B4R Question Problem starting Access Point

janderkan · Mar 8, 2020

Hi

I have been using Esp8266 for a long time.
Today i found out that it is not possible to start an access point.
I am testing with a wifi-scanner App on my Android phone.
This is the code:

B4X:

#Region Project Attributes
    #AutoFlushLogs: True
    #CheckArrayBounds: True
    #StackBufferSize: 300
#End Region

Sub Process_Globals
    Public Serial1 As Serial
    Private wifi As ESP8266WiFi
End Sub

Private Sub AppStart
    Serial1.Initialize(115200)
    Log(" ")
    Log("AppStart")
    
    Log(wifi.StartAccessPoint("Futedo"))
End Sub

No access point is showing up.

Then I try this code using Arduino IDE:

C++:

#include <ESP8266WiFi.h>

//////////////////////
// WiFi Definitions //
//////////////////////
const char WiFiAPPSK[] = "";

void setup()
{
  setupWiFi();
}

void loop()
{
}

void setupWiFi()
{
  WiFi.mode(WIFI_OFF);
  WiFi.mode(WIFI_AP);

  String AP_NameString = "Futedo";

  char AP_NameChar[AP_NameString.length() + 1];
  memset(AP_NameChar, 0, AP_NameString.length() + 1);

  for (int i=0; i<AP_NameString.length(); i++)
    AP_NameChar[i] = AP_NameString.charAt(i);

  WiFi.softAP(AP_NameChar, WiFiAPPSK);
}

This is working !

I dont know when it stopped working in B4R, I have used ESP32 lately.
Arduino 1.8.12
ESP8266 2.6.3

B4R 3.30
rESP8266WiFi 1.56

Is this just me ?

thetahsk · Mar 9, 2020

Did you update your rCore lib ?

Updates to internal libraries

Libraries from this thread should be copied to the internal libraries folder: C:\Program Files (x86)\Anywhere Software\B4R\libraries Make sure to check your current installed version as it might be newer.

www.b4x.com

janderkan · Mar 9, 2020

thetahsk said:
Did you update your rCore lib ?

Updates to internal libraries

Libraries from this thread should be copied to the internal libraries folder: C:\Program Files (x86)\Anywhere Software\B4R\libraries Make sure to check your current installed version as it might be newer.

www.b4x.com

Yes I did.
This is my latest discovery:
I tried the NistTime example and there was my AP and it is not even initialized in the new project.
Then i added this to my test:

B4X:

    server.Initialize(62120,"server_NewConnection")
    server.listen
    astream.Initialize(server.Socket.Stream, "server_NewData", "server_Error")

Now the AP is showing up , sometimes.

janderkan · Mar 9, 2020

thetahsk said:
Did you update your rCore lib ?

Updates to internal libraries

Libraries from this thread should be copied to the internal libraries folder: C:\Program Files (x86)\Anywhere Software\B4R\libraries Make sure to check your current installed version as it might be newer.

www.b4x.com

I moved the Arduino code to B4r:

B4X:

public Sub StartAP
    RunNative("setupwifi", Null)
End Sub

#if C
void setupwifi(B4R::Object* o) {
    WiFi.mode(WIFI_OFF);
    WiFi.mode(WIFI_AP);
    String AP_NameString = "Futedo.com";
    char AP_NameChar[AP_NameString.length() + 1];
    memset(AP_NameChar, 0, AP_NameString.length() + 1);
    for (int i=0; i<AP_NameString.length(); i++)
    AP_NameChar[i] = AP_NameString.charAt(i);
    WiFi.softAP(AP_NameChar);
}
#End If

Compiling and uploading in Arduino works everytime.
Compiling and uploading in B4R never works.

Using the same board, NodeMCU 1.0 with the same boards settings.
Sketch and Globals are almost the same.
Output from esptool.py is the same.

Erel · Mar 10, 2020

Where are the logs?

janderkan · Mar 10, 2020

Erel said:
Where are the logs?

Here are
the Arduino sketch that works.
B4R project 1 and log.
B4R project 2 using arduino C and log.
Only the Arduino sketch starts the AP.

Erel · Mar 10, 2020

Have you seen this example: https://www.b4x.com/android/forum/threads/connecting-two-esp8266-boards.89726/#content ?

janderkan · Mar 10, 2020

Erel said:
Have you seen this example: https://www.b4x.com/android/forum/threads/connecting-two-esp8266-boards.89726/#content ?

