WiFi on the Prop? Could a USB WiFi be used?

Cluso99

Has anyone used a cheap WiFi module on the prop?

Could a cheap USB WiFi stick be used? Maybe Micah can answer this.

The ZigBee modules would be good, but they only communicate amongst themselves. I would like to be able to communicate with other WiFI devices such as the iPhone, iPad, PCs, and the ZipIt2.

This·link http://www.geek.com/articles/gadgets/parrot-ar-iphone-drone-20100616/· prompted this (from the QuadCopter thread·http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?p=890157 )

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Links to other interesting threads:

· Home of the MultiBladeProps: TriBlade,·RamBlade,·SixBlade, website
· Single Board Computer:·3 Propeller ICs·and a·TriBladeProp board (ZiCog Z80 Emulator)
· Prop Tools under Development or Completed (Index)
· Emulators: CPUs Z80 etc; Micros Altair etc;· Terminals·VT100 etc; (Index) ZiCog (Z80) , MoCog (6809)·
· Prop OS: SphinxOS·, PropDos , PropCmd··· Search the Propeller forums·(uses advanced Google search)
My cruising website is: ·www.bluemagic.biz·· MultiBlade Props: www.cluso.bluemagic.biz

Timmoore

serial interface to tcp on wifi
http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=9290

or bluetooth
http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=9913

jazzed

Wifi would indeed be a great asset if it's possible. Micha's USB Host Thread prompted me to look at this a little. I found the Linux source for an RA-LINK compatible dongle which sits on my desk, but have been too busy to think about it much more than that. I fear that Propeller memory would become a limiting factor even if the the USB Host driver works well enough. Still, one never knows without trying.

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Propeller Pages: Propeller JVM

StefanL38

could'nt resist to make this as working links

WiFly GSX 802.11b/g Serial Module - Roving Networks

Bluetooth Module SMD - Rayson BTM-182

best regards

Stefan

Cluso99

Yes, I saw the WiFly module before I posted this.

It has both an inbuilt chip antenna and external connection. A bit expensive. I am unsure how much power is output compared to a Radio Control unit. (Yes, I would like to consider it in my QuadCopter although I have a DX6i)

A USB to WiFi is much cheaper ($10 on eBay). However, probably a lot of code is done on the PC.

I also thought about the higher power ZigBee modules but they are not WiFi compatible so need one each end. They are cheaper though and I think the higher power version may be better than the WiFly for distance.

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Links to other interesting threads:

· Home of the MultiBladeProps: TriBlade,·RamBlade,·SixBlade, website
· Single Board Computer:·3 Propeller ICs·and a·TriBladeProp board (ZiCog Z80 Emulator)
· Prop Tools under Development or Completed (Index)
· Emulators: CPUs Z80 etc; Micros Altair etc;· Terminals·VT100 etc; (Index) ZiCog (Z80) , MoCog (6809)·
· Prop OS: SphinxOS·, PropDos , PropCmd··· Search the Propeller forums·(uses advanced Google search)
My cruising website is: ·www.bluemagic.biz·· MultiBlade Props: www.cluso.bluemagic.biz

heich

Hi

It outputs 18 dBm. That is, near of 63 mW

Some ideas:

IF there where some way to connect a PCMCIA card to propeller, maybe you can do something like this:
http://www.iosoft.co.uk/wlan2.php

Some time ago, there where Wifi Cards with Compact Flash pinout. p.e. the Sony Cli

Cluso99

I have an old PCMCIA high powered WiFi with an external aerial, but it's too big for me to want to bother with. They were too expensive anyway for a project that others can use, if they are still available that is.

Unfortunately my RC gear does not state power out. Maybe I can find out online (later).

