“Using an ESP-01 running micropython attached to a WS2812B LED strip controller, create lighting effects and control them from MQTT!
SP-01 is such a fun little board. Taking an Espressif ESP-8266 and adding some EEPROM (1M) and bringing out the serial port and 2 IO ports, it’s simple but still powerful. And there are a bunch of cool controllers will take the ESP-01 as their “brain”. Such as the relay boards (that I used in the Clock Controller project), a DHT-11 (temperature/humidity) sensor board, and a WS2812B LED Strip interface board, which I’ll be using here.
Serendipitously, I was starting to look into the controller board when my wife started putting out a light-based Christmas tree outside, so I thought I could supplement those lights with an animated LED strip (or two or more!)
Clone the github link listed to get all the code referenced here.https://github.com/jaslo/esp-pyledsIf you aren’t already running an MQTT server, start one up — I use Mosquitto set up on a Raspberry Pi.
First, to install micropython on the ESP-01 board, put the board into a USB Flash programmer.”