Optimizing Power Consumption of Wi-Fi for IoT Devices: An MSP430 processor and an ESP-03 chip provide a power-efficient solution

The Internet of Things (IoT)-the connection of small smart sensors, actuators, and other devices to the Internet-is a key concept within the smart home. To ease deployment, such devices are often wireless and battery powered. An important issue is the wireless interface used. The ubiquity of Wi-Fi in homes today makes this an attractive option, but the relatively high power requirements of Wi-Fi conflict with the requirement for long battery life and low maintenance. Lower power alternatives, such as Bluetooth and ZigBee, have been proposed, but these have a much smaller installed base. In addition, many smart home products are currently available using 433-MHz technology.