ESP8266 Community Forum

- Tue Aug 13, 2019 8:48 pm #83454 I've dabbled with Arduino making mobile phone controlled cars, etc using other people's code but haven't really coded or reverse engineered anything.

I'd like to add wifi to my two probe grill thermometer to be able to read temps remotely. The unit I have is a sending unit that has both an LCD readout and each; a meat probe and grill temp probe. It sends temp data via RF to a receiving unit that is a portable monitor but also offers temp limit alarms, timers, etc.

I suspect that the sending unit is really only providing the temp data stream, local readout, and the transmission function. The portable unit is the limited brains of the whole setup.

I'd be happy with getting the temp (s) over my LAN and via the internet to monitor long meat smokes remotely.

The displays cycle through the two probes' temperatures and must identify them on some way to the had unit because I can set independent alarms on temp limits.

Questions:
1. Can I take the data stream that goes to the RF sending board and send that via the ESP8266 over WiFi?

Or, can I take the data that goes to the LCD and send that? Is that easier?

2. How do I "see" the data to get it in a useable format? I'd that even possible with limited tools?

3. Is there any resource or reference to accomplish what I'm trying to do for someone who knows just enough about all this to be dangerous?

I realize there's lot to unpack here. Any gentle guidance would be much appreciated.

A picture of the grill temperature unit from Amazon and the sending unit's board are attached. I'm guessing that the unit is pretty simple and the data is in an open form but that doesn't necessarily mean what I want to do is achievable.

Thanks in advance,

waltec

You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

- Thu Aug 15, 2019 3:40 am #83470 You should at least have some basic electronics knowledge and preferable some equipment like a logic analyser and/or an oscilloscope to measure signals.

One thing you could do is swap the TXV1-module in the sender with an ESP8266 containing custom firmware (and probably some power and I/O interfacing).
Another option would be to get/build/modify a 433MHz receiver (since that's what it appears to be sending at) and connect that to an ESP8266.

Anyway, here's some extra reading material for you:

• Teardown of your thermometer
• FCC information about your thermometer

Assumption is the mother of all f*ckups. At least: that's what I'm assuming.

- Thu Aug 15, 2019 5:13 am #83472 Not RTFMing you, I don’t have the specific answer. However if it is WiFi I would look to install Wireshark on the same
Network somewhere and do some sleuthing. If you can capture its packets you can do some pretty good work.

Bad choices make good stories.

- Thu Aug 15, 2019 6:31 am #83473

However if it is WiFi

Nah, according to the FCC certificate it's operating on the 433MHz (70cm) ISM band, so it's most probably (like all those sensor-thingies) some proprietary protocol.

Assumption is the mother of all f*ckups. At least: that's what I'm assuming.