ESP8266 - Touch Sensor - Servo Motor

This tutorial instructs you how to use ESP8266 and touch sensor to control servo motor. In detail:

When the touch sensor is touched, ESP8266 rotates the servo motor to 90 degree
When the touch sensor is touched again, ESP8266 rotates the servo motor back to 0 degree.

The same procedure is carried out again.

Hardware Preparation

1	×	ESP8266 NodeMCU
1	×	Micro USB Cable
1	×	Touch Sensor
1	×	Servo Motor
1	×	Jumper Wires
1	×	Breadboard
1	×	(Optional) 5V Power Adapter for ESP8266
1	×	(Optional) Screw Terminal Expansion Board for ESP8266

Or you can buy the following sensor kits:

1	×	DIYables Sensor Kit (30 sensors/displays)
1	×	DIYables Sensor Kit (18 sensors/displays)

Disclosure: Some of the links provided in this section are Amazon affiliate links. We may receive a commission for any purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you.
Additionally, some of these links are for products from our own brand, DIYables.

Overview of Servo Motor and Touch Sensor

If you are unfamiliar with servo motor and touch sensor (including pinout, functionality, and programming), the following tutorials can help:

Wiring Diagram

This image is created using Fritzing. Click to enlarge image

See more in ESP8266's pinout and how to supply power to the ESP8266 and other components.

Please note that the wiring diagram shown above is only suitable for a servo motor with low torque. In case the motor vibrates instead of rotating, an external power source must be utilized to provide more power for the servo motor. The below demonstrates the wiring diagram with an external power source for servo motor.

The wiring diagram between ESP8266 NodeMCU and servo motor external power supply

This image is created using Fritzing. Click to enlarge image

Please do not forget to connect GND of the external power to GND of ESP8266.

ESP8266 Code - Touch Sensor Controls Servo Motor

/* * This ESP8266 NodeMCU code was developed by newbiely.com * * This ESP8266 NodeMCU code is made available for public use without any restriction * * For comprehensive instructions and wiring diagrams, please visit: * https://newbiely.com/tutorials/esp8266/esp8266-touch-sensor-servo-motor */ #include <Servo.h> #define TOUCH_SENSOR_PIN D1 // The ESP8266 pin connected to button's pin #define SERVO_PIN D5 // The ESP8266 pin connected to servo motor's pin Servo servo; // create servo object to control a servo int angle = 0; // The current angle of servo motor int prev_touch_state; // The previous state of touch sensor int touch_state; // The current state of touch sensor void setup() { Serial.begin(9600); // Initialize the Serial to communicate with the Serial Monitor. pinMode(TOUCH_SENSOR_PIN, INPUT); // Configure the ESP8266 pin to the input mode servo.attach(SERVO_PIN); // attaches the servo on pin 9 to the servo object servo.write(angle); touch_state = digitalRead(TOUCH_SENSOR_PIN); } void loop() { prev_touch_state = touch_state; // save the last state touch_state = digitalRead(TOUCH_SENSOR_PIN); // read new state if(prev_touch_state == LOW && touch_state == HIGH) { Serial.println("The sensor is touched"); // change angle of servo motor if(angle == 0) angle = 90; else if(angle == 90) angle = 0; // rotate the servo motor to the angle position servo.write(angle); } }

Detailed Instructions

To get started with ESP8266 on Arduino IDE, follow these steps:

Check out the how to setup environment for ESP8266 on Arduino IDE tutorial if this is your first time using ESP8266.
Wire the components as shown in the diagram.
Connect the ESP8266 board to your computer using a USB cable.
Open Arduino IDE on your computer.
Choose the correct ESP8266 board, such as (e.g. NodeMCU 1.0 (ESP-12E Module)), and its respective COM port.
Connect your ESP8266 to the computer using a USB cable.
Launch the Arduino IDE, select the appropriate board and port.
Copy the code and open it in the Arduino IDE.
Click the Upload button in the Arduino IDE to compile and upload the code to the ESP8266.
Tap the touch sensor multiple times.
Check out the servo motor's angle changing.

Video Tutorial

Function References

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