IoT Development for ESP32 and ESP8266 with JavaScript: A Practical Guide to XS and the Moddable SDK

This book introduces a new approach to embedded development, grounded in modern, industry-standard JavaScript. Using the same language that powers web browsers and Node.js, the Moddable SDK empowers IoT developers to apply many of the same tools and techniques used to build sophisticated websites and mobile apps.

The Moddable SDK enables you to unlock the full potential of inexpensive microcontrollers like the ESP32 and ESP8266. Coding for these microcontrollers in C or C++ with the ESP-IDF and Arduino SDKs works for building basic products but doesn’t scale to handle the increasingly complex IoT products that customers expect. The Moddable SDK adds the lightweight XS JavaScript engine to those traditional environments, accelerating development with JavaScript while keeping the performance benefits of a native SDK.

Building user interfaces and communicating over the network are two areas where JavaScript really shines. IoT Development for ESP32 and ESP8266 with JavaScript shows you how to build responsive touch screen user interfaces using the Piu framework. You’ll learn how easy it is to securely send and receive JSON data over Wi-Fi with elegant JavaScript APIs for common IoT protocols, including HTTP/HTTPS, WebSocket, MQTT, and mDNS. You’ll also learn how to integrate common sensors and actuators, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), file systems, and more into your projects, and you’ll see firsthand how JavaScript makes it easier to combine these diverse technologies.

If you’re an embedded C or C++ developer who has never worked in JavaScript, don’t worry. This book includes an introduction to the JavaScript language just for embedded developers experienced with C or C++.

What You’ll Learn

• Building, installing, and debugging JavaScript projects on the ESP32 and ESP8266
• Using modern JavaScript for all aspects of embedded development with the Moddable SDK
• Developing IoT products with animated user interfaces, touch input, networking, BLE, sensors, actuators, and more

Who This Book Is For

• Professional embedded developers who want the speed, flexibility, and power of web development in their embedded software work
• Makers who want a faster, easier way to build their hobby projects
• Web developers working in JavaScript who want to extend their skills to hardware products