EasyNotifications

ESPEasy notifications

ESPEasy notifications are to be used in combination with rules.

For example, to send a message on system boot use a rule like this:

on System#Boot do 
   notify 1,system_is_started
endon

Note: Use v2.0.0-dev11 or higher. There was a bug in dev10 and older versions that lead to crashes.

Creating a paper-mail to email gateway

I used notifications in combination with Deep Sleep to create a system that notifies me when I have new paper mail in my actual mailbox:

Hardware

• Core: A bare esp-12-f. Not a development board, so it has no voltage regulator and no usb-to-serial interface that draws current while sleeping.
• Casing: Google for Waterproof Clear Cover Plastic Electronic Box Project
• Magnetic microswitch: Google for something like 10pcs/lot Wired Door Window Magnetic Sensor Switch
• Use a GOOD and high temperature hot-glu gun like the Dremel 940. This saves a lot of frustration and allows you to make everything nice and solid.

For power I used an old powerbank, those you use to charge your phone. Most power-banks use lithium cells that are a perfect 3.3 volts. And they are easy to charge as well. :)

Wiring

• You need to connect some extra pins to VCC or GND if you use a bare ESP-12-f, google for this. :)
• Connect D0 to vcc, to ensure the device goes into deep sleep. (connect to GND to disable deep sleep)
• Connect the magnetic switch:
  • Connect one side of the magnetic switch to GND.
  • Connect the other side of switch it to the - side of a capacitor (4u7), with a 1 meg. resistor in parallel.
  • Connect those the the RST pin.

This will wake up the ESPEasy from deep sleep when the magnetic switch is closed.

An awesome "schematic" of the switch-part:

[ GND ] --- [ magnetic switch ] -----+- [ 4u7 capicitor ] --+-- [ ESP8266 RST pin ] 
                                     |                      |
                                     ---[ 1M resistor   ] ---

The capacitor will make sure it doesnt stay in reset-mode if the switch closed for a longer time.

ESPEasy settings

• Enable deep sleep with a sleep time of 0 seconds. (this way it only wakes up manually by the switch)
• Enable Sleep on connection failure
• Set message delay to 0.
• Add an email notification.
• Enable rules.
• Create a rule that mails you on system boot, like this:

on System#Boot do 
 notify 1
endon

• Consider compiling ESPEasy with FEATURE_ADC_VCC. (enable it in ESPEasy.ino) This way you can add a sysinfo task that sends the battery level to your homecontroller, every time it wakes up.