Yes, and I have also tried everything I read about like this:

B4X:

Public Sub SetPHYmode
    RunNative("setphymode", Null)
End Sub

Public Sub EraseConfig
    RunNative("eraseconfig", Null)
End Sub

#if C
#include "user_interface.h"

void setphymode(B4R::Object* o) {
    wifi_set_phy_mode(PHY_MODE_11B);
}

void eraseconfig(B4R::Object* o) {
    ESP.eraseConfig();
}
#End If

But what I am most curious about is, why the same code acts differently in Arduino and B4R

Erel · Mar 10, 2020

Try the server example from that link. It enables AP mode and it should work.

janderkan · Mar 11, 2020

Erel said:
Try the server example from that link. It enables AP mode and it should work.

Yes. Now I have tested the server example and my own even simpler project.
Both are working fine, on all my Ali boards.
The difference is that now I have my own PCB with an Esp8266.
Maybee this chip has not been prepared properly.
On this board everything is working nicely, except Access point.
If I use Arduino and upload the small sketch from post #1, the access point is working.
But using B4R the access point is not showing.

Here you can see firmware for an ESP8266
This firmware are distributed with Arduino and Arduino produces a Bin file where everything is included.
The ' esp_init_data_default.bin ' file contains the RF settings for WiFi.

Is it possible that a Bin file created with B4R is missing this file?

Erel · Mar 11, 2020

The Arduino project is created under Objects\src. You can open it with Arduino IDE and try it.

BertI · Mar 11, 2020

Just to say that a few weeks ago I experienced a similar set of symptoms. I was working with an ESP-12F on the same PCB as I had with others. The symptoms were quite strange - I would actually see the access point start up (sometimes) but the times that it remained stable for long enough it would then disappear when I tried to connect to it. I initially thought it might be a hardware tolerance related issue e.g. not decoupling the supply close enough or well enough, such that maybe when the radio was working harder (if it did during AP connect) it might cause a drop out. However having tried a few changes with components to no effect (supply was 1A capacity so wasn't on edge of ability to deliver the necessary current and decoupling capacitors soldered as direct as possible to the board pads) there was no change and as you say - the odd thing is that it worked ok with Arduino code. In the end I just replaced the device but unfortunately the new one was from a new batch so adding another variable. Makes me wonder if there are indeed some detailed underlying wifi settings which are different and the differences are affecting some edge of tolerance devices

janderkan · Mar 11, 2020

This is my B4R Project:

B4X:

#Region Project Attributes
    #AutoFlushLogs: True
    #CheckArrayBounds: True
    #StackBufferSize: 300
#End Region

Sub Process_Globals
End Sub

Private Sub AppStart
    RunNative("setupwifi", Null)
End Sub

#if C
#include <ESP8266WiFi.h>
void setupwifi(B4R::Object* o) {
    WiFi.mode(WIFI_OFF);
    WiFi.mode(WIFI_AP);
    String AP_NameString = "Futedo.com";
    char AP_NameChar[AP_NameString.length() + 1];
    memset(AP_NameChar, 0, AP_NameString.length() + 1);
    for (int i=0; i<AP_NameString.length(); i++)
    AP_NameChar[i] = AP_NameString.charAt(i);
    WiFi.softAP(AP_NameChar);
}
#End If

I think it is exactly the same as this Arduino sketch:

B4X:

#include <ESP8266WiFi.h>

void setup() {
  setupWiFi();
}

void loop() {
}

void setupWiFi() {
  WiFi.mode(WIFI_OFF);
  WiFi.mode(WIFI_AP);

  String AP_NameString = "Futedo.com";

  char AP_NameChar[AP_NameString.length() + 1];
  memset(AP_NameChar, 0, AP_NameString.length() + 1);

  for (int i=0; i<AP_NameString.length(); i++)
    AP_NameChar[i] = AP_NameString.charAt(i);

  WiFi.softAP(AP_NameChar);
}

Uploading from B4R, does not start access point.
Opening the B4R project created under Objects\src in Arduino and uploading from Arduino, does not start access point.
Uploading the Arduino sketch from Arduino, the access point is working !!

Attached is the created sketch from B4R.

janderkan · Mar 12, 2020

I still wonder why Access point is working, when deployed using Arduino and not using B4R.
BUT here is how to get to work in B4R

My latest batch of PCB's was equipped with completely empty Esp8266.
I had the understanding that uploading a bin file changed all code , but apparently something are missing.
So I used this tool and uploaded these files using these settings

This will give you an AT command interface and it will open an access point.
After that you can use both Arduino and B4R and everything works.

BertI · Mar 13, 2020

The tool version which your above link pointed to I found to be V3.6.8. Does this mean you had an older copy of the tool or am I looking at something different? Also, where did the 4 files shown in your picture come from?

Something that I don't understand - you say the ESP8266 was 'empty' but after you download these files then both Arduino and B4R work ok, but then why did it work with Arduino and not B4R before these files were downloaded?

B4R Question Problem starting Access Point

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