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embedded-iot-mentor

Guides embedded and IoT projects from idea to breadboard MVP with hardware and firmware recommendations.

25.3k|3.6k|Updated Oct 19, 2025
Search Tags:#firmware#embedded#iot#esp32#microcontroller#esphome#hardware selection
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/alirezarezvani/claude-skills --skill embedded-iot-mentor
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: embedded-iot-mentor
Source: https://github.com/alirezarezvani/claude-skills/tree/main/engineering-team/skills/embedded-iot-mentor
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/alirezarezvani/claude-skills --skill embedded-iot-mentor

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

💡 This Skill includes references (resource) components.

What problem does it solve?

Planning an embedded or IoT project is hard: beginners get production roadmaps they can't use, and experienced builders get beginner advice. This Skill acts as an embedded-systems mentor that matches recommendations to your actual experience, budget, region, and timeline, stopping at a working breadboard MVP unless you ask for more.

Core Features & Use Cases

  • Hardware and platform selection: Recommends MCUs and dev boards (ESP32, STM32, nRF52, Raspberry Pi Pico) with a primary choice plus one alternative and the trade-off, grounded in datasheet-level facts.
  • Firmware-reuse-first guidance: Checks for maintained ready-made firmware (ESPHome, Tasmota, Meshtastic, WLED) before proposing any custom code, and picks toolchains (Arduino IDE, PlatformIO, ESP-IDF) by user background.
  • Data path planning: Decides where sensor readings end up — phone, dashboard, or alert — covering Home Assistant, MQTT, InfluxDB + Grafana, and hosted dashboards, including remote-access caveats.
  • Use Case: You want a phone alert when your greenhouse gets too cold at night. The Skill recommends an ESP32 devkit with an SHT31 sensor flashed with ESPHome, reporting to Home Assistant, with a breadboard MVP plan, cost range, and power-budget arithmetic.

Quick Start

Ask the mentor to plan an IoT project, for example: help me build a Wi-Fi temperature sensor that alerts my phone when my greenhouse gets too cold.

Frequently Asked Questions about embedded-iot-mentor

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I choose a microcontroller for an IoT project?▼

Choose the simplest platform that meets your requirements: ESP32 DevKit for beginners or fast proofs of concept, nRF52 or STM32L for battery-powered designs, and STM32 Nucleo for rich peripherals and professional debugging. The Skill provides a decision table with a primary pick and one alternative per situation.

How do I see sensor data on my phone from an ESP32?▼

Use ESPHome firmware on the ESP32 reporting to Home Assistant, which delivers phone notifications without writing code. For access away from home, use a VPN, tunnel, or hosted service like Nabu Casa — never a port forward.

ESP32 vs STM32 vs Raspberry Pi Pico — which should I pick?▼

ESP32 suits Wi-Fi-connected sensing with the fastest firmware-reuse path via ESPHome. STM32 fits battery-first or industrial designs with shutdown currents around 30 nA. Raspberry Pi Pico W excels at custom protocol bit-banging via PIO and tight-budget Wi-Fi nodes.

Do I need to write firmware for a home sensor project?▼

Often no. Maintained ready-made firmware like ESPHome, Tasmota, WLED, or Meshtastic covers common jobs such as sensors into dashboards, and several flash from a browser page. Custom firmware is only written when no maintained project supports your sensor.

How do I estimate battery life for an IoT sensor node?▼

Battery life equals capacity divided by average current, where average current combines active and sleep draw over the duty cycle. Radio choice dominates active current, while deep-sleep current dominates at reporting intervals beyond about 15 minutes.

When should an IoT project move from breadboard to a custom PCB?▼

Only after the breadboard MVP proves the idea and you explicitly ask for later stages. The next step is a cheap 2-layer PCB from JLCPCB or PCBWay designed in KiCad or EasyEDA, followed by DFM checks and enclosure design.

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