Add Internet to your next project with adorable, bite-sized Adafruit HUZZAH ESP8266 WiFi Breakout Module, at a price you like. The ESP8266 processor from Espressif is an 80 MHz microcontroller with a full WiFi front-end (both as client and access point) and TCP/IP stack with DNS support as well. While this chip has been very popular, it’s also been very difficult to use. Most of the low cost modules are not breadboard friendly, don't have an onboard 500mA 3.3V regulator or level shifting, and aren't CE or FCC emitter certified, but Adafruit HUZZAH ESP8266 WiFi Breakout Module has all these properties.
Adafruit HUZZAH ESP8266 WiFi Breakout Module is what HUZZAH designed to make working with this chip super easy and a lot of fun. HUZZAH took a certified module with an onboard antenna, and plenty of pins, and soldered it onto their designed breakout PCBs. The additions are:
Two parallel, breadboard-friendly breakouts on either side give you access to:
One breakout at the end has an "FTDI" pinout so you can plug in an FTDI or console cable to upload software and read/write debugging information via the UART. When you're done with your coding, remove the cable, and this little module can be embedded into your project box.
Each Adafruit HUZZAH ESP8266 WiFi Breakout Module comes pre-loaded with NodeMCU's Lua interpreter (NodeMCU 0.9.5 build 20150318 / Lua 5.1.4 to be specific), you can run commands, and 'save' Lua programs directly to the module's Flash using a USB-Serial converter cable. But, if you'd like, you can skip Lua and go direct to using the Arduino IDE. Once you download the ESP8266 core, you can treat it just like a microcontroller+WiFi board, no other processors needed!
Each order comes with one assembled and tested HUZZAH ESP8266 breakout board, and a stick of 0.1" header that you can solder on and plug the breakout into a breadboard. A soldering iron and solder are required for that, and aren't included. Solderless breadboard also not included. You'll really want a USB-serial cable such as a USB console cable, FTDI Friend, or FTDI cable (3 or 5V power/logic is fine) to upload software to the Adafruit HUZZAH ESP8266 WiFi Breakout Module.
NodeMCU (Lua for ESP8266) webpage: http://nodemcu.com/index_en.html#fr_5475f7667976d8501100000f
Arduino IDE support for ESP8266: https://github.com/esp8266/Arduino
Adafruit Web Site: http://www.adafruit.com/products/2471