WEMOS D1 Mini

[djandymarc]

Hi there.
So i used a Wemos D1 Mini, a Buck Converter to make this project up.
On initial testing it looked like it was sort of working but had issues connecting to the vias on the board. I also noticed that the screen would draw too much power and the screen dimmed a bit.
The issue when testing is that the buck converter shorted on the mainboard and i fried my RC-EX3A and had to purchase a new one.
Now im too scared to do the same thing with the new RC3A so looking to find a safer alternative.
So the Wemos D1 can be powered by either a 5V or 3.3v source and it has an onboard micro USB port.
Can i ask how you found where to place your TX and RX wires? Do you have a schematic for this?
Im thinking of rejigging it so the ESP reads off the mini USB instead but unsure the best way to do this.
Cheers
Andy

[mcchas]

The issue when testing is that the buck converter shorted on the mainboard and i fried my RC-EX3A and had to purchase a new one.

Sorry to hear about that. I had wrapped everything in heat shrink to prevent shorts. Below is a photo of what it looks with everything in its place. The regulator sits in the cavity on the side and the ESP lays flat against the plastic film that protects the PCB.

Can i ask how you found where to place your TX and RX wires? Do you have a schematic for this?

The IC that connects to the USB port is a Silicon Labs CP2104, a common USB-to-UART adapter. I found the pinout by googling the part number on the chip and checking the datasheet

Im thinking of rejigging it so the ESP reads off the mini USB instead but unsure the best way to do this.

It might be hard to use the USB interface as you would need drivers for that chip, probably more doable on a raspberry pi. I had some nodejs/JavaScript examples that could help with that..

Finding a 5V source on the board with enough current might be a problem, that's why I went down the route of the buck converter.