Choosing the Right Data-Based Protocols for Your ESP32 Projects

In this chapter, we embark on a pivotal journey to empower your ESP32 projects with the most suitable data-based protocols. This chapter delves into the fundamental understanding of essential protocols that drive the communication backbone of IoT systems. We will explore key protocols such as Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), Message Queuing Telemetry Transport (MQTT), and webhooks, equipping you with the knowledge to make informed decisions in selecting the right protocol for your ESP32 projects.

Our exploration begins with a comprehensive exploration of HTTP. You will gain insights into HTTP’s request-response mechanism for seamless communication between ESP32 devices and web servers.

The journey continues with a deep dive into the MQTT protocol. We will delve into MQTT’s publish-subscribe (pub-sub) architecture for real-time IoT communication and implement MQTT on ESP32 devices, enabling dynamic...

Technical requirements

For this chapter, we will require the following hardware and software components:

ESP32
An LED
OLED SSD1306 display
Servo motor
Push button
OpenWeather API
HiveMQ public MQTT broker

Now, let’s explore the most common protocol widely used by web applications: the HTTP protocol.

Exploring HTTP with ESP32 – enabling IoT devices to communicate with web servers

In the interconnected world of IoT, efficient communication between devices and web servers is paramount. One of the foundational protocols that has powered the internet since its beginning is HTTP. In the context of IoT, HTTP plays a pivotal role in facilitating communication between resource-constrained devices, such as the ESP32 microcontroller, and remote web servers. This section dives into the details of HTTP communication, specifically tailored for ESP32 projects. We’ll explore how ESP32 can seamlessly interact with web servers, enabling IoT devices to exchange data, retrieve information, and contribute to the ever-expanding landscape of IoT. First, let’s explore what the HTTP protocol is and how it works.

What is HTTP?

HTTP is the foundation of data communication on the World Wide Web. It is an application layer protocol that defines how clients (typically web browsers...

Exploring MQTT for IoT communication with ESP32

Among the many different protocols used in IoT, MQTT stands out as a powerful option. MQTT, with its lightweight and pub-sub messaging paradigm, has found its place as a go-to protocol for enabling efficient communication between resource-constrained devices such as ESP32 and remote servers.

This section takes an in-depth journey into the domain of MQTT communication, purposefully tailored for ESP32 projects. We will explore the mechanisms through which ESP32 can seamlessly engage with MQTT brokers, granting IoT devices the capability to share data, receive updates, and actively participate in the dynamic ecosystem of IoT.

What is MQTT?

MQTT is a lightweight and efficient messaging protocol designed for the efficient exchange of data between devices, especially in scenarios where bandwidth and resources are limited. It was originally developed by IBM in the late 1990s and has since become a widely adopted protocol in the realm...

Adding real-time notifications using webhooks

In the ever-changing world of IoT, it’s important for devices and faraway servers to talk effectively. Among the many ways they communicate, webhooks are useful. Webhooks help devices send quick alerts and instructions to faraway servers, like sending a text message when something happens. In this section, we’ll dive into how webhooks work in IoT projects, showing how devices such as ESP32 can use them to send messages and get things done on faraway servers in real time. This helps devices stay connected and responsive in the IoT world.

What are webhooks and how do they work?

Webhooks are like virtual messengers in the world of technology. Imagine you have a friend who keeps an eye on your favorite website for you. Whenever something new happens on that site, your friend quickly sends you a message to let you know. In the digital realm, webhooks play a similar role. They allow different services and apps to communicate...

A real-life analogy of HTTP, MQTT, and webhooks

Imagine you’re hosting a big party at your house. The party invitations are like HTTP requests. You send out invitations (requests) to your friends, telling them about the party details and asking them to reply. When your friends arrive at the party, they bring gifts (data) and hand them over to you, just like how a web server receives and processes HTTP requests.

Now, let’s add webhooks to the mix. Think of webhooks as a special guest list you have. You’ve asked your friends to not only come to the party but also let you know when they’re on their way so that you can be prepared. With webhooks, your friends send you messages whenever they’re leaving their homes (events happening in their systems). This way, you can get ready to welcome them and ensure everything is in place when they arrive.

