Guides & Projects for Makers
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Update for the ESP32 Internet Radio: Save Songs to Spotify
Have you ever heard a song on the radio that you wanted to remember so you could listen to it later on Spotify? Perhaps you relied on your memory or used pen and paper. But there’s a more elegant solution: In this project, you’ll build an extension for the ESP32 Internet radio that allows you…
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MQTT (Part 4): Secure Communication Between Devices
Ensuring secure communication between devices is crucial when working with MQTT. In the previous parts of this MQTT series, you set up communication between two ESP8266 devices and exchanged sensor data. However, security measures were not yet implemented. Without proper security, an unauthorized user could intercept your data or disrupt your system. This tutorial will…
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MQTT (Part 3): Sending and Receiving Data
In the previous part, you learned about the MQTT broker and how to set it up with Mosquitto on a Raspberry Pi. Now, it’s time to establish communication between devices. In this tutorial, you will learn how to send data from an ESP8266 to the broker and how another ESP8266 can subscribe to this data…
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MQTT (Part 2): Setting Up an MQTT Broker on the Raspberry Pi
In the previous part, you learned the basics of MQTT. Now, we dive deeper into the central element of any MQTT application: the broker. In this tutorial, you will learn how to set up an MQTT broker on your Raspberry Pi using Mosquitto. What is an MQTT Broker? An MQTT broker is the heart of…
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MQTT (Part 1): Introduction
This tutorial series is all about MQTT – the messaging protocol that is excellent for exchanging data between devices. Imagine you want to monitor the temperature in your greenhouse. To do this, you install temperature sensors that send their readings via MQTT to a central broker. The broker then distributes the data to all “interested”…
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Compact Battery-Powered Plant Monitor with the ATtiny85
Do you have a green thumb? Even if you do, this project will help remind you to water your plants. Simply place the Plant Monitor in the pot with your favorite plant and calibrate it to the appropriate soil moisture level. When the soil gets too dry, the LED will start blinking, giving you a…
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How to Program an ATtiny85 with the Arduino
Sometimes, even a small Arduino is too large for your project. Maybe you only need a few pins, want to use as little power as possible, or don’t have enough physical space. In these cases, the ATtiny85 might be just what you need. ATtiny processors come in various versions, but the ATtiny85 is the most…
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Ventilating Rooms with the Arduino
Are you someone who likes to ventilate your rooms but often forgets the windows open? This happens to me regularly – until now. In this project, an Arduino Nano monitors the temperature as soon as you open the window. If the temperature in the room drops by 0.5°C, it triggers an alarm. This way, you…
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How to Use an Arduino Joystick
The joystick module is a versatile input device commonly used in maker projects. In this article, you’ll learn how to connect an Arduino joystick to an Arduino UNO, how it works, and how to use it in your next project. How the Joystick Works The joystick module uses potentiometers for the x-axis and y-axis. When…
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Secret Messages: Transmitting Encrypted Messages as Audio
Sending messages with end-to-end encryption is standard for many messaging apps like Signal, Threema, and WhatsApp. But how about adding some playful retro charm? In this project, you convert text messages into sounds and send them as audio file attachments in an email. The recipient can decrypt these audio files using a previously agreed keyword…
