ESP-8266 com port injector

For Flowcode users to discuss projects, flowcharts, and any other issues related to Flowcode 7.

Moderator: Benj

Post Reply
User avatar
petesmart
Valued Contributor
Valued Contributor
Posts: 395
Joined: Thu May 06, 2010 11:42 am
Location: Sydney, Australia
Has thanked: 187 times
Been thanked: 140 times
Contact:

ESP-8266 com port injector

Post by petesmart »

Hi MTSL team,

I'm currently working with the ESP – 8266 Wi-Fi module on both EB 091 and dsPic mica products. In the past I found the simulation of devices via the PC com port to be very powerful. What this allowed me to do is to substantially complete development prior to loading on target hardware – saves an enormous amount of time and reduces the number of bug significantly.

Looking at the ESP – 8266 component there appears to be a field in the properties window that supports an injector. When you click on this field there is no drop-down box that allows you to pick up an injector or a comms port. Not sure if this is a bug/intended consequence or quite likely I'm doing something wrong.– See image below

is it possible to simulate the ESP 8266 component via an external com port?

All the best

Pete
Attachments
esp8266.JPG
(87.68 KiB) Not downloaded yet
sorry about that Chief!

User avatar
Benj
Matrix Staff
Posts: 15312
Joined: Mon Oct 16, 2006 10:48 am
Location: Matrix TS Ltd
Has thanked: 4803 times
Been thanked: 4314 times
Contact:

Re: ESP-8266 com port injector

Post by Benj »

Hi Pete,

I see the property for the injector in the component, but you're right it currently does nothing. I'll see how much of a job it would be to add it.

Hopefully it's not too much of a task.

User avatar
petesmart
Valued Contributor
Valued Contributor
Posts: 395
Joined: Thu May 06, 2010 11:42 am
Location: Sydney, Australia
Has thanked: 187 times
Been thanked: 140 times
Contact:

Re: ESP-8266 com port injector

Post by petesmart »

Thanks Ben,

Currently trying to interface the dsPic miac to Thingspeak... The syntax for the Thingspeak API can be quite tricky to get right – I figured if I could simulate this it would cut down a lot of time in recompile/download/test etc...

The idea behind connecting miac to Thingspeak is to capture the miac data in the cloud and then use the inbuilt Matlab functionality to analyse and display the collected data – will be really cool if it works :wink: !

If you're interested I will keep you updated with my progress.

Thanks again for looking at this for me.

All the best,

Pete
sorry about that Chief!

User avatar
petesmart
Valued Contributor
Valued Contributor
Posts: 395
Joined: Thu May 06, 2010 11:42 am
Location: Sydney, Australia
Has thanked: 187 times
Been thanked: 140 times
Contact:

Re: ESP-8266 com port injector

Post by petesmart »

Hey Ben,

I understand that you are very very busy at the moment, and my apologies for being a pain in the proverbial backside!

Any thoughts on when this function might be addressed?

The other thing that is a complete pain in the backside at the moment is that the interrupt simulation in the latest version of FC 7 appears to be broken – or maybe I'm doing something wrong?.

If this is a bug, any idea when this might get looked at.

The good thing about these two little problems is that it is forced me to use the simulation/event capabilities of FC 7 – I have learnt a lot, it's really powerful!

BTW - have you had a chance to check out the thingsspeak IOT portal yet? https://thingspeak.com/channels/254968

Thanks again for all your tireless support

All the best

Pete
sorry about that Chief!

User avatar
Benj
Matrix Staff
Posts: 15312
Joined: Mon Oct 16, 2006 10:48 am
Location: Matrix TS Ltd
Has thanked: 4803 times
Been thanked: 4314 times
Contact:

Re: ESP-8266 com port injector

Post by Benj »

Thanks Pete,

We're aware of the interrupt simulating bug that crept in and hopefully we are going to provide a new exe shortly in the updates zip file that should solve the issue.

I'll see if I can get the ESP8266 injector stuff in and working for you as I agree that it's very useful to have.

User avatar
petesmart
Valued Contributor
Valued Contributor
Posts: 395
Joined: Thu May 06, 2010 11:42 am
Location: Sydney, Australia
Has thanked: 187 times
Been thanked: 140 times
Contact:

Re: ESP-8266 com port injector

Post by petesmart »

Thanks for the response Ben, much appreciated....
sorry about that Chief!

