[mdorazio]

I have to ask this most of the time I see an r-pi project: why r-pi instead of ESP8266 for something this simple?

[flak48]

Faster prototyping, I can ssh into a RasPi wirelessly and control the gpio via my terminal like a REPL, for the ESP I need to keep flashing newer firmware and control it via USB to serial. Feels a bit clunkier although not a huge difference.

If I were making and selling some IoT hardware or if I wanted to re-use the RasPi for something else in my house, it would definitely make sense to move to an ESP/Arduino

[numpad0]

I personally don’t like accidentally bumping Pi and waiting couple minutes with monitors to see if I have to start over from microSD part. Flashing ESP is slower than Atmega Arduinos but not as slow as Raspbian booting.

[deivid]

you can use micropython for this, a repl over usb or wifi

[beachy]

I've just been on this same journey building a sensor for the level in our home water tanks.

I started with a raspberry pi, but then discovered esp32 with an lcd display for just a few bucks https://www.amazon.com/LILYGO-T-Display-Bluetooth-Developmen....

[xxxtentachyon]

How long have you been using it? I find random ESP32s off of Amazon to be a bit of a crapshoot, and I’ve taken to just sticking to big microcontroller integrators that I’ve used before.

[beachy]

It's still in dev, so I haven't run it for more than a few hours at a time. Seems OK so far.

[karlshea]

I’ve never heard of the ESP8266, but I have heard of (and used, for several projects) the RPi. That’s probably the reason for a lot of people.

[entropie]

If you want to do things that need an OS use RPI, if you want read/transfer sensor data or control basic servos esp8266 is a joy to work with. There are plenty of others, arduino is maybe more known as buzzword for microcontrollers.

[scsilver]

You need a computer and the right cords to program a controller, the pi is that computer as well as the controller.

[rhinoceraptor]

Yes, but you also get the downsides of having a full computer. Namely, it has an OS, it has an SD card that can wear out, it takes longer to boot, etc.

[tomahony]

For me, simply because it was lying around!

[Isamu]

It is true that pi is complete overkill for such a project, but it is very convenient and lots of people have experience with it.

Plus your standing desk could also be a pi-hole for wifi security.

[schwartzworld]

or a Plex server.

[martin_a]

Yes!

Replace the ESP8266 with some Arduino clone for 3.50 € and you'll even be more beginner friendly...

[sokoloff]

Makes it harder to make it work with Homebridge/Alexa though.

[lights0123]

It's not hard to get an ESP8266 dev board for that much.

[hellweaver666]

If you're willing to wait you can get an ESP8266 dev board such as the WeMos D1 mini from aliexpress for less than $2!

[amelius]

Because it can't be extended so much as the r-pi. Why limit yourself when you don't have to? It's like asking why one would buy a 1TB harddrive when Linux fits in a few GB.

[ddevault]

>Why limit yourself when you don't have to?

Cost, power consumption, reliability, performance, security, weight, and volume, to name just a few.

I really dislike the attitude that we should use the biggest hammer we can find for any size of nail just because we can.

[scsilver]

And if you dont have to meet those requirements, why waste time, energy, thoughts trying to.

Theres a reason multitools are every day carry, and its not that they are the perfect tool for the job.

[amelius]

> security

The ESP8266 is a product developed by a Chinese company, which would be reason for some to avoid it from a security standpoint.