Or am I better going for an Uno-clone plus a ESP8266 board? If so, which ones?
They need to be available to purchase in the UK, and ideally less than £10 ($12). I'm currently using the Arduino IDE.
Any advice appreciated.