Pmod wifi demo or starter code

[Jesse]

Hello all,

I have the MX4CK pic32 cerebot board, and am trying to implement the pmod wifi. I have attempted to use several of the available examples from Microchip, to no avail, and haven't come across anybody who has successfully implemented the pmod wifi. Can anyone help out with some starter c code for MPLAB? I would like to implement it as ad-hoc / point to point wifi to communicate with my linux box over TCP (or any other layer), but something router-based would be fine, if I can get my hands on a router.

Apologies if it sounds like a plea of laziness. I have been toying with trying to get this thing to work for over a year, and again, have only heard second-hand of anyone actually getting it to work. Frankly, my confidence in the support for this pmod is waning. I have implemented I2C, spi, and basically every other board peripheral except for this one, and I have a decent grasp of networking and sockets. Part of it may be that I have simply never used MPIDE, only MPLABX, so I haven't been able to get the c++/duino style examples running.

Also, whatever I get running I will most certainly post. I'm tired of reading dead-end queries about the MRF24WB0MA, and would like to save the next guy/gal the same anguish.

 

Thanks!

[JColvin]

There are some walkthroughs available; they are buried a little bit in the folder so they aren't the easiest to find, but here are the ones that I am aware of:

On the Digilent reference site, both the Network Shield and the WiFi Shield have a support document in the Downloads section and will have "This zip file contains libraries and documentation for using the Network Shield, Wifi Shield..." as it's description. Within this file users may follow the chain
chipKIT Network and USB Libs-20150115 >> libraries >> DWIFIck >> examples
and view the documentation available as a text file within any one of those 8 examples. Since it uses some code from Microchip, you'll need to agree to a licence agreement before being able to download it.

Alternatively, on the page for the chipKIT WF32 it has under the Reference Projects a Network Stack file with a description of "This zip file contains the Digilent embedded open-source...". Within this file user may follow the chain
deIPcK >> DEWFck >> examples >> deWebServer >> Content >> SrvSetup.html
which will lead them to an html document that seems to walk through getting an example http server setup.

I believe the reason for these two different documents is that one set is for a shield or a Pmod and the other is designed for an on-board WiFi module, but I wouldn't quote me on that.

There are also a number of MPIDE files that you can bring up and load onto your chipKIT board, but I do not know how clear they are for new users (such as myself).

Thanks,
JColvin

[Alex]

Have you tried the library at the Pmod Wifi webpage ? http://www.digilentinc.com/Products/Detail.cfm?NavPath=2,401,884&Prod=PMOD-WIFI

[Jesse]

Yes, I'm trying to get the wifi-udp client example running right now, but it is failing. But I'm not familiar with the arduino-style code interfaces. I always write lower-level c code in MPLAB, which is the kind of single example code I am looking for. I have another example using freeRTOS from my old embedded prof, but it never worked, and no one ever got that to work either.

I expect this to take a while, but I'm patient...

[Jesse]

To be clear, I'm looking for a C/MPLAB example of running in ad hoc mode, using the Microchip network stack (udp, tcp, ethernet, doesn't matter which). Non-ad hoc is fine, but I will need to obtain a router. Just an example that is known to work.

[JColvin]

Hi Jesse,

I talked with our chipKIT guy who wrote the deIP stack and unfortunately the short answer is that we do not have an example in C. Here his response:

The answer is yes, no, maybe... 

The DEIPcK C++ network stack is based on the deIP C stack, that stack can be found under the "utilities" subdirectory in the DEIPcK library. However, I have not documented the C interface, and the startup conditions are not readily apparent by looking at the DEIPcK startup code. By design the deIP stack IS a C only stack, full function, and so on... and would probably more than meet his needs, but I have not documented or provided examples of how to use the stack at this layer.

Sorry I could not provide a better answer.

We can help you get the C++ MPIDE demo running if you would like to though.

Let me know if you have any more questions.

Thanks,
JColvin

[Jesse]

"The answer is yes, no, maybe..."

That's more or less what I was afraid of.  I am looking for anything to help get me out of the weeds, so I don't have to write from scratch, or any positive indication that the MRF24WB0MA is just incompatible with the PIC32MX460F512L. Its a situation like this that justifies a board upgrade for more convenient code interfaces/examples, rather than hacking away at it.

I'll check out the deIP C stack, and see if any of it makes sense. Microchip has an impressive number of examples as well, but for other chips. The closest I can find is their wifi_easy_configuration set of examples for the PIC32MX795F512L.

Thanks for your help! I assume there is already a C++ MPIDE walkthrough? If so, you might post more info in case someone else finds themselves in a similar situation.

[Keoni]

"We can help you get the C++ MPIDE demo running if you would like to though.

Let me know if you have any more questions.

Thanks,
JColvin"

I would be very interested in this.  Also I am having an issue getting the proper driver running for the MX4 Board.

Thank you,

Keoni

[JColvin]

Hi Keoni,

Have you checked out the walkthroughs that I linked to earlier in this thread? There is also a tutorial for getting WiFi up and running on the WF32 here. From what I've seen, I haven't seen direct support for an MX4, but there is support for the MX7, so I would suspect that it could be easily changed to work for the MX4.

What particular problem are you running into?

Thanks,
JColvin