Gina

WOW!!  That's brilliant!  It would mean I could load new code into the ESP32 in the wind sensors enclosure without taking everything down.

Explain please...  Don't know what OTA means in this context.

So far so good  - time for a coffee!!

That was it - Done Uploading!   Great - thanks.  onwards and upwards...

Hmm...  Problem...  Following instructions HERE I get as far as uploading the WiFiScan sketch, it compiles OK but the Upload stage fails to connect with the following report :-

Quote

This report would have more information with
"Show verbose output during compilation"
option enabled in File -> Preferences.

Arduino: 1.8.10 (Linux), Board: "ESP32 Dev Module, Disabled, Default 4MB with spiffs (1.2MB APP/1.5MB SPIFFS), 240MHz (WiFi/BT), QIO, 80MHz, 4MB (32Mb), 921600, None"

Sketch uses 623662 bytes (47%) of program storage space. Maximum is 1310720 bytes.
Global variables use 38744 bytes (11%) of dynamic memory, leaving 288936 bytes for local variables. Maximum is 327680 bytes.
python /home/gina/.arduino15/packages/esp32/tools/esptool_py/2.6.1/esptool.py --chip esp32 --port /dev/ttyS0 --baud 921600 --before default_reset --after hard_reset write_flash -z --flash_mode dio --flash_freq 80m --flash_size detect 0xe000 /home/gina/.arduino15/packages/esp32/hardware/esp32/1.0.4/tools/partitions/boot_app0.bin 0x1000 /home/gina/.arduino15/packages/esp32/hardware/esp32/1.0.4/tools/sdk/bin/bootloader_qio_80m.bin 0x10000 /tmp/arduino_build_656170/WiFiScan.ino.bin 0x8000 /tmp/arduino_build_656170/WiFiScan.ino.partitions.bin
esptool.py v2.6
Serial port /dev/ttyS0
Connecting........_____....._____....._____....._____....._____....._____.....____An error occurred while uploading the sketch
_

A fatal error occurred: Failed to connect to ESP32: Timed out waiting for packet header

This report would have more information with
"Show verbose output during compilation"
option enabled in File -> Preferences.

I currently have version 1.8.10 of the Arduino IDE, the latest is 1.8.13 but info online says later than 1.8.5 is alright for programing the ESP32 so guess I don't need to upgrade.  I'll try it...

As I see it, there are two functions of a weather station.

1. To provide current information about the weather outside and in the observatory.
2. To provide a record of the weather over a period.

I shall concentrate on the first initially and should not be too difficult, the second may come later purely for interest but will be much more difficult. 

Ah yes, I thought I remembered that I2C would only work over a short distance.

The sensors will be around 10ft apart.  The observatory is 15ft x 8ft with the scope room 8 x 8 and the warm room 8 x 7.  In the photo below we are looking at the NW corner.  The wind sensors are attached to the SW corner of the warm room and I plan to place a Stevenson screen around the middle of the north wall, near the post for the ASC, with I2C connections going through the wall into the scope room where I plan to sense temperature and humidity.

ESP-Now does look rather complicated and I have another idea.  The two sensor ESPs are not that far apart and a serial wired connection would be quite feasible I think.  Not difficult to program either.

There's also the possibility of having independent ESPs, both communicating with indoors over WiFi.

Thanks Jason, I'll check that out.

I'm amazed at the range of ESP-NOW - 165 metres!  Think that's for ESP32,  ESP8266 seems to be 140m.  Still a lot!

Found the answer - HERE

The requirements for the ESP for the outside and obsy measurements are only 2 wires as they are I2C devices and both can run on the same port.  The ESP8266-12E could handle this easily.  But will ESP-NOW work with one ESP32 and one ESP8266?

https://lastminuteengineers.com/bme280-esp32-weather-station/

Thanks folks 😀  Gives me plenty to read and think about.  I will look into MQTT but first I'll get the simpler web server approach working to check I can get the ESP32 working.

Looks good Wim 👍

Yes.

I see that the ESP32 can be used as an output device server so I could probably use one to drive my wall dials.  But that's for later - need to walk before I try to run! 😁

2 minutes ago, wimvb said:

Btw, did you know that esp32 devkit boards come in two flavours? Either with 30 pins, or with 36 pins. But the extra pins on the larger board are already used up by the internal flash. So no use buying the 36 pin version.

Yes, I did know that - I have the 30 pin version.

The plan seems to be to set up the ESP32 as in Wim's webserver idea exactly with the BME280 and get it working then try adding code for the wind sensors etc.

I think I'll use 2 ESP32s, one for the wind sensors and rain gauge and the other in the scope room for BME280 and DHT22 outside in Stevenson screen on the outside connected through the north wall to the ESP32 inside.  These can be linked with ESP-NOW and the ESP32 in the wind unit used as WIFi as it will be higher and a bit nearer to the WiFi AP.  ESP32 in preference to the ESP8266 as it has more free GPIO lines.

Can more than one client system access a server at the same time?

I see - OK.

I used to know Python some years ago - I'm more familiar with C++ now but guess I can revise Python.

1 hour ago, JamesF said:

I was thinking that if you used Wim's webserver idea, it could just produce a page with all the data on.  You could then have software elsewhere (RPi, perhaps?) that would pull the data off that page and do all the hard stuff.

James

Didn't know you could do that.  Later I would like to know how to pull data off a web page in software.