![\"Year](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Year-in-Review-2021-RandomNerdTutorials.jpg?resize=1200%2C675&quality=100&strip=all&ssl=1\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nSummary of 2021 \u2014 Most Popular<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Here’s a quick summary of the most popular content in 2021:<\/p>\n\n\n\n During this year, we’ve published a total of 71 new tutorials and one new eBook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last year<\/a>, we published 97 new tutorials. This year, we didn’t publish as many tutorials as last year, but most of the tutorials published throughout this year are more complex, which take more time to test, outline, and write. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Our aim is to publish at least one new tutorial per week, which we achieved successfully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, I always feel that I should have worked harder… and maybe I would have been able to publish more. I have a long list of new tutorials that I want to write. Many of those tutorials are suggestions from our readers, others are ideas that I write down myself. But, in reality, what usually happens is that I write what I feel like writing at the moment\u2014 which is usually something that is not on the list. Does that happen to you too in your work?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here’s a list of the top 5 most popular projects published in 2021:<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1.<\/strong> ESP32 OTA (Over-the-Air) Updates \u2013 AsyncElegantOTA<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n This tutorial shows how to perform over-the-air (OTA) updates to your ESP32 boards using the AsyncElegantOTA library. This library creates a web server that allows you to upload new firmware (a new sketch and\/or files to the filesystem) to your board without the need to make a serial connection between the ESP32 and your computer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We created different versions of this tutorial depending on the board used (ESP32 or ESP8266) and IDE (Arduino IDE or VS Code + PlatformIO).<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2.<\/strong> ESP32 Web Server: Display Sensor Readings in Gauges<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n This tutorial shows how to add gauges to your web server projects to display sensor readings. This is actually pretty simple if you have some basic knowledge about JavaScript.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was really surprised that our readers liked this post so much. I was even tagged in one post on Linkedin that mentioned this tutorial\u2014I had never been mentioned on Linkedin. I was really surprised and really happy about that too. By the way, I’m not very active on Linkedin, but if you want to follow me here’s the link: linkedin.com\/in\/sarasantospt\/<\/a> (I need to update my profile). Here’s Rui’s: linkedin.com\/in\/ruisantosdotme\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n 3.<\/strong> ESP32<\/strong><\/a>: Getting Started with Firebase (Realtime Database)<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This was our first tutorial about Firebase with the ESP32 boards. It shows you how to get started quickly with Firebase\u2014learn how to read and write data to the database using the ESP32. We also created a version for the ESP8266 boards:<\/p>\n\n\n\n This tutorial about Firebase was a big success. It was a subject that many of our readers were expected to see covered in our tutorials. Because there was a lot of interest in this subject, we created more tutorials (check all our Firebase tutorials here<\/a>) as well as a complete eBook about this subject (Firebase Web App with ESP32\/ESP8266<\/a>). There are also many other Firebase tutorials that are already prepared and waiting to be published at the beginner of the year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 4.<\/strong> ESP32 Useful Wi-Fi Library Functions (Arduino IDE)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Compilation of the most useful Wi-Fi library functions for the ESP32. It includes examples for: scanning wi-fi networks, connecting to a network, getting network connection status, checking connection strength, disconnecting and reconnecting to a network, and much more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 5.<\/strong> ESP8266 NodeMCU Door Status Monitor with Telegram Notifications<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n In this project, we show you how to monitor the status of a door using an ESP8266 NodeMCU board and a magnetic reed switch. You\u2019ll receive a message in your Telegram account whenever the door changes state: opened or closed. As long as you have access to the internet on your smartphone, you\u2019ll be notified no matter where you are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We created this project after updating another similar tutorial: ESP8266 NodeMCU Door Status Monitor with Email Notifications (IFTTT)<\/a>. Both tutorials were very popular among our public.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We also have similar tutorials but for the ESP32 board:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The most popular tutorials of all time<\/strong> are always the ones about the basics. Everyone needs to start with the basics, so that’s what’s expected. If you’re curious, these are the most popular tutorials of all time:<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1) ESP32 Pinout Reference: Which GPIO pins should you use?<\/a> <\/strong>This is a guide for the ESP32 GPIOs. I find this tutorial very useful and I always get back to it whenever I’m starting a new project with the ESP32. I also update this tutorial many times, whenever I find some relevant information that is not already mentioned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2)<\/strong> Installing the ESP32 Board in Arduino IDE (Windows, Mac OS X, Linux)<\/strong><\/a>: Everyone who is getting started with the ESP32 must start with this tutorial. So, it is no wonder why this is so popular.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3)<\/strong> ESP8266 Pinout Reference: Which GPIO pins should you use?<\/a><\/strong> I also use this guide as a reference many times when I’m starting a new ESP8266 project. I also advise you to check it out before starting any new project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 4)<\/strong> ESP32-CAM Video Streaming and Face Recognition with Arduino IDE<\/strong><\/a>: This is the introductory tutorial for the ESP32-CAM. It shows how to get started quickly with an example sketch for video streaming and face recognition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 5)<\/strong> Getting Started with the ESP32 Development Board<\/strong><\/a>: our getting started guide for the ESP32 board.To get started, I also recommend reading the following articles on Maker Advisor:<\/p>\n\n\n\n When it comes to our YouTube channel, we only published three new videos this year, which is something that we’re not proud of. This is because of a variety of reasons. First, because Rui is focusing on other personal projects and he doesn’t have time to dedicate to YouTube. Second, I can’t do it all myself. Creating videos takes a lot of time, and it would require a lot of effort on my part. Additionally, creating videos is not our strength, so I think that in a situation like this, the best option is to dedicate the time we have to do something we are good at, like creating written tutorials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We only published three videos. So, it is easy to find out the most popular one. The most popular video published in 2021 was an ESP32 Web Server that shows a live representation of the position of an MPU6050 Gyroscope\/Accelerometer sensor<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can watch the video below:<\/p>\n\n\nTotal Published Tutorials: 71<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Number](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Number-published-projects-2021-RNT.jpg?resize=900%2C600&quality=100&strip=all&ssl=1\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"Tasks](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/to-do-list-tutorials.jpg?resize=750%2C500&quality=100&strip=all&ssl=1\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nTop 5 Tutorials 2021<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Most](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Most-popular-projects-2021-RNT.jpg?resize=900%2C600&quality=100&strip=all&ssl=1\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"Async](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Async-Elegant-OTA-Web-Server-ESP32-How-it-Works.png?resize=751%2C370&quality=100&strip=all&ssl=1\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"ESP32](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/ESP-Gauges-Web-Server-Smartphone.jpg?resize=526%2C500&quality=100&strip=all&ssl=1\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"Firebase](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Firebase-logo.png?resize=750%2C211&quality=100&strip=all&ssl=1\"){kind=logo}
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"ESP32](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/ESP32-WiFi-Scan-Networks_Wi-Fi-Scan.png?resize=750%2C397&quality=100&strip=all&ssl=1\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"ESP8266](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/ESP32-ESP8266-Door-Sensor-Telegram-Bot-Demonstration-f.jpg?resize=300%2C611&quality=100&strip=all&ssl=1\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nMost Popular Tutorials of All Time<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
YouTube Channel<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"youtube](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/randomnerdtutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/youtube-channel.jpg?resize=500%2C119&quality=100&strip=all&ssl=1\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nMost Popular Video 2021<\/h3>\n\n\n\n