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“RIOT (Realtime Internet of Things) is a free software package (non-commercial) I created that makes using the ESP8266 with microcontrollers very simple. The ESP8266 module is a very brilliant and underestimated Wi-Fi module that can turn any serial port (be it on a microcontroller or an old Z80 computer) into an internet-enabled device. However, the ESP8266 AT commands can be particularly tricky and, if not coded correctly, can result in lockups. The RIOT framework provides several functions that make using the ESP8266 a breeze. Firstly, it contains an interpreter for data going in and out of the ESP8266. Secondly, it provides simple and easy-to-use functions to get a microcontroller Wi-Fi enabled in almost no time. Thirdly, the code utilizes ROM memory as much as possible so that very-small-RAM micros (256 bytes of RAM, for example) can still be internet-enabled. RIOT also has a server package that is written in VB.net (for simplicity reasons) which cannot be easier to use in a project. In this project, we will look at how to use RIOT with any PIC18 device (this project will specifically use a PIC18F25K20) and use a computer to turn an LED on and off.”

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