KD Circuits' New trigBoard v8 Marks a Major Overhaul of the Flexible IoT Notification Board

Now based on the ESP32, the trigBoard v8 adds a range of features — including an ultra-low-power 1.5μA sleep mode.

Kevin Darrah’s Espressif ESP-based trigBoard has undergone a serious upgrade, replacing the original design's ESP8266 microcontroller for the more powerful ESP32 and gaining a range of new features — including user-selectable open/close triggers for wake.

Launched in its original incarnation last year, the trigBoard was designed as a more flexible replacement for Amazon's since-cancelled dash buttons — triggering a custom response when a circuit is closed, and using an ultra-low-power sleep mode to extend battery life as far as possible.

Now in v8, the updated trigBoard is a considerable improvement - and a complete overhaul, claims designer Darrah. The trigBoard v8 is built around Espressif's ESP32, which includes Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, and comes pre-loaded with a firmware supporting services including Pushover, Push Safer, IFTTT, UDP, and MQTT messaging, along with a programmable real-time clock for time-based wake-ups.

A major feature of the redesign is a considerably lower sleep current, down to 1.5μA based on a 3V battery input. The input voltage range has been extended to 1.8-5V, giving it the ability to run from anything from a 4.2v lithium ion battery down to a pair of AAAs, while the wake trigger input has been modified to work on circuit open, circuit close, or both.

More information on the trigBoard v8 is available on the KD Circuits wiki; the board is now available to order, starting at $50, on the KD Circuits Tindie store.

Gareth Halfacree
Freelance journalist, technical author, hacker, tinkerer, erstwhile sysadmin. For hire: freelance@halfacree.co.uk.
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