Wireless & Communication
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20-12-2024 | Check out the latest installment of Elektor Lab Notes. We cover some of the newest projects on our workbenches,...
19-12-2024 | Join our enegineers for Elektor Lab Talk on December 19. We'll dive into LED tech, recent...
12-12-2024 | The HackRF One software defined radio (SDR) originally designed by Great Scott Gadgets has been a constant...
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22-11-2024 | Interested in audio-related projects? One of the most popular Elektor projects in 2015 was...
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6-11-2024 | Dive into Elektor's November/December 2024 Prototyping & Production edition! This issue features a...
Wireless Applications
The Elektor LoRa Node
Back in 2020, the Elektor Lab team developed a versatile, long-range, 868-MHz remote control with state feedback. The STM32-based Elektor LoRa Node comprises three elements: LoRa node, LoRa button, and LoRa AC power switch. You get not only a remote control with a range of 10 to 20 times that of a consumer-level Wi-Fi link on 2.4 GHz, but also a LoRa development platform with potential for LoRaWAN.Download article
Bluetooth LE With MAUI: Control Apps for Android & Co.
A mobile application is perfect for managing your personal electronic devices. To conserve energy, it can communicate using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). Nonetheless, creating and updating apps for both Android and iOS platforms demands a bit of work. This is where the MAUI framework comes in handy, as it allows for cross-platform app development. In this piece, we'll demonstrate how to interact with a smartphone's BLE interface.Download article
MCU Wireless Communication Made Flexible: EEPROM Opens Networking Prospects for Wireless MCUs
When integrating a microcontroller with a Wi-Fi network via an ESP8266, opting for a method beyond hard-coded, static WLAN credentials can offer more flexibility. In this piece, we offer an approach that involves selecting from a list of preferred AP networks in an interactive manner. Moreover, we explore utilizing the Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) function, which is supported by numerous access points and routers, to further enhance our connectivity options.Download article
How to Build a DIY GNSS Reference Station
GNSS Real-Time Kinematics (RTK) technology is impressive, yet accessing correction data can be challenging. This article aims to guide you through establishing your own fixed antenna atop a stable structure and setting up a mini-computer to distribute this precise data over the Internet. This way, the data can be accessed via Wi-Fi or, more typically, through a cellular phone or modem connection.Download free article
Radio
Raspberry Pi Pico Makes an MSF-SDR: Decode a Time Signal with a Pi Pico SDR
MSF serves as the UK's counterpart to Germany's DCF77 time signal transmitter. This software-defined radio (SDR) project demonstrates a straightforward and cost-effective approach to building a receiver and decoder for these (and other) time signals. The hardware requirements are minimal: use a Raspberry Pi Pico to receive, decode, and display information from the MSF time signal.Download free article
AVR Software Defined Radio
Want to generate some signals? In the "AVR Software Defined Radio" article series, Elektor presents a variety of practical experiments: sine- and square wave generators, an RMS voltmeter, experiments in FM, AM and PM, FIR and IIR filters, wireless data transmission, reception of the DCF timecode signal, RTTY weather messages, and BBC long-wave radio transmissions. Read on to learn about a signal generator board, a DDS sinewave generator, an FM generator, and more.Download article
Radio Direction Finding: Tracking Down Lost Wireless Weather Sensors
Want to use radio direction finding (RDF) to locate a lost weather sensor? The process doesn't have to be overly complicated. The device is built as a compact unit, so no inner compartment screening is required and only the overall receiver assembly is enclosed in soldered sheet metal for shielding. Freestanding construction or operation of the module, for example in a weather station, is only possible if the ground connections at the pins are kept short and not too thin, with decoupling capacitors fitted where necessary.Download free article
FM/DAB+ Receiver: The Best of Both Worlds
Building a DIY radio receiver has always been a favorite project of electronics enthusiasts. Today, many makers are still passionate about DIY radio projects, especially digital ones. This article covers the process of creating a digital radio using an ESP32 module and an Arduino shield, which leverages the Si4684 digital receiver chip from Skyworks to achieve this goal.Download article
GPS
LoRa GPS Tracker: With Open Hardware and Software
