A Robot Race Car Timing System

Prototyping the system

This project concept came from a YouTube subscriber.  Todd, who is a 6th grade computer science teacher, has a section of each semester where his students build, and then race, small robot cars.  In the past, he filmed the students, ran a stopwatch and recorded each race's final times... all while trying to help and teach the students.

He wondered if an automated timing system could be created with a visible time display.  Adding LED lighting would be a bonus.  What follows is the system that we eventually created.

WLED: Analog vs. Digital Microphones

 

If you want your LED display to react to sound or dance to music, you will need to add a microphone to your WLED controller.  The audio-reactive version of WLED supports both analog and digital microphones.  Which should you use for your project?  This guide will explore both options.

Using Dual Controllers with an LED Display

 

Have you ever wished that you could use two different controllers or firmware to control a single LED display?  Maybe you'd like to use both WLED and ESPHome to control an LED matrix.  Or ESPHome and Arduino/C++.  Or even a retail system like Govee with the default app, but adding the ability to also use WLED.  In this article I'll cover how you can create easily switchable controllers for your single LED display.

Starting out with DIY Projects

 

This article is only a companion piece to the YouTube video My Hands Are Sweating! Building Your First DIY Electronics Projects. Many folks are intimidated or believe that a workshop full of advanced electronics gear and specialty tools are required to build your own smart devices or other small electronic projects.  

Displays for your DIY Projects

 

There are dozens, if not hundreds of different small displays that you can add to your DIY project, from basic text displays to screens that can display images or even video.  This article is going to cover just a few of these as shown in the related YouTube Video: Add a Display to Your DIY Project

DIY Custom Breakout Board for ESP8266 or ESP32

Do you often find yourself creating the same basic starting circuit on a breadboard for your ESP8266 or ESP32 project or component bench testing?  Instead, create a simple breakout board that can be used as a starting point for projects that use a Wemos D1 Mini (ESP8266) or an ESP32 Mini.

An Update on Home Assistant

 

Approximately a year and a half ago, I did both a video and blog article expressing my concerns about the future of Home Assistant and the direction, or lack thereof, being taken by the developers. But some recent major announcements from Home Assistant addresses many of my initial concerns.  So I felt like I needed to provide an update to revisit my original concerns.

Adding Components to Your WLED Project

 

It is quick and easy to add some peripherals to your WLED controller and projects.  Why would you want to do this when WLED has a web interface, mobile app and can also be controlled by automation systems like Home Assistant?  Well, sometimes you can't beat the convenience of a nearby local pushbutton to do something like turn your LEDs on or off, or quickly select a favorite effect or even start a playlist without the needing to use your phone, tablet or computer.

Washer and [updated] Dryer Notifications

 

This article will cover how I implemented voice notifications for my washer and dryer using Home Assistant.  Originally implemented over three years ago, I recently upgraded the sensors for the dryer notifications to provide better reliability.  This article will cover the original washer notification and the updated dryer version.

MQTT 102: Add Home Assistant Discovery to your DIY Devices

 

This article will show the steps necessary to add Home Assistant discovery to your MQTT projects and devices.  MQTT discovery means your project will be automatically discovered and integrated into Home Assistant without any YAML configuration necessary on the Home Assistant side.

Home Assistant 101: Adding MQTT Devices

 

This is a companion article for the Home Assistant 101 video that discusses how to integrate MQTT devices into Home Assistant.

When It's Time to Create a Custom PCB

 

If you've built a few projects on breadboards or maybe even on solderable prototype boards, like an ElectroCookie, you may be wondering when it is time to consider designing your own printed circuit board or PCB.  Maybe you think it is too complicated or too expensive?  Well, in this article, I'm going to cover my journey of creating my first PCB, using it in my project and also cover what I learned and what I might do different the next time.

Add up to 128 I/O Pins to your ESP Board

 

While it may not have happened to you yet, there may come a time when you need more inputs and outputs than can be connected to the default GPIO pins of a single ESP8266 or ESP32 board.  While there are many different types of port expanders and multiplexers available for ESP-based boards, this article is going to take a look at one of those options:  The MCP23017 16-Port Digital I/O expander.  

Three Way Switching with Tasmota

 

This article will describe one of many different ways that you can create smart 3-way switching for devices like lights or lamps.  This technique can be used to upgrade existing 3-way switches or you can create 3-way switching where it didn't exist before.  This can be done without pulling or installing any new wiring in your walls and without adding or altering any existing circuits.  The 3-way switches can even be on completely different circuits and can easily be expanded to 4-way or even 5-way switching.

Battery Powered LED Matrix T-Shirt

 

This article is a companion piece to the Curtain LED article and video but can also be a standalone project.  Why is it a companion piece?  Well, my intended use is to wear the shirt for special occasions, like Halloween, where the t-shirt will be synced to the LED curtain and both will display the same effect/colors and change from one to another simultaneously.