Phone apps for switching over wifi - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: AussieBruce
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 16, 2021, 05:47:05 am
content: Not quite sure where to post this, hope here is OK.I use a wireless link to control a few irrigation pumps, it’s one of those basic units that operate at around 300 MHz, with a small handheld pushbutton unit typical of the ones used on garage door controllers. I’d like to replace it with a unit that uses a phone and wifi, nowadays there are naked receiver/output boards available widely, using the ESP2866 and combining it with interface circuitry including robust relays – which is what I need. My question is what phone apps are available for the transmitter end? Most available stuff appears to be locked into a proprietary solution, with minimal information available, you have to buy the whole kaboodle in one. My limited experience also has been that some of these solutions are clunky to operate, with multiple levels of menus to be negotiated. If I can’t run this thing from a simple app with a few soft buttons driving the relays, it will be easier to stay with the 300 Meg solution.Any suggestions?Phone platform is Android. I do have an IDE that could be upgraded to generate Android code, but it’s not worth it, given the inevitable learning curve, for just this application.

author: bingo600
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 16, 2021, 05:52:10 am
content: Maybe blynk ?https://blynk.io/en/getting-started

author: Renate
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 16, 2021, 11:35:16 am
content: Nah, I wouldn't go for buying a pig in a poke for something so simple:https://blynk.io/pricingYes, your first Android app can be a bit of a pain.In simplest case we're talking about a screen with two buttons.You also can just make it that your ESP is a simple web server and you hit it with a normal browser.It's a bit overkill, but a Raspberry Pi (especially ZeroW ~$15) can run Apache.Just throw in 20 lines of C for a CGI module.(You can also make it support JSON or whatever. Then you can make a dedicated Android app that interacts with that.)

author: Terry Bites
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 16, 2021, 03:11:24 pm
content: https://www.tomsguide.com/uk/round-up/best-android-remote-appsI find fewer beers the way to go. Turn those knobs!

author: viperidae
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 17, 2021, 08:54:49 am
content: Shove tasmota on the esp8266 and Google "tasmota app" to find a bunch of apps to control it

author: nali
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 17, 2021, 09:04:37 am
content: These things look pretty simple (OK Bluetooth not WiFi though)http://www.dsdtech-global.com/search/label/bluetooth%204.0%20relayPretty cheap too, £18 for a 4-channel module on Amazon.

author: AussieBruce
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 27, 2021, 03:41:50 am
content: Thanks to all who reverted. In fact, I took a punt and ordered a wifi-enabled relay board from Amazon, and fortunately it came with a (Chinese-English) instruction sheet that made connectivity quite straightforward, and the GUI on the app is surprisingly uncluttered and easy to use. There seem to be plenty of IoT host applications available, many of them free. Problem solved.