A GPS tracker capable of transmitting its location data at customizable intervals offers a highly versatile tool with a variety of uses. Unlike conventional models that rely on 3G or 4G cellular networks, this design utilizes the cost-free LoRa network to communicate positional info. By employing Node-RED, the data is seamlessly transferred to various devices such as PCs, Raspberry Pis, and smartphones, where it can be visualized on a map within a web browser.Download article
A GPS Controlled Glider
Would you liek to implement autonomous steering in a model aircraft? You can create the controller on your own. It doesn't require high computational power; a microcontroller will do the trick. For this setup, the primary sensor used is a compact GPS receiver. Additionally, the design includes connectors for the optional attachment of a multi-axis accelerometer, a rotation sensor, and a magnetometer, allowing for further customization and precision in control.Download article
GPS-Based Speed Monitor
The gadget introduced here is not designed to cap speed by altering the vehicle's mechanics; instead, the GPS-Based Speed Monitor serves as an alarm that activates when the vehicle exceeds a predefined speed threshold. The GPS module is a NEO-6 module from u-blox. The TinyGPS+ library does all the work of decoding the NMEA 0183-formatted data stream output by the GPS module.Download free article
An Open-Source GPS Tracking Platform
Numerous hardware modules are available for GPS tracking movable assets such as vehicles. Typically, analyzing the data requires transferring it to an external cloud server for storage and visualization. Traccar, an open-source software, offers an alternative by enabling on-premises server hosting. You can control data access. Traccar is compatible with a Raspberry Pi and integrates with the Node-RED automation framework.Download article
Communication Protocols
Wireless Protocols: A Panorama
There are several protocols on the market: Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, Wi Fi, LoRa, Zigbee, Sigfox, Thread, 6LowPan, MiWi, ANT, Z Wave, and more. Are you stressed out by all the options? Do you find yourself wondering which protocol would be the best to select for your next project? Here are some insights.Download free article
Sigfox CO2 Traffic Light: No Wi-Fi Network Needed!
Considering Sigfox? Take a look at this project, a "CO2 traffic light," which connects to the Internet of Things via the Sigfox network. The approach gives the sensor wider range and enables it to operate when a Wi-Fi network isn't available. The circuit features an Arduino Uno and the MKR FOX1200 board.Download article
A Monster LED Clock with Wi-Fi and Temperature Display
Want to build a large LED clock and learn about Wi-Fi and MQTT along the way? Follow the steps outlined in this article to construct a 4-inch tall display that shows Internet time via an ESP32. The design not limited to displaying just the time. You can incorporate new sensors that deliver data using the MQTT protocol.Download free article
Over-Air LiPo Battery State Monitor
Elektor has published dozens of article and news items about ZigBee and its uses. The board featured in this article measures the voltage and the current up to 170 A supplied by the battery in a model. It then transmits the data via radio to a remote-control transmitter or via USB to a Qt application on a computer. Of course, you can adapt this project for a variety of other applications based on ZigBee and 1-Wire or I²C buses.Download article
Related Products
Great Scott Gadgets HackRF One SDR + Opera Cake Antenna Switch (Bundle)
HackRF One is a Software Defined Radio (SDR) peripheral capable of transmission or reception of radio signals from 1 MHz to 6 GHz. Designed to enable test and development of modern and next generation radio technologies, HackRF One is an open source hardware platform that can be used as a USB peripheral or programmed for stand-alone operation.
Great Scott Gadgets YARD Stick One - Sub-1 GHz Wireless Test Tool
YARD Stick One can transmit or receive digital wireless signals at frequencies below 1 GHz. It uses the same radio circuit as the popular IM-Me. The radio functions that are possible by customizing IM-Me firmware are now at your fingertips when you attach YARD Stick One to a computer via USB.
RTL-SDR V4 (Software Defined Radio) with Dipole Antenna Kit
RTL-SDR is an affordable dongle that can be used as a computer-based radio scanner for receiving live radio signals between 500 kHz and 1.75 GHz in your area.
Arduino for Radio Amateur Applications (E-book)
Program and build Arduino-based ham station utilities, tools, and instruments. In addition to a detailed introduction to the exciting world of the Arduino microcontroller and its many variants, this book introduces you to the shields, modules, and components you can connect to the Arduino.
November 2024 Webinar
Interested in Wireless & Communication? So are we! Join Elektor’s engineers and editors for a webinar in November 2024. We are currently planning the topic and curriculum. Once we have more details, we will post all the information on the Elektor Webinars page. Stay tuned!