WiFi connections are sometimes a must in your project. It really gives it the IoT identity and power to send/receive messages/commands from anywhere using only an internet connection. Although you might think it’s hard to add this option to your project, a simple google search can prove the opposite.
Before buying any shield/module, you should check the following:
- The price: Is the price of this shield/module worth it’s features? Does it exceeds the budget? Is it more expensive then the money I already spent to build my project?
- Features: What do you need from this module/shield? Are all these features necessary? Is some of the missing features/functions negotiable?
We have multiple options to add WiFi to your project, some of the options are low cost ones (ESP8266 based solutions) compared to others. In this article we’re interested in comparing the WiFi shield CC3000 to the ESP8266 ESP-12E and ESP8266 ESP-01.
Below is a comparing table:
| Features | CC3000 | ESP-01 | ESP-12E |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shield/Module | Shield | Module | Module |
| WiFi Standards | 802.11 b/g | 802.11 b/g/n | 801.11 b/g/n |
| Transport Layer Protocol Supported | TCP & UDP | TCP & UDP | TCP & UDP |
| Modes | Client & Server | Client & Server | Client & Server |
| Concurrent Sockets in TCP & UDP in both modes | 4 | 5 | 5 |
| Access Point Mode | Unclear | P2P, Soft-AP | P2P, Soft-AP |
| Interface | SPI | TTL Serial | TTL Serial |
| Encryption | Up to WPA2-PSK | Up to WPA2-PSK | Up to WPA2-PSK |
| Sleep Current | Unclear | <10uA | <10uA |
| Transmit Current | Around 210mA | 215mA (typ) | 215mA (typ) |
| Receive Current | Unclear | Around 60mA | Around 60mA |
| Digital Pins | 0 | 2 | 9 |
| Analog Pins | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Cost Rate (3 equal to the most expensive) | 3 | 1 | 2 |
The comparison shows that ESP8266 competes not only with its low cost, but also with the offered features. Although Arduino + WiFi Shield = ESP8266, but some experts thinks that CC3000 is better for beginners.
