Starting ESP32 Weather Station Project
After a period of focusing on other areas, I’ve decided to kick off a new project that brings together many of the skills I’ve been wanting to sharpen again — from PCB design to working with APIs and embedded systems. The result will be a weather station powered by an ESP32, designed from the ground up.
This project is meant to help me:
- 🧾 Refresh and improve my PCB design workflow
- 📡 Deepen my IoT and networking understanding
- 🧠 Push further into C++ development for embedded
- 🔌 Work with APIs like OpenWeatherMap
- 🌐 Integrate OTA updates and remote control
- 🧰 Reconnect all the parts of the hardware/software stack in a cohesive way
🛠️ Mark 0 – Project Goals
The Mark 0 version of this weather station will focus on being modular, understandable, and extensible. This phase is about learning and experimenting before moving to something smaller and more polished.
🔧 Design and Hardware
- Built around a NodeMCU DevKitC (ESP32 module)
- 100mm x 100mm PCB — largest possible for standard JLCPCB pricing
- All unused GPIOs exposed via pin headers for future expandability
- Dual connectivity:
- USB-C for power and serial communication
- Wi-Fi for wireless functionality
- Includes a DHT11 sensor for indoor temperature and humidity
External weather conditions will be fetched online; the DHT11 is just for monitoring the local environment (for now).
🧠 Features and Capabilities
- Support for firmware updates via USB and OTA (Over-The-Air)
- Weather data fetched from OpenWeatherMap.org via an
http.GETAPI call - Real-time display of weather data on an ePaper display
- Remote visualization and control through the Blynk IoT platform
🚧 What Comes After – Mark 1
Once Mark 0 proves its concept, the goal is to take everything learned and build a more compact, efficient version — Mark 1. It will be more refined in form and optimized in both hardware layout and power usage. Mark 1 will be a natural evolution, informed by real hands-on experience with the first prototype.
📸 That’s all for today — tomorrow’s post will dive into the initial sketches, PCB layout decisions, and maybe even some preview photos. Stay tuned!