Lastly, imagine your party has a live band that plays music for everyone to enjoy. This band represents...

Comparing HTTP, webhooks, and MQTT

The following table compares the HTTP, webhooks, and MQTT protocols in terms of use case, communication style, protocol type, security, and scalability:

Summary

In this chapter, we explored different data-based protocols for IoT applications. We first explored the HTTP protocol and learned how we could use HTTP with ESP32 to communicate with web servers and use ESP32 as a web server or HTTP client.

Continuing our exploration, we learned about the MQTT protocol, highlighting its real-time capabilities through the pub/sub model. By learning how to implement MQTT clients on ESP32, we acquired the ability to build dynamic and responsive IoT applications. Additionally, we harnessed the power of webhooks, using them to trigger actions based on events, thereby enhancing interactivity and connectivity with external services. This chapter equipped us with the expertise to choose the right protocol for specific project requirements.

In the next chapters, we’ll use all the resources we have learned about in this chapter and previous chapters to work on some real-life practical projects using ESP32.

The rest of the chapter is locked

You have been reading a chapter from

Hands-on ESP32 with Arduino IDE

Published in: Jan 2024Publisher: PacktISBN-13: 9781837638031

Register for a free Packt account to unlock a world of extra content!

A free Packt account unlocks extra newsletters, articles, discounted offers, and much more. Start advancing your knowledge today.

Sign up now

undefined

Unlock this book and the full library FREE for 7 days

Get unlimited access to 7000+ expert-authored eBooks and videos courses covering every tech area you can think of

Start free trial

Renews at $15.99/month. Cancel anytime

Author (1)

Asim Zulfiqar

Asim Zulfiqar is a blogger and tech content creator who has been writing tutorials on embedded systems and IoT on his blog and YouTube channel, High Voltages. Currently, he is working as a scientific programmer for IoT research projects. He completed his bachelor's degree in electronic engineering at Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology, Pakistan. After that, he completed his Erasmus Mundus joint master's degree program in Photonics Integrated Circuits, Sensors, and Networks at Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna (Italy), Aston University (U.K), and Osaka University (Japan).
Read more about Asim Zulfiqar

Personalised recommendations for you

Based on your interests and search pattern

Architectural Patterns and Techniques for Developing IoT Solutions

This book covers all the patterns and considerations that give you both the power and flexibility to build scalable, secure, and performant IoT solutions by combining various patterns in interesting ways. It also lists the benefits of combining IoT with technologies like blockchain, 3D-printing, 5G, Generative AI, quantum computing, and LLMs.

BookSep 2023304 pages

Arduino Data Communications

Arduino Data Communication focuses on IoT’s Internet aspect, guiding you in setting up your own infrastructure for storing and managing the data collected from sensors. This book goes beyond microcontroller basics, equipping you with the knowledge essential for building real-world projects.

BookNov 2023286 pages5

Arduino IoT Cloud for Developers

From fundamental principles to advanced techniques, this comprehensive book equips you with the knowledge and skills needed to design and deploy IoT applications seamlessly. Explore cloud integration, best practices, and real-world projects to harness the full potential of IoT application development with the Arduino IoT Cloud.

BookNov 2023402 pages

The Azure IoT Handbook

Building IoT Systems with Azure IoT is a comprehensive introduction for those who are new to the Internet of Things and looking to get up to speed in no time. This book will teach you how to create and develop IoT solutions with intelligent edge-to-cloud technologies in the Azure cloud.

BookDec 2023248 pages

Aspect	HTTP	Webhooks	MQTT
Communication Style	Request-Response	Event-Driven	Pub-sub
Use Case	Data Retrieval, Information Exchange	Real-Time Notifications, Automation	Real-time data exchange, iot
Protocol Type	Stateless	Stateless	Stateful
Payload Type	Typically, JSON or XML	Custom Data	Custom Data ...

You're reading from Hands-on ESP32 with Arduino IDE