Traffic light with ESP32

A traffic light is an electronic device that controls the flow of vehicular and pedestrian traffic using a set of colored lights. The most common traffic light consists of three lights: red, yellow, and green. The red light indicates that vehicles and pedestrians should stop, the yellow light indicates that the red light is about to turn on and the green light indicates that vehicles and pedestrians can proceed.

Traffic lights are typically controlled by a central controller that receives input from sensors, such as traffic cameras, loop detectors, and push buttons, to determine when to change the light. The controller then sends signals to the traffic lights to change the color of the lights.

Traffic lights are widely used in roads, highways, and intersections to regulate the flow of traffic, reduce congestion, and prevent accidents. They are often used in conjunction with other traffic control devices such as signs, signals, and road markings.

Traffic lights can also be used in other types of applications, such as signaling for industrial processes, and to indicate the status of a machine or equipment.

Traffic lights can be controlled by microcontrollers such as ESP32, by using sensors and program logic to control the lights, this is commonly used in DIY projects and educational projects. It’s worth noting that building a fully functional traffic light that can be used on the road is a complex task and it’s important to comply with the regulations and safety standards for traffic lights.

Objective of this project:

A traffic light system with an ESP32 microcontroller would involve connecting the ESP32 to a set of LEDs (red, yellow, and green) to simulate a traffic light. Sensors such as traffic cameras, loop detectors, and push buttons can be used to detect the presence of vehicles and pedestrians and to trigger the change of the light.

Here is a general example of how a traffic light system with an ESP32 could be set up:

1. Connect the LEDs to the ESP32, with the red LED connected to a digital output pin, the yellow LED connected to another digital output pin, and the green LED connected to another digital output pin.
2. Connect the sensors to the ESP32, the sensors should be connected to the ESP32‘s input pins.
3. Write the code to initialize the ESP32 and the LEDs.
4. Write the code to read the input from the sensors and change the state of the LEDs accordingly.
5. Upload the code to the ESP32.

In this project we will create a traffic light controlled by the ESP32 card where the Red led lights up for 3 seconds, then goes out and the Green led lights up for 3 seconds and then goes out so that the orange led lights up for 1 second. Then the program starts over and starts over.

Necessary components

ESP32

The ESP32 is a low-cost, low-power microcontroller with built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capabilities. It is a popular choice for IoT projects and is commonly used for a variety of applications such as home automation, wireless control, and sensor data logging. The ESP32 features a dual-core processor, a rich set of peripherals, and support for a wide range of protocols. It can be programmed using the Arduino IDE and various other programming languages such as C, C++, and MicroPython.

Additionally, the ESP32 has a wide range of features including:

• A high-performance processor with a clock speed of up to 240 MHz
• Support for various types of wireless connectivity such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)
• Multiple communication interfaces such as I2C, SPI, UART, and I2S
• A large number of GPIO pins to connect to external devices and sensors
• A built-in security module for secure communication

The ESP32 is often used in projects where a low-cost, low-power device with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capabilities is needed, and it is commonly used with other sensors and devices to build IoT projects, home automation systems, wireless control systems, and data logging systems.

Red LED- Yellow LED – Green LED

An LED (Light Emitting Diode) is a semiconductor device that emits light when an electric current is passed through it. LEDs are widely used in a variety of applications because they are energy-efficient, have a long lifespan, and are available in a wide range of colors.

LEDs can be found in many electronic devices such as televisions, smartphones, computers, and traffic lights. They are also used in automotive lighting, general illumination, and as indicator lights.

3 resistors of 220Ω

A resistor is an electronic component that resists the flow of electrical current. It is used to control the amount of current flowing in a circuit and to adjust the voltage levels in a circuit. Resistors are made of a variety of materials, such as carbon, metal, and metal oxide, and come in a wide range of shapes, sizes, and types.

Connecting wires

Connecting wires refers to the process of physically connecting wires or cables to a device or circuit in order to establish an electrical connection. This can be done by using various connectors such as plugs, sockets, or terminal blocks. The wires are typically color-coded to indicate their function, such as red for power, black for ground, and yellow for signals.

Test plate 

A test plate is a type of circuit board that is used to test electronic components. It typically consists of a flat board made of a non-conductive material, such as plastic or fiberglass, with a number of holes or pads that are used to connect electronic components. The test plate allows you to connect electronic components and test them easily.

Mounting

To perform the assembly, you can connect the yellow LED resistor to pin D23, the green LED resistor to pin D22 and the red LED resistor to pin D21 of the ESP32 board.

MicroPython program

Here is the traffic light schedule: