Posting sensor data to google spreadsheets using ESP8266 WiFi module

John CC

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May 11, 2015, 9:34:31 PM5/11/15

to sensor...@googlegroups.com

I managed to get an ESP8266 WiFi module to post data to a google spreadsheet.

Instead of using an arduino, the ESP module runs the code itself, acting like both an arduino and a WiFi module at the same time. It can also be connected to sensors like an arduino to read and send data.

Because neither the arduino or the RPi (or another WiFi enabled server) are required it brings both the cost and size of a sensor array right down. I think this ESP module cost about $3.50 including postage.

The ESP-01 I'm using only has 2 input pins but the ESP-03 has a bunch more, which could make it a better choice for this approach.

I need to solder an ESP-03 to a breadboard adapter before I can test it out.

Here's a link to the published data:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1GWQ9ePhWS2GQjmNnEfIQ1k3YyucKiBw5N55mY1OzIe8/edit?usp=sharing

Currently it's just incrementing a value during each loop and posting that value. It can be easily replaced with the reading from a sensor.

Here's a document with some of the info you need to do it:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FVxBXQHKTANyVatwAcSQQTO_qH1S3rprzw_AWswE_tQ/edit?usp=sharing

It's a draft and I'll probably add more info and links, etc. but it covers most of the important points.

It's not the easiest process to do. Many of the other arduino prototypes are easier to build.

But this approach is very cheap (for a wifi enabled sensor array) and results in a very small circuit. So in many way it's worth the tedious setup process.

jan...@gmail.com

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Feb 2, 2016, 5:32:37 AM2/2/16

to sensorica-ecg

I'm looking for this, but I'm missing the #6 part,,, how do I manipulate the google API

/jano

electron...@gmail.com

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Apr 29, 2016, 3:51:55 PM4/29/16

to sensorica-ecg, jan...@gmail.com

He hasn't described it maybe because he didn't get it to work or he was using a middleman like temboo or pushingbox. I have published a project which enables direct connection from esp8266 to Google. No middleman required. Check it here: HTTPSRedirect

Tiberius Brastaviceanu

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May 4, 2016, 1:51:22 AM5/4/16

to John CC, Scott Frederick Laughlin, sensorica-ecg

Hi John,

Scott might be interested in this.

Scott, are you subscribed to this mailing list (sensorica-ecg)?

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John CC

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May 8, 2016, 1:41:24 AM5/8/16

to Tiberius Brastaviceanu, Scott Frederick Laughlin, sensorica-ecg

Hey sorry for the slow reply on this issue, and for not completing that document.

I now use dweet.io instead of posting to google spreadsheets. Much simpler. No need to set up any accounts.

It's also possible to display data directly on freeboard.io from dweet.io, allowing easy set up of graphs, etc.

Here's the sketch:

https://github.com/CompulsiveCoder/ESP8266SoilMoistureSensorDweetIO/blob/master/SoilMoistureSensorDweetIO.ino

Connect up the soil moisture sensor signal to A0 and connect the sensor power pin to D4 (labelled D2 for some reason on the ESP8266 development boards).

You also need to set the WiFi SSID and password, as well as change the "dweetID" to something different.

Change the publish interval variable to set the delay between each post. It's set at 5 seconds by default.

If anyone needs help getting that working let me know. I'll try to put together a walkthrough document at some point.

Cheers,

John

Scott Frederick Laughlin

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May 8, 2016, 1:45:51 PM5/8/16

to Tiberius Brastaviceanu, John CC, sensorica-ecg

That's funny,

Independently this weekend I got an Adafruit feather huzzah (which is a breakout board for the ESP8266) working to post to a django server for data collection.

It has an ESP-12 module which is the latest version of that chip-set and there is actually an Arduino library that allows you to load Arduino sketches right to the ESP module. While there are 9 GPIOs including I2C and SPI headers, I was a little disappointed when I realized that there is only 1 analog ADC, and that it only takes 0 - 1V as input. That means that we can only attach 1 analog sensor and we'll need to be careful about its output range... :(.

I think the Feather Huzzah would be great for development, because it's a bit easier to solder and it has a USB mount for the ESP8266 module... it runs at about $15.

Best,

Scott

John CC

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May 8, 2016, 9:05:25 PM5/8/16

to Scott Frederick Laughlin, Tiberius Brastaviceanu, sensorica-ecg

You should be able to use one of these to increase the number of analog inputs:

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/1PCS-CD74HC4067-16-Channel-Analog-Digital-Multiplexer-Breakout-Board-Module-For-Arduino/32656211733.html

I've got 2 of them and I just soldered the pins on. Yet to try them though but I've used other similar chips before.

I use these ESP8266 boards:

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/1pcs-Wireless-module-NodeMcu-Lua-WIFI-Internet-of-Things-development-board-based-ESP8266-CP2102-with-pcb/32656413069.html

I believe it's similar to the Huzzah.

If you do try those boards above, DON'T get the ones with "LOLIN" written on them. I got 2 and can't get them to work (probably a driver issue) whereas the others work well.

The ones I use look almost identical from a distance, but up close they're wider and have different pin configuration etc.

I wasn't actually aware of the 0-1v input range. I thought it was 0-3.3v (silly mistake).

Fairly sure I've supplied higher than that by connecting the soil moisture sensor to 3.3v. It seemed to work.

I need to do some reading and some more experimenting to figure out what's going on.

desig...@gmail.com

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May 18, 2016, 2:12:21 PM5/18/16

to sensorica-ecg

Hi buddy, Have you a copy of the script you use for this spreadsheet.

Cheers

Dans

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dro...@gmail.com

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Nov 4, 2016, 12:40:15 PM11/4/16

to sensorica-ecg

Hi compulsivecoder ,

This is not the answer but rather a question:

I am trying to do this and struggling at bit with ESP8266.
When I use a URL constructed based on google spreadsheet with parameters to post data to sheet,
from a Desktop browsers like Chrome, IE, it successfully posts the data to the spreadsheet.
However when I put the same URL in ESP8266 I am getting 400 error.

Could you please share your sketch and/or any modification that you did to the link that google scripts gives you after publishing it?

Thanks much!
DX