What is an ESP8266, and why does ESPHome use it?
At its core, The ESP8266 is a low-cost Wi-Fi (b/g/n) microchip, released in 2013. With ESPHome, it can be used to read sensors, build lights, and more.
What is ESPHome, and what can it do?
ESPHome (previously known as esphomelib) is a tool with which you can create custom firmware for ESP8266 and ESP32 boards.
What are GPIO pins on the ESP8266 and ESP32?
GPIOs are what ESPHome uses to gather data from sensors, detect button pushes, push data to other devices, and more.
What is an ESP32, and does ESPHome need its extra power?
The ESP32 is a low-cost, low-power, and ESPHome-compatible system on a chip microcontroller.