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Links to other interesting threads:

· Home of the MultiBladeProps: TriBlade,·RamBlade,·SixBlade, website
· Single Board Computer:·3 Propeller ICs·and a·TriBladeProp board (ZiCog Z80 Emulator)
· Prop Tools under Development or Completed (Index)
· Emulators: CPUs Z80 etc; Micros Altair etc;· Terminals·VT100 etc; (Index) ZiCog (Z80) , MoCog (6809)·
· Prop OS: SphinxOS·, PropDos , PropCmd··· Search the Propeller forums·(uses advanced Google search)
My cruising website is: ·www.bluemagic.biz·· MultiBlade Props: www.cluso.bluemagic.biz

HollyMinkowski

I have seen USB WiFi dongles on ebay for as little as 5.50
including shipping.

If someone could work up a WiFi to serial package using
one of these so that any uC could easily use WiFi, it would
sell well at a low price.

Put it on a small board with a prop and connect an RPSMA
connector for external antenna. Something like a mega1284p
might work better than the prop though, cheaper and 128kb flash,
16kb ram and probably fast enough at 20mips.

Getting detailed info on the WiFi dongle would be a huge help.
Might not have to use the USB interface at all if you had enough
understanding of what the uC on the dongle was doing and what
it expected Windows to handle.

I have not checked, a quick google might turn up some geeks
playing with these cheap WiFi units.

Cluso99

You are probably correct in using an ATmega as the code is most likely published for the USB interface. However, I bet we cannot get the Atmega to run a high speed serial link to another Prop like we could with prop to prop. I am not referring to 115200, but ~8+Mbps using up to 32 bit codes or more. That is where I want to go with RamBlade sooner or later.

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Links to other interesting threads:

· Home of the MultiBladeProps: TriBlade,·RamBlade,·SixBlade, website
· Single Board Computer:·3 Propeller ICs·and a·TriBladeProp board (ZiCog Z80 Emulator)
· Prop Tools under Development or Completed (Index)
· Emulators: CPUs Z80 etc; Micros Altair etc;· Terminals·VT100 etc; (Index) ZiCog (Z80) , MoCog (6809)·
· Prop OS: SphinxOS·, PropDos , PropCmd··· Search the Propeller forums·(uses advanced Google search)
My cruising website is: ·www.bluemagic.biz·· MultiBlade Props: www.cluso.bluemagic.biz

Leon

Microchip has some interesting new WiFi modules:

www.microchip.com/wwwproducts/Devices.aspx?dDocName=en548014

They recently took over the ZeroG company that developed them.

I've got an earlier version of it on a PICtail board, but haven't tried it yet.

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Leon Heller
Amateur radio callsign: G1HSM

$WMc%

Parallax is working on a WiFi module. I don't think I'll live long enough to see it, But our kids might.

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The Truth is out there············___$WMc%___···························· BoogerWoods, FL. USA


want speed?·want·to use the Propeller?·want to stay with BASIC___www.propbasic.com___


You can feel stupid by asking a stupid question or You can be really·stupid by not asking at all.

·

localroger

For a project at work I chose to use an ENC28J60 ethernet link with a commercial ethernet-wifi bridge. This has the advantage that no special programming has to be done for the bridge; it's a generic device, and you can replace it with a different model easily. I even have the Prop periodically arp the setup webpage of the bridge to make sure its local link is working properly, and this works across many different models. This approach gives good signal range at low cost with lots of vendors and migration paths, but it's not especially miniature or low-power.

smbaker

localroger said...
For a project at work I chose to use an ENC28J60 ethernet link with a commercial ethernet-wifi bridge.

Do you have the part number on this bridge? Are you talking a small module, or a large consumer-size device like a Linksys WET54G ?

I have a few ENC28J160-based designs and would be interested to find a nice way to convert them to wireless...

Scott

jazzed

smbaker said...

I have a few ENC28J160-based designs and would be interested to find a nice way to convert them to wireless...
Scott

I've been using this one for years now with my Linux box Ethernet port. Uses a windows setup program and does different security settings ... yada yada yada.

