NETX IoT Workshop Session 4 – Wifi Development
May 21, 2026 at 11:00 AM - June 21, 2026 at 11:02 AM @ Kottawa, Faculty of Engineering
Description
As part of the preparation program for the upcoming NETX IoT Competition , the IEEE Communications Society Student Chapter of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura conducted the fourth session of its workshop series, focusing on Wi-Fi development using the ESP32 platform . The NETX workshop series was designed to equip participants with the practical skills required to successfully develop Internet of Things (IoT) solutions for the competition. This session introduced wireless networking concepts and demonstrated how ESP32's built-in Wi-Fi capabilities can be utilized for remote communication, web-based control, and device-to-device data exchange. The workshop combined theoretical explanations with interactive coding demonstrations and hands-on activities, enabling participants to gain practical experience in implementing wireless IoT applications. The session was conducted by Mr. Thamindu Nisal and Mr. Uchitha Indurange , both UG of Electrical and electronics department, Faculty of Engineering, University of Sr Jayewardenepura President of the IEEE Communications Society Student Chapter, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, who guided participants through the essential concepts required to begin developing embedded and IoT applications. Technical Topics Covered Introduction to Wi-Fi technology and wireless communication. Understanding the 2.4 GHz frequency band used by ESP32. Comparison between 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi networks. ESP32's integrated Wi-Fi capabilities. Wi-Fi communication architecture in IoT systems. Cloud-based IoT applications and remote monitoring. Introduction to the ESP-NOW communication protocol. Peer-to-peer wireless communication between ESP32 devices. Practical Activities Activity 1 – ESP32 Web Server for LED Control Participants developed a web server hosted on the ESP32, allowing an LED to be controlled remotely through a web browser over a Wi-Fi network. This activity introduced Wi-Fi configuration, HTTP request handling, and GPIO control. Activity 2 – ESP-NOW Communication Participants implemented wireless communication between two ESP32 development boards using the ESP-NOW protocol. A button connected to one ESP32 transmitted its state to another ESP32, which controlled an LED accordingly, demonstrating low-latency peer-to-peer communication. Activity 3 – Wireless Ultrasonic Distance Monitoring The final activity integrated an ultrasonic distance sensor with ESP-NOW communication. Distance measurements collected by one ESP32 were transmitted wirelessly to another ESP32, which displayed the measured range using three LEDs representing different distance thresholds. The fourth session of the NETX IoT Workshop Series successfully enhanced participants' understanding of wireless communication technologies used in IoT development. By combining theoretical knowledge with hands-on implementation, the workshop strengthened participants' ability to develop connected embedded systems and provided essential practical skills required for the upcoming NETX IoT Competition . The session also encouraged participants to explore innovative IoT solutions by leveraging ESP32's Wi-Fi and ESP-NOW capabilities, preparing them for the technical challenges of the competition.
Agenda
4.30 PM – 4.40 PM Registration and Introduction 4.40 PM – 5.40 PM Worlshop Session 5.10 PM – 5.40 PM Session 2 6.20 PM – 6.30 PM Q&A and Closing Remarks