ESPboy is open-source (most software is under MIT license) and open-hardware (CERN license) project.
ESPboy is a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics [STEM] learning platform which encourages and enhances creativity, imagination, and ingenuity through project-based learning and reverse engineering.
ESPboy is ideal to learn game development, internet of things, start programming, understand how gadgets work, and try robotics basics all with the community help.
It's a fantastic experience to assemble the ESPboy yourself or together with your child. Make your own games and apps, share them with the community online. You can make any fully functional gadget in a minute with additional modules, play with it, understand the way of work, modify it and create the unique new one!
It's about fun engineering education and creativity through limitations :)
ESPboy utilizes a powerful ESP8266 microcontroller with built-in WiFi, Arduino IDE compatible with tons of libs and professional firmware and SDKs
Simple schematic (for detailed schematic, ESPboy+casing PCBs and Gerber files please check project page at www.easyeda.com
Connecting the original modules to the ESPboy's header and updating software through WiFi, you'll get fully functional gadget in a minute (LORA messenger, weather station, GSM phone, FM radio, MP3 player and more)
"ESPboy App Store" with a load of games and applications available through your WiFi network connection. It’s free, online, and works fine directly from your ESPboy
WiFi analyzer & packet sniffer
Create games with "Little game engine", "ESPiCo game engine" or any other framework
Play old retro Nintendo Game Boy games like Zelda, Super Mario etc...
Try ARDUBOY retro console emulation with excellent Arduboy2 game creation library ported. It will take just few minutes to recompile any game from Arduboy to ESPboy )
Play retro Chip8/Superchip games. It's an true digital heritage from the 70s with CHIP8/SCHIP emulator. Try new modern games from the OCTO jam.
Have fun with retro ZX Spectrum 48k gamesfrom the 80-90s using zx48 emulator.
Listen the portable FMradio, MP3s or WiFi radio with ESPboy modules
Listen the retro AY38910 chip synth music with DAC module
Write programs or chat in messengers using keyboard module
ESPboy has WiFi onboard to:
- Make your own firmware in a few minutes online with WiFI-IoT.com and then upload it directly through WiFi. No wires, no IDEs, no compilers.
- Download apps and retro games form the Web and play thousends of CHIP8/SCHIP and ZX Spectrum 48k games
- Write you own games with Little game engine or ESPiCo game engine with PICO8 API
- Surf the web with an old school browser
- Use messengers for communication - Twitter for example
- Connect ESPboy with your mobile phone: RemoteXY, Blynk
- Transmit IoT telemetry data to the cloud and make automation with Thingspeak, HiveMQ, CloudMQTT, NarodMon, MajorDoMo, ThingerIO, Google cloud IoT, dweet.io, Temboo, Xively, IFTTT online services.
- Update firmware Over the air
- Transform ESPboy to the WiFi router/repeater, GPS tracker with distance control, WiFi online radio
- and much more...
Specification:
- ESP8266 microcontroller (80/160Mhz 32bit Tensilica Xtensa CPU and 4/16mb RAM) on the WeMos D1 boards MINI or old PRO
- WiFi connection for multiplayer, communications, online cloud services data transfer, telemetry transmission and “over the air” updates
- OLED 0,96'' 128х64 bw display or/and 1,44'' TFT 128х128 color display
- 8 buttons
- MCP23017 i2c driven gpio extender with 7+1 free pins on the extension slot
- MCP4725 i2c DAC to smooth drive TFT's LCD backlit
- RGB WS2812B Neopixel smartled with data pin on the extension header for connection of any numbers of additional Neopixel LED arrays
- High-quality transistor driven speaker or simple buzzer
- 20pin extension slot for sensors and actuators (DC, i2c, UART, SPI, analog A0 gpio, 8 gpios of MCP23017, LEDs line pin)
- GROVE sensors and NCD.IO sensors support or almost the same but a few times cheaper at Aliexpress.com
- 30х70х15mm size overall without casing
- Battery keeping your ESPboy on the high run for about 8 hours (using sleep mode periodically waking up just to measure and send data, it can run for years without any recharging) and it could be charged through a micro USB B port (like a regular phone. :)
Development ecosystem:
- Arduino IDE compatible with almost all its libraries
- Little game engine or ESPiCo game engine with PICO8 API
- Online code development in Whitecatboard, Autodesk circuits, Arduino web editor, Arduino Blockly, codebender
- Online scheme and PCB development with fritzing and easyeda
- Additional development using C++, LUA, Python, JavaScript, Basic, Lisp
- Visual programming in Scratch, Visuino, FL-prog
- Firmware constructors online wifi-iot and offline esphome.io
- Home automation with mysensors, openhab, majordomo, nodered, HomeAssistant, ioBroker, Rightech...
- Use OS: freeRTOS, Mongoose OS
- Professional SDKs: RTOS, Espressif, GCC, and IDEs: PlatformIO, Visual Studio Code, Iar, Keil, Eclipse, Atom, etc.
Support ESPboy project development and its promotion on the market
Related ESPboy links:
- Videos at Youtube
- Community and technical support forum
- ESPboy project Discord chat
- Hackaday page
- Schematic, PCB, gerber at easyeda.com
- Original software at github.com
- Contact e-mail