Home automation architecture: design and implementation using ESP8266

Abstract

This paper presents a methodology of design and implementation details of a solution based on Internet of things (IoT) applied to home automation. The solution is implemented using the system on a chip ESP8266. The proposed architecture allows the interaction between sensors and actuators (client nodes) linked through a home wireless network. The protocol was implemented in the application layer of the TCP/IP model, while subtle changes on the remaining layers of the TCP/IP stack are applied, as follows: 1) The IEEE 802.11 standard is used in the physical layer to define basic aspects such as transmitter power and receiver sensitivity; 2) CSMA/CA was used as a media access method, allowing multiple stations to use the same transmission medium; 3) in the network layer, the interaction between the nodes is configured in mesh mode, where each node uses a 32-bit identifier based on its MAC address; 4) the transport layer is configured using TCP, to guarantee reliability in data delivery; and, 5) the MQTT protocol is used in the application layer. To evaluate the performance of the proposed protocol, there were manufactured prototypes of the client nodes. An application for Android-based mobile devices was also developed, so that the user can control and manage the network from their own device.