Here's our new ESP Snap-In.... configure an ESP8266 module, plug it into the Snap-In, then replace the XBee with the ESP Snap-In. Bingo, your controller is now fully wi-fi for Renard up to 230,400 bps or DMX at 250kbps...
And like all our products, we don't release one without a full assembly and user guide... because we think it's important that you have all the tools at your disposal.
Waiting on supplies now but the product and manual are already in the store...
And here's another teaser -- Grelllbbb has been busy in the DIGWDF Lab designing a little tool for flashing the ESP8266 modules, his
ESP Flashamater Adaptimizer. As Grelllbbb reports, "wirkks guuuuud, bozz!" We're currently finishing the assembly and user guide for his "Flashamater" but this will be in the store soon, too... Both products are super-easy to assemble and they're also, "dirk cheap."
Last edited by dirknerkle; 01-23-2016 at 10:27 PM.
http://digwdf.org/store/ Even though the DIGWDF Store has been closed for two years, it's still awesome!
User guides, documentation and other files are still free and available for downloading.
And here's another teaser -- Grelllbbb has been busy in the DIGWDF Lab designing a little tool for flashing the ESP8266 modules, his
ESP Flashamater Adaptimizer. As Grelllbbb reports, "wirkks guuuuud, bozz!" We're currently finishing the assembly and user guide for his "Flashamater" but this will be in the store soon, too... Both products are super-easy to assemble and they're also, "dirk cheap."
You might want to have a word with Grelllbbb about his flashing !!!!!!!!!
But seriously, the instructions on the board, I've always followed this procedure:
1. Press & hold RESET.
2. Press & hold PROG.
3. Release RESET.
4. Release PROG.
The reason being if for any reason the ESP8266-01 has a sketch loaded that uses GPIO 0 as an output, & is high at the time you press PROG, it can damage the output. Pressing RESET first ensures that any sketch is stopped before you press PROG.
Last edited by Barnabybear; 01-24-2016 at 02:47 PM.
OOh!
That little tidbit needs to make it into all ESP instructions out there it seems to me.
Originally Posted by Barnabybear
You might want to have a word with Grelllbbb about his flashing !!!!!!!!!
But seriously, the instructions on the board, I've always followed this procedure:
1. Press & hold RESET.
2. Press & hold PROG.
3. Release RESET.
4. Release PROG.
The reason being if for any reason the ESP8266-01 has a sketch loaded that uses GPIO 0 as and output, & is high at the time you press PROG, it can damage the output. Pressing RESET first ensures that any sketch is stopped before you press PROG.
Thanks, Barnabybear. I guess I was thinking of a new, factory default ESP module.
I would think the Silabs people would make the modules robust enough to withstand the inability of a typical user to remember the correct order and inadvertently do it wrong. If that were not the case, I think they'd have a whole lot of consumer complaints.
I'll do some more testing on this and see if I can kill a few of them by the PROG-RESET-RELEASE process instead of the RESET-PROG-RELEASE. I haven't had a problem yet after testing about 30 different modules but in the DIGWDF lab, there's always hope that the magic smoke will be released!
EDIT: 9:35pm - I just spent the last 3+ hours flashing, erasing, reflashing, erasing and reflashing 37 different ESP modules using the PROG-RESET-RELEASE method and not once did I encounter a problem. Hmmmmm.......
EDIT: 12:00 am - I experimented some more and while I still didn't have any failures, I found that the 4-step sequence of: PRESS&HOLD RESET, PRESS&HOLD PROG, RELEASE RESET, RESET PROG also works fine, and follows what Barnabybear mentioned. It makes good sense that stopping any possible running firmware is a good idea in general and while in my testing it didn't seem to matter, it sure sounds like in the long run, it's a safer way to go about flashing the chip. Thanks again, Barnabybear!
Last edited by dirknerkle; 01-25-2016 at 02:06 AM.
Reason: added another note after more testing....
http://digwdf.org/store/ Even though the DIGWDF Store has been closed for two years, it's still awesome!
User guides, documentation and other files are still free and available for downloading.
FWIW, here's a completed ESP Snap-In.... goin' like hotcakes!
http://digwdf.org/store/ Even though the DIGWDF Store has been closed for two years, it's still awesome!
User guides, documentation and other files are still free and available for downloading.
No, most female headers have square holes anyway -- at least that's what I've seen. No, you can't use machined DIP sockets -- tried it -- no workee because of the square pins.
BTW, I sold out in about 3 hours. Good thing I didn't run a group buy -- that would have sold out in minutes.
http://digwdf.org/store/ Even though the DIGWDF Store has been closed for two years, it's still awesome!
User guides, documentation and other files are still free and available for downloading.
Just trying to understand, Instead of using the more expensive Xbee module, one can go with this and do wireless communication a little cheaper, am I right?
Yes, and also at higher speeds and even using DMX. But the distance may not be as great as what you can do with an Xbee -- all of that needs to be flushed out when the temps get warmer... Wayyyyyyyy too cold here in Minnesnowda to be out dinging with that stuff!
As you know, an Xbee Pro module runs about $30 (give or take a couple bucks) while one of these ESP8266 jobs is about $2-$3. Big difference.
http://digwdf.org/store/ Even though the DIGWDF Store has been closed for two years, it's still awesome!
User guides, documentation and other files are still free and available for downloading.
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