But the real question you have to ask is: is it better to use an integrated component or just put an Arduino and ESP8266 together? [Andreas Spiess] not only asked the question, but he answered it ...

Or perhaps you could buy something like an Arduino Mega, with its extra sockets to ... works with any microcontroller (the video shows an ESP8266), and we suppose you could use two daisy chains ...

Electronic engineers, developers and hobbyists looking for a fully featured Arduino Mega compatible PLC may ... serial port for HMI or other devices, ESP8266 based Wi-Fi and I2C bus for sensors ...

With that said, the same goes for a Raspberry Pi. For example, many enthusiasts pair the ESP8266 with an Arduino, but you can also use it without one. You can program it directly and run your own ...