PS Thermo is a control hub I developed for proSmart, it is designed to control/act as a gateway for various sub-GHz RF wireless sensors/actuators. In essence, it is a much more advanced version of the BBoilRF thermostat project. The PS…

It was roughly a year ago when I decided to spinoff the embedded software/hardware R&D activities I was heading at proSmart to a separate entity. This is how Embeddica was created, a team of highly skilled embedded software/hardware development professionals…

I recently spoke with a friend of mine, who is now a software development team manager in a Fortune 500 listed company. He shared with me that his managed teams work using agile methodologies and consist only of software developers.…

While delivering on the promise of streamlined efficiencies and operational insights, smart IoT devices also present a new and more widespread threat to users and personal data. No one really needs reminding of the security implications of IoT. Think of…

My front gate has joined the Internet of Things and is now controllable from my phone. The sliding door opener is a Beninca BULL 5M. The project is DIY, based on ESP8266 + MQTT and I can now open/close/read the…

Modern HMIs are built as graphical user interfaces (GUI) with touch-based user interaction. Complex HMI development is always challenging because of the dynamic nature of the required behavior, underlying functions, and graphical design. Building a PoC prototype through code is time-consuming,…

I decided to test a 3.5″ TFT version of the TFT32 project as the original version’s 2.4″ 320×240 TFT is a bit small-ish. The TFT I chose is an ILI9488 480×320 3.5″ with resistive touch. The upgrade was pretty straightforward,...

As an IT team manager, I am responsible for forming highly engaged and efficient teams. Building an agile team requires a fine balance of skilled and motivated people, fine-tuned processes and proper tool selection.Put too much focus on people and...

I did a tech talk about the TFT32 project on Feb 5th 2019, here is my presentation, if interested. Some photos from the event: Page views: 8

Performing OTA firmware update over a slow/unreliable connection may be challenging. I have had many cases, where the nodes to be updated are in a remote rural area with a 2G modem internet connection, and pushing a 1.1MB firmware file...

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Accurate time/date information is crucial for the correct operation of IoT nodes. From a security perspective, time/date information is necessary to perform SSL certificate validations. If your embedded device’s clock isn’t accurate, you can’t ensure the presented server certificate hasn’t...

I am working on a thermostat control project using the TFT32 hardware, let me share a video of the Wi-Fi configuration GUI (still work in progress). The Wi-Fi provisioning via GUI addresses one of the significant challenges when setting up...

Those of you that follow me on Twitter might already know that I’ve been working on an ESP32 based IoT control hub/gateway project with touch TFT lately. Let me describe what problems I am trying to address with this project....

We have a 4.88m x 2.74m x 1.22m (13m³) Bestway swimming pool in the backyard. We only use the pool when the pool water temperature is > 25°C, but it only happens if there are intensive sunshine and high ambient...

Artificial Intelligence is quickly becoming an important ingredient for IoT projects’ success, a requirement for unlocking its full potential and providing a competitive edge to those that embrace it. AI naturally integrates into existing connected sensor/actuator networks and immediately adds...

I will be doing a tech talk on topic “Hardware and firmware considerations when designing low power battery operated wireless edge nodes for Internet of Things applications” at an event organized by DEV.BG. Join me on April 18th, starting 19:15...

I had a chat with a colleague the other day, discussing his property purchasing plans. He shared that the proximity to workplace is important for him. Planning in the long term, he asked me what districts of Sofia would be...

We use DIY air-to-water heat pump for climate control (heating/cooling) of our house with a combination of water underfloor heating and fan coils in the rooms. The fan coils are equipped with basic thermostats that allow for heat/cool mode setting, desired...

This project is an upgrade to a previous project of mine – the DIY IoT smoke alarm. It is a more advanced version that uses dedicated hardware rather than the generic “Funky” project + external components. In essence the module...

This project is about creating a high security keyfob using Atmel’s ATSHA204 hardware authentication device. It was inspired by this post about security and signing. Many modern keyfobs use various security techniques to prevent replay attacks, yet it turns out it is...

This blog post is about a project I have been working on lately, the BBoilRF. It is a general purpose internet-connected relay actuator/gateway with support for low power, battery operated remote wireless sensor nodes. It was designed primary for use...

I have been busy starting up an exciting new project the last few months, a joint effort with a team of highly enthusiastic, hands-on, broad skilled contributors with the goal to design and develop IoT home/industrial automation solutions. Together, we established...

We are close to that time of the year, when Daylight Saving Time (DST) starts.  It is intended to save on energy use, however studies have found this to be questionable, even contrary – energy use increases in some cases. The change itself...

I’ve blogged before why firmware-over-the-air (FOTA) updates are a must-have nowadays, however my old AVR+RFM based projects were incapable of that due to the lack of external flash to temporary store the new firmware before it is flashed on chip. The...