Fortunately, access to Arduino hardware, its main clones, and other alternatives like the ESP8266 and the ESP32 remains excellent. Anyone can easily experiment with electronics, but there are times when the shipping process ends up stabbing you in the back. If you're still waiting for your modules, today you have the chance to practice on Wokwi, which offers simulators for Arduino, ESP32, STM32, and Raspberry Pi Pico.
Recently we explained what is needed to build a wireless weather clock, and we were amazed by the simplicity of that project. The parts are accessible, widely available, and some of them are optional... but the shipping factor never stops lurking.
Fortunately, there are resources like Wokwi, which, although it doesn't replace real hardware, its simulator for Arduino, ESP32, STM32 and Raspberry Pi Pico is excellent for gaining time and practicing with code.
How to simulate an Arduino or ESP module with Wokwi
Technically we don't need accounts to start, but it's not a bad idea to create a profile to help organize our personal projects. The easiest thing is to load one of the simulations in the 'Featured' category or open one of the templates in the 'Quick Start' section. Another alternative is to explore ideas based on a specific language (for example, MicroPython or Rust), but if none of that is convincing, 'Start from Scratch' will allow you to choose a microcontroller, connect all the pieces, and write code.
Now, certain simulations require more firepower, and that means they might not reach their real speed. In the case of my tests with Pong, the simulation never exceeded 62% performance, but it was enough to verify that it works correctly. To finish, the most important thing about Wokwi: you can make mistakes without risks. A disconnected cable, a pin with incorrect configuration, typos in the code. On a bad day, the Arduino ends up burned... but with Wokwi, you only need to try again.
Official site: Click here
