Personal Console Controllers are low-cost and diverse computing devices that can be deployed ubiquitously by an individual in many different situations, unlike traditional "internet of things" deployments that are centrally owned and operated, Personal Console Controller are owned and operated INDEPENDENTLY by individual citizens through the Personal Console software on their phones.
From the comfort of their phones, citizens have full control of the physical world by distributing controllers in required locations or carrying controllers with them, individuals can decide what data from their controllers are shared with who and how their controllers make impact on the environment they are in.
Like all other Private Cyberspace components, the focus of Personal Console Controller is to remove the Cost and Skill barriers in benefiting from technology.
Personal Console Controllers give your Private Cyberspace sensors and actuators at revolutionary price points and ease of use by combining free yet featureful software (e.g. ESPHome) with low cost yet powerful hardware (e.g. ESP32):
Personal Console Controller Positioning
ESPHome is the default firmware that Personal Console Controller use, other firmwares like Meshtastic can also be used.
ESPHome supports large number of devices, each year we select one as our Personal Console Controller reference implementation.
All Reference implementations are supported worldwide indefinitely (even if they are no longer being manufactured) and can participate in our buy back scheme so some one else can benefit from them.
ESP32 Notes:
There are many ESP32 modules if you are starting out stick to the ones that have already been used by other members.
ESP32's low cost means it only has a single 2.4G radio shred between wifi and bluetooth, since we need to operate both at the same time, we need to be aware of some limitations.
Currently the following processors are supported by ESPHome (and thus Personal Console Controller):
ESP32 and ESP8266 e.g. NodeMCU
RP2040 e.g. Raspberry Pi Pico WH
1. ESP32
There are a large number of ultra low cost wifi devices built around the esp8266 and esp32 (e.g. NodeMCUs) chips, making them ideal as Personal Console Controllers.
Both ESP8266 and ESP32 are from Espressif. There are many different esp8266 and esp32 types, below is just a rough comparison between the 2 families.
Device
esp8266
esp32
Core
Xtensa Single
Xtensa Dual
Clock Frequency
80-160 MHz
80-240 MHz
Internal ROM
200 KByte
448 KByte
Internal Instruction RAM
32 KByte
200 KByte
Internal Data RAM
80 KByte
320 KByte
RTC Memory
512 Bytes
16 KByte
External RAM
X
✓
802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi
HT20
HT40
Bluetooth
X
Bluetooth 4.2
Flash
X
✓
GPIO
17
34
Software PWM
8 channels
16 channels
SPI/I2C/I2S/UART
2/1/2/2
4/2/2/2
ADC
10-bit
12-bit
DAC
8-bit
Deep Sleep
20uA
10uA
SDMMC
X
✓
CAN
X
✓
Ethernet MAC Interface
X
✓
Touch Sensor
X
✓
Hall effect sensor
X
✓
Secure Boot
X
✓
Hardware Encryption
X
✓
Working Temperature
-40ºC to 125ºC
-40ºC to 125ºC
If price and supply are no concern then esp32 is preferred over esp8266.
The reference Personal Console Controller implementations (PC23, PC22 above) can be extended with an almost unlimited number of ways with numerous sensors and actuators by NON-TECHNICAL folks, simply with breadboards and jumper wires.
Add eyes to your Private Cyberspace by attaching camera, add mouth by attaching a speaker, add sensors to capture data to make some income on the Citizen Synergy exchanges!
Although the header based reference implementations (PC23, PC22 above) can be extended with an almost unlimited number of ways with numerous sensors and actuators, their use of bread boards can be ugly and non user friendly.
Personal Console Controllers can be built easier and looks better with higher cost and less flexible modular systems:
To kickstart the Hardware Innovation in the community, we are giving out a limited number of movement kits (each with a breadboard, 6 wires and a sensor) for FREE to anyone who promise they will assemble it when they purchase either the PC22 or PC23.
Gain insight into your environment e.g. who has being visiting your home and at what time ?
Just hook the movement kit up to a PC23 and point it to your front door. Any movements will trigger a photo to be taken and sent to your email.
Gain insight into yourself e.g. how many minutes on average you spent in the bathroom ?
Just hook the kit up to a PC22 and all movements in the bathroom are tracked. Privacy is assured as there is NO camera on the PC22.
This kit is just a START!
Keep adding more devices e.g. an ears (microphone), a mouth (speaker), a skin (temperature, humitidy sensor) etc.
Unlike the Cloud solutions YOU OWN it, you control its action and its data, you benefit fully from it.
Small Breadboard
Most breadboard are large in size, we have sourced small breadboards with only 55 holes. Their small size makes them the perfect companion to the small Personal Console Controllers.
Model: ZY-55
Body: ABS plastic body - aluminium support plate complete with rubber feet
Colours: Black, Blue, Green, Mustard, Red, Yellow, White
Number of contacts: 55 (5 contacts for 11 files)
Contact pitch: 2.54 mm
Wire diameter: 21-26 AWG 0.4-0.7mm in diameter
Admissible power: 6W
Flow rate: 1A
Contact resistance: 10mΩ
Contact type: Phosphor bronze contacts with nickel plating, for 50.000 insertions tested 36V @ 2A
Operating temperature: -40 ° C ~ 125°C
Dimensions: 20 x 15 x 12mm
To kickstart the manufacturing spirit in disadvantaged communities, we are giving out a limited number of soldering kits (each with a soldering iron, 10 pressure sensor boards, 10 headers and enough lead-free solder to manufacture 10 sensors) for FREE to people in disadvantaged situations (e.g. in aged care homes, are long term unemployed etc.) when they purchase either the PC22 or PC23.
Soldering Iron
Lead-Free Solder
We know lead-free solder has inferior performance compared to lead solder (e.g. higher melting point leading to component stress etc. etc.) but priority has to be given to the health of beginners who do not have the knowledge nor tools to protect themselves.
Who knows they might like manufacturing after all and will ended up soldering many more than just the initial 10 sensors!
Running Bluetooth components like Bluetooth iBeacon or Bluetooth Scanner, is NOT supported if the camera running on the PC22, please use PC21 or PC23 for Bluetooth applications.
The built-in battery charger of the PC23 is very nice, but the provided headers are NOT SOLDERED in. If you do NOT need onboard battery try use the PC21 above (may be with a power bank) so you can attach cables to already soldered headers of the PC21 easily.
Note this is the cheaper "Lite" version
Available Pins
Standard version
Lite version
3V3
2
1
5V
1
–
GND
5
1
GPIO
21
21
PC23 is very small and low cost. If you need headers get the PC21, if need camera get the PC22 (which also has headers), but they do NOT have a battery port.
