Category: Uncategorized

At ThingPulse, our mission is to create innovative products that bring people together, no matter where they are in Europe. We understand the unique challenges that remote teams face, especially when it comes to fostering strong connections and a collaborative spirit. Recently, we had the opportunity to support a dedicated team of software architects who work entirely remotely across various European countries. This team, which meets only once a year for their annual gathering, chose our Color Kit Grande for their latest team-building event. The experience provided valuable insights into how hands-on projects can strengthen remote collaborations.

Choosing the Color Kit Grande for Team Building

When this European team decided to organize their annual meetup, they sought an activity that was engaging, educational, and capable of creating a tangible sense of achievement. After exploring several options, they selected the Color Kit Grande for several practical reasons:

• Hands-On Experience: Assembling a physical product encourages teamwork, problem-solving, and hands-on collaboration.
• Scalability: The kit is designed to accommodate teams of various sizes, ensuring that every member can actively participate.
• Creativity and Learning: It offers a balanced blend of creativity and technical challenge, aligning well with the team’s expertise in software architecture.

Supporting the Workshop: Providing Practical Soldering Tips

After selecting the Color Kit Grande, the team reached out to us at ThingPulse to see if we could join their workshop. We were happy to assist by joining the initial phase of their event, where we had the opportunity to share some practical soldering tips essential for assembling the Color Kit Grande. Empowering the team with these skills helped boost their confidence and fostered a collaborative learning environment. Here are a few tips that proved invaluable:

1. Preparation is Key: Organize and double-check all components before beginning the assembly process.
2. Steady Hands: Take your time to make precise connections; rushing can lead to mistakes.
3. Safety First: Always work in a well-ventilated area and use protective gear to prevent accidents.

Building Connections Through Creation

The true value of the Color Kit Grande lies in its ability to unite a geographically dispersed team through the act of creation. As the team soldered and assembled their kits, conversations flowed naturally, and bonds were strengthened. The shared goal of building something tangible together helped bridge the physical gaps between them, turning individual efforts into a collective achievement.

ThingPulse Support: Enhancing the Team-Building Experience

One of the key features of the Color Kit Grande workshop is the support offered by our ThingPulse team. We are available to join your workshop sessions to assist in building the hardware, ensuring a smooth and enjoyable experience for all participants. Our experts provide an extra layer of guidance and expertise, making the assembly process more manageable and rewarding.

Planning Your Workshop: Tips for Success

If you’re considering organizing a similar workshop for your remote European team, here are a few tips to ensure everything goes smoothly:

• Order Early: The Color Kit Grande kits are popular and may sell out quickly. To ensure every team member receives their kit on time, place your orders well in advance.
• Prepare Materials: Ensure that everyone has the necessary tools and a suitable workspace to assemble their kits.
• Schedule Wisely: Allocate ample time for the workshop, including breaks and time for troubleshooting.
• Leverage Support: Don’t hesitate to reach out to the ThingPulse team for additional support or to have our experts join your session.

Conclusion: Investing in Team Cohesion with the Color Kit Grande

Our collaboration with this remote European team of software architects highlighted the effectiveness of hands-on, collaborative projects in strengthening team dynamics. The Color Kit Grande provided a platform for the team to collaborate, learn, and connect on a deeper level. By building a physical product together, they not only enhanced their technical skills but also fostered stronger interpersonal relationships.

If you’re looking to bring your geographically distributed team closer, the Color Kit Grande is an excellent choice. With early planning and the dedicated support of the ThingPulse team, you can create a memorable and impactful team-building experience that resonates long after the workshop ends.

Ready to bridge the distance with your team? Explore the Color Kit Grande and take the first step towards a more connected and cohesive team.

#TeamBuilding #RemoteWork #ColorKitGrande #ThingPulse #SoftwareArchitects #RemoteTeams #TeamCollaboration #TechWorkshops

Are you looking to create a centralized solution to connect to Bluetooth devices and collect their sensor data in Home Assistant? Alex, one of our customers, recently shared his experience using our ESPGateway and ESPHome to do just that. He set up the device as a Bluetooth proxy and successfully collected air quality data from multiple BLE sensors in his apartment. Let’s dive into how Alex achieved this and learn from his journey.