User avatar
Benj
Matrix Staff
Posts: 15312
Joined: Mon Oct 16, 2006 10:48 am
Location: Matrix TS Ltd
Has thanked: 4803 times
Been thanked: 4314 times
Contact:

Re: ESP-8266 com port injector

Post by Benj »

Hi Pete,

Do you want to give this a whirl, I think the injector should be fully supported now but I could be wrong. I've not tested it so do let me know if you spot any issues.
WLAN_ESP8266.fcpx
(26.03 KiB) Downloaded 282 times
There is a slight complication in that the simulation also works via the TCP Base component allowing us to simulate webpage serving from Flowcode.

Hopefully both the webpage simulation and injector comms should work seamlessly side by side but you never know :D

Both feed the same circular buffer so hopefully it will be fine.


Edit: I'm wrong it is an issue especially for the server functionality, client might be ok. Let me think on it.

User avatar
petesmart
Valued Contributor
Valued Contributor
Posts: 395
Joined: Thu May 06, 2010 11:42 am
Location: Sydney, Australia
Has thanked: 187 times
Been thanked: 140 times
Contact:

Re: ESP-8266 com port injector

Post by petesmart »

Hi Ben,

Thanks so much for whizzing this around so quick. I've done a quick test on the component, it does not appear to have the ability to select a PC com port as an injector – am I missing something?

I have checked the version of the component – 16.1832. Is this the right one?

All the best

Pete
sorry about that Chief!

User avatar
petesmart
Valued Contributor
Valued Contributor
Posts: 395
Joined: Thu May 06, 2010 11:42 am
Location: Sydney, Australia
Has thanked: 187 times
Been thanked: 140 times
Contact:

Re: ESP-8266 com port injector

Post by petesmart »

Hi Ben,

I've had the opportunity to take a more detailed look at the new component.

It does not give you the ability to select a physical com port from the PC as an injector source. As a test I added the com port injector icon on the 3D window – this didn't make any change to the ESP8266 component injector input. Not sure if it would but I thought I'd give it a try?

Perhaps I don't have the correct version?
I have checked the version of the component – 16.1832. Is this the right one?
I have attached the test program to assist your further investigation

All the best

Pete
Attachments
new esp8266 component.fcfx
(11.83 KiB) Downloaded 268 times
sorry about that Chief!

User avatar
petesmart
Valued Contributor
Valued Contributor
Posts: 395
Joined: Thu May 06, 2010 11:42 am
Location: Sydney, Australia
Has thanked: 187 times
Been thanked: 140 times
Contact:

Re: ESP-8266 com port injector

Post by petesmart »

Hi Ben,

I understand that you're very busy at the moment – have you had a chance to have any further look at the ESP 8266 injector?

All the best

Pete
sorry about that Chief!

User avatar
Benj
Matrix Staff
Posts: 15312
Joined: Mon Oct 16, 2006 10:48 am
Location: Matrix TS Ltd
Has thanked: 4803 times
Been thanked: 4314 times
Contact:

Re: ESP-8266 com port injector

Post by Benj »

Hi Pete,

Not yet sorry, it's looking like it will take at least half a day for me to sit down and go through this so it works as it should.

Hopefully I'll get onto this early next week for you but there's lots on so we will see.

I see your project is making really good progress, I have two dsPIC MIACs sat on my desk now to develop the MIAC AllCode firmware, one with Bluetooth and one with Wifi so eager to get started and have a play with these.

User avatar
petesmart
Valued Contributor
Valued Contributor
Posts: 395
Joined: Thu May 06, 2010 11:42 am
Location: Sydney, Australia
Has thanked: 187 times
Been thanked: 140 times
Contact:

Re: ESP-8266 com port injector

Post by petesmart »

Thanks Ben,

Appreciate you getting back to me. Leigh told me that it's manic at MTSL at present..whilst can be tiring it's a good problem to have :wink:

Perhaps I might be able to assist, happy to have a look at the component code to see if it's anything obvious.

Allcode project sounds really interesting.....l have quite a bit of stuff now in my MIAC library..happy to contribute if I can.

Best

Pete
sorry about that Chief!

User avatar
petesmart
Valued Contributor
Valued Contributor
Posts: 395
Joined: Thu May 06, 2010 11:42 am
Location: Sydney, Australia
Has thanked: 187 times
Been thanked: 140 times
Contact:

Re: ESP-8266 com port injector

Post by petesmart »

Hi Ben,

Welcome back from leave..

Any chance I could get this one closer to the top of your list please?

Best regards

Pete
sorry about that Chief!

Post Reply