Question: How esp8266 fits in mysensors architecture?

[carlos]

Hello

I am trying to learn about mysensors architecture and I am a bit confused about what the role of esp8266 module is.

When I had a first look at this site I understood that gateway and nodes use RF to send and receive mesagges. However I initially though it was also posible to alternativelly set up a node to use esp8266 to have wifi comunication with mysensors esp8266 gateway.

After reading more on this site, my current understanding is that communication between mysensors nodes and gateway should be done with RF and not wifi.
So, if I understand correctly, esp8266 could allow us to do things like the following:

1. Toguether with a RF module we can build a mysensors serial gateway. So esp8266 is used by the gateway to have wifi communication with controler (not nodes) while the gateway uses the RF module to communicate with the nodes. There are plenty of controllers which will support this mysensors gateway.
2. Used alone in the node, the esp8266 could comunicate directly with the controler but this will baypass the mysensors gateway and mysensors RF network. Depending on the controller we chose we may, or may not, have support for this kind of direct comunication without having a gateway in the middle.

Is my current understanding correct?.

Many thanks
Best regards
Carlos

[mfalkvidd]

@carlos you are mostly correct. One important difference though: when used alone, the esp8266 still is a gateway. It is just a gateway with local sensors attached.

[carlos]

Hello Mikael.

Thanks to your help, I am getting closer to my final solution for a heating control project of my appartment. I am thinking in choosing a location for my esp8266 gateway in a room close to some of my sensors and actuators which could then be wired directly to this esp8266 circuit. This gateway will also have a RF component attached "nRF24L01+" and this will allow RF communication with the rest of the nodes.
for any temperature sensor nodes which I cannot wire to the gateway I found very interesting the sensebender micro you mentioned in other post.
For the radiator valve actuator I find very interesting a video on using a relay posted by petewill. I am also trying to understand the section about "AC-DC double solid state relay module" posted by Aproxx and Hex. I guess that module is meant to be used by lights rather than a water valve actuator which is more like a motor. My valve actuators require 230v, uses a maximum of 5 wats and they just have on/off possition. I hope I could use something like this AC-DC double solid state relay.
I am looking forward to receive the pieces I ordered and start playing around.

Thanks again
Carlos