Alex’s Setup: Overview and Challenges

Alex began with the Bluetooth Proxy project provided by ESPHome. This ready-made solution allowed him to set up the ESPGateway as a Bluetooth proxy with networking via Wi-Fi. However, Alex wanted a more robust and reliable connection using Ethernet instead of Wi-Fi, especially for a centrally placed device in his apartment.

Here’s where things got interesting. Alex encountered some challenges while configuring Ethernet, particularly around understanding the correct pin mappings for the hardware. But instead of giving up, he found inspiration in the OpenMQTTGateway project, which natively supports the ThingPulse ESPGateway and provides helpful configuration examples.

Finding the Solution: Combining ESPHome and OpenMQTTGateway Insights

To solve the Ethernet configuration issue, Alex turned to the OpenMQTTGateway repository. He found a specific environment configuration that included the necessary Ethernet setup for the ESPGateway.

Using this as a reference, Alex adapted the default ESPHome Bluetooth Proxy configuration to include Ethernet instead of Wi-Fi. Here’s the final ESPHome YAML configuration that worked for him:

esphome:
  name: esp32-bluetooth-proxy-626540
  friendly_name: Bluetooth Proxy 626540
  min_version: 2024.6.0
  name_add_mac_suffix: false

esp32:
  board: esp32dev
  framework:
    type: esp-idf

ethernet:
  type: LAN8720
  mdc_pin: GPIO23
  mdio_pin: GPIO18
  clk_mode: GPIO16_OUT
  phy_addr: 0
  power_pin: GPIO5

api:
  encryption:
    key: <redacted>

logger:

ota:
  - platform: esphome
    id: ota_esphome

esp32_ble_tracker:
  scan_parameters:
    active: false

bluetooth_proxy:
  active: true

button:
  - platform: safe_mode
    id: button_safe_mode
    name: Safe Mode Boot

  - platform: factory_reset
    id: factory_reset_btn
    name: Factory reset

Key Takeaways and Additional Notes

1. Ethernet vs. Wi-Fi
   Alex noted that only one networking component (either Ethernet or Wi-Fi) can be active at a time in ESPHome. For his use case, Ethernet was the better choice due to its reliability and his centralized device placement.
2. Hardware-Specific Configurations
   The pin mappings for the Ethernet component were derived from the OpenMQTTGateway project. If you’re setting up your ESPGateway, make sure to check similar repositories for detailed pin configurations tailored to your hardware.
3. Status LEDs
   Alex didn’t configure the status LEDs on his device but mentioned that this is something you can explore further if needed.

The Result: Seamless Integration with Home Assistant

With his ESPGateway configured as an Ethernet-based Bluetooth proxy, Alex was able to collect sensor data from all his BLE air quality monitors and make it available in Home Assistant. The setup worked flawlessly, and Alex was thrilled with the outcome, calling it a “great product, highly recommended!”

Why This Matters

This example highlights the power of the ESPGateway combined with ESPHome’s flexibility. Whether you’re a home automation enthusiast or a professional looking for reliable Bluetooth data collection, the ability to adapt and integrate with other projects like OpenMQTTGateway can be a game-changer.

If you’re inspired by Alex’s journey, consider trying it yourself. Whether you opt for Ethernet or Wi-Fi, the ESPGateway is a robust solution for enhancing your smart home setup.

Let us know if you have any questions or need help configuring your device! We’d love to hear about your projects and how you’re using the ESPGateway in creative ways.

How can you add a button to a device without drilling a hole in its enclosure? This was the challenge I faced when designing the Pendrive S3, as I wanted to use an off-the-shelf USB enclosure. Drilling a hole was an option, but I aimed for the Pendrive S3 to resemble a regular USB stick without any conspicuous buttons altering its exterior.

In an earlier blog post we described how to use the ePulse dev board to send messages over ESPNow to achieve ultra long battery life. Now we wanted to test our new development board – the ePulse Feather – with a similar setup.

In this short video we are showing how easy it is to turn the Icon64 into a beautiful word clock.

This is part 2 of our App Fairy mini-series → part 1

The below chapters explain how we turned the existing cross-platform GUI-wrapper around the Espressif esptool.py into an app store.