ESP8266

Building up a page here, maybe.

ESP8266 is a complete and self-contained Wi-Fi network solutions that can carry software applications, or through Another application processor uninstall all Wi-Fi networking capabilities. Another situation is when wireless Internet access assume the task of Wi-Fi adapter, you can add it to any microcontroller-based design, the connection is simple, just by SPI / SDIO interface or central processor AHB bridge interface. Processing and storage capacity on ESP8266 powerful piece, it can be integrated via GPIO ports sensors and other applications specific equipment to achieve the lowest early in the development and operation of at least occupy system resources. The ESP8266 highly integrated chip, including antenna switch balun, power management converter, so with minimal external circuitry, and includes front-end module, including the entire solution designed to minimize the space occupied by PCB.

Yes, it's that bad. But there's a lot of people using and documenting these things and maybe with time even delivering useful software. NodeMCU looks like the most interesting effort so far.

Toolchain

Possibly a good setup can be found in esp-open-sdk repo. Esptool might be useful for flashing.

There is a forth or something close enough, called punyforth. I should test that sometime.

Ideas

I've thought about putting a light behind my monitor to ease contrast without turning on overhead lights. One way to do this might be to send an occasional wakeup from the desktop to an ESP that keeps a little light lit. If the wakeups end, the light will dim and/or go out. This would mean that the only wires the light needs is power. Wakeup script would be nearly trivial. A switching component (board) should be quite easy to make.

Of course a manual switch is even easier, but much less interesting. Using another controller (Like a $4 Maple Mini clone ) would mean another wire to the desktop for control.

Any of these would be an interesting exercise, of course.

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