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Propeller Pages: Propeller JVM

localroger

smbaker, I'm using consumer devices. I was using a TrendNet model but found it had a problem losing its settings (these are mounted on forklifts which are, like cars, electrically noisy and prone to a lot of vibration). I recently switched to a Cisco model (mainly because it's what I could get on short notice at Best Buy) and it's working great. As I said, if you take this approach there are many choices and you don't have to alter your application to switch models or vendors because the functionality is generic.

$WMc%

StefanL38

Do You have some simple serial to WiFi code You could share here using the "WiFly GSX 802.11b/g Serial Module - Roving Networks "

I have looked a the Doc's for this module, But I'd like to some code that works with it as well, Something Parallax Micro friendly. Before I shell out the $money.

You said You "couldn't resist to make this as working links". If Your promoting this product, Now is Your chance to shine.

Thanks in advance for any help with some simple code to use this module!

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The Truth is out there············___$WMc%___···························· BoogerWoods, FL. USA


want speed?·want·to use the Propeller?·want to stay with BASIC___www.propbasic.com___


You can feel stupid by asking a stupid question or You can be really·stupid by not asking at all.

·

Cluso99

Nice find Leon. A quick look at the datasheet seemed a little confusing and I was not sure that some of the TCP/IP stack may reside in the controlling micro, which of course a PIC is recommended. Did I get this right of is it self-contained in the WiFi module and just the SPI interface is required to any micro??? BTW price is ~$30.

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Links to other interesting threads:

· Home of the MultiBladeProps: TriBlade,·RamBlade,·SixBlade, website
· Single Board Computer:·3 Propeller ICs·and a·TriBladeProp board (ZiCog Z80 Emulator)
· Prop Tools under Development or Completed (Index)
· Emulators: CPUs Z80 etc; Micros Altair etc;· Terminals·VT100 etc; (Index) ZiCog (Z80) , MoCog (6809)·
· Prop OS: SphinxOS·, PropDos , PropCmd··· Search the Propeller forums·(uses advanced Google search)
My cruising website is: ·www.bluemagic.biz·· MultiBlade Props: www.cluso.bluemagic.biz

Ding-Batty

According to the Microchip website, most of the TCP/IP stack is in the Microchip Applications Library that runs on the PIC chip, which talks to the WiFi component. See: www.microchip.com/stellent/idcplg?IdcService=SS_GET_PAGE&nodeId=2680&dDocName=en547784 for the application library. According to the Microchip website:

Microchip website said...
the MRF24WB0MA module controls the MAC and baseband layers

Leon

That's right. Microchip has TCP/IP stacks for all their chip families. They have a couple of demo apps for those WiFi modules, for the C18, C30 and C32 compilers (PIC18, dsPIC/PIC24 and PIC32 families). I've got them. They even have sample web pages included; one just has to build the application, program the PIC, and the WiFi should be working with the PIC acting as a server. That looks like how they work, anyway. I really ought to try that WiFi PICtail board, it plugs into an evaluation board I've got.

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Leon Heller
Amateur radio callsign: G1HSM

Post Edited (Leon) : 6/21/2010 9:13:13 AM GMT

Cluso99

Thanks Leon & Ding-Batty. I thought that maybe the case. Damn... there are other solutions that could do this cheaper then.

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Links to other interesting threads:

· Home of the MultiBladeProps: TriBlade,·RamBlade,·SixBlade, website
· Single Board Computer:·3 Propeller ICs·and a·TriBladeProp board (ZiCog Z80 Emulator)
· Prop Tools under Development or Completed (Index)
· Emulators: CPUs Z80 etc; Micros Altair etc;· Terminals·VT100 etc; (Index) ZiCog (Z80) , MoCog (6809)·
· Prop OS: SphinxOS·, PropDos , PropCmd··· Search the Propeller forums·(uses advanced Google search)
My cruising website is: ·www.bluemagic.biz·· MultiBlade Props: www.cluso.bluemagic.biz