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Adding low-cost WiFi to a FPGA project.


hamster

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Hi!

 

I've been playing with the low cost ESP8266 modules, that present a IP-over-WiFi as a serial device, and you use modem-like AT commands to control it.

 

Fpga_wifi_basys3.jpg

 

I've just put up a project that allows the FPGA to connect to my Wifi network, then send status message to a service that is listening on my Linux VM. It is all done using VHDL state machines (no software CPU), and could most probably be made a little more compact.

 

Because the serial port is running at 9600 and the AT command based protocol overhead it is a pretty low bandwidth solution, but enough if you wanted to add some basic WiFi telemetry to a design.

 

The ESP8266 module used was under $7 - http://www.seeedstudio.com/depot/WiFi-Serial-Transceiver-Module-w-ESP8266-p-1994.html

 

You can find all the source on my Wiki at http://hamsterworks.co.nz/mediawiki/index.php/FPGA_ESP8266

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  • 9 months later...

Hi Hamster,

  I am new to this forum and I was interested in your project.  Because I have a project I am trying to complete and I was looking to find out if these would work with my project?  I have two Nexys2 FPGA boards and I need to transmit wireless data back and forth between the two boards.  I am going to have a motion sensor on one of my Nexys2 boards and I just want to transmit back to the other Nexys2 board the indication that that motion detector has been tripped through a wireless medium.  Does that seem like something that could be done using two of these ESP8266 modules?

Thanks,

MH

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It could, but it might be a bit of an overkill. If you have the option, maybe use something like the the Arduino ESP8266 to reprogram the ESP8266 module to handle the bulk of the communication protocol for you (e.g connecting to the WiFi network, opening the socket and error recovery)

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  • 1 year later...

I have a question, I'm trying to implement a Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control (CACC) on three cars. The three cars will be platooning and follow the lead car. I'm trying to use Basys2 FPGA boards for the cars, but I need to connect those cars together through wifi to share the distances between them. would this work for my project?
 

Screen Shot 2017-02-19 at 5.03.48 PM.png

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@medo,

It might depend upon the details of what you were trying to do, and what you were expecting from the WIFI module.  Driver assisted applications need *exceptionally* fault tolerant devices.  (Please don't ask me to insure you ...)  For example, is TCP/IP over WIFI fault tolerant enough?  Further, you might need multiple wireless connections at once (vehicle A talks to vehicles B and C, etc).  I haven't read enough of the EPS device to know if you can maintain more than one connection at a time, or if not whether or not you can do any unreliable (UDP?) broadcast/multicast modes.

In sum ... the answer to your question may be application specific.  ;)

Dan

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medo,

To build on D@n's post; your question sounds like it's coming from someone without the knowledge to be playing with such a system on real cars. Maybe this is a senior project or you want to use RC controlled cars in a controlled environment. Even though people and corporations are pursuing imagined riches in the factiously wonderful world of "IoT" few are bothering to address the very real issue of security. To anyone using the ESP8266 

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  • 3 years later...
On 4/23/2015 at 6:42 PM, hamster said:

Hi!

 

I've been playing with the low cost ESP8266 modules, that present a IP-over-WiFi as a serial device, and you use modem-like AT commands to control it.

 

Fpga_wifi_basys3.jpg

 

I've just put up a project that allows the FPGA to connect to my Wifi network, then send status message to a service that is listening on my Linux VM. It is all done using VHDL state machines (no software CPU), and could most probably be made a little more compact.

 

Because the serial port is running at 9600 and the AT command based protocol overhead it is a pretty low bandwidth solution, but enough if you wanted to add some basic WiFi telemetry to a design.

 

The ESP8266 module used was under $7 - http://www.seeedstudio.com/depot/WiFi-Serial-Transceiver-Module-w-ESP8266-p-1994.html

 

You can find all the source on my Wiki at http://hamsterworks.co.nz/mediawiki/index.php/FPGA_ESP8266

hi the link you have provided is unavailable. mind emaling the sources to me? mukundalive@gmail.com i am trying to interface the esp8266 with my basys3 board and finding it very difficult

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  • 6 months later...
On 4/23/2015 at 6:42 AM, hamster said:

Hi!

 

I've been playing with the low cost ESP8266 modules, that present a IP-over-WiFi as a serial device, and you use modem-like AT commands to control it.

 

http://hamsterworks.co.nz/mediawiki/images/4/42/Fpga_wifi_basys3.jpg

 

I've just put up a project that allows the FPGA to connect to my Wifi network, then send status message to a service that is listening on my Linux VM. It is all done using VHDL state machines (no software CPU), and could most probably be made a little more compact.

 

Because the serial port is running at 9600 and the AT command based protocol overhead it is a pretty low bandwidth solution, but enough if you wanted to add some basic WiFi telemetry to a design.

 

The ESP8266 module used was under $7 - http://www.seeedstudio.com/depot/WiFi-Serial-Transceiver-Module-w-ESP8266-p-1994.html

 

You can find all the source on my Wiki at http://hamsterworks.co.nz/mediawiki/index.php/FPGA_ESP8266

Hi .. looks like the link has expired... would you mind emailing me the codes at subedic93@gmail.com. I was trying to do similar projects but could not figure out how to proceed. Thanks!

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