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ESP8266 Question — Parallax Forums

ESP8266 Question

Hello!
I have here a batch of the original not breadboard friendly ESP8266 devices. I know that Parallax sells a module using the ESP8266 who would work with the Basic Stamps.

Has anyone gotten the original platform to work with Stamp?

Comments

  • David BetzDavid Betz Posts: 14,516
    edited 2018-03-27 15:16
    Hello!
    I have here a batch of the original not breadboard friendly ESP8266 devices. I know that Parallax sells a module using the ESP8266 who would work with the Basic Stamps.

    Has anyone gotten the original platform to work with Stamp?
    You can probably run the same firmware on one of those old ESP8266 modules that runs on the Parallax module. The code is available in the Parallax GitHub account. If your ESP8266 module has less than 2MB of flash you won't be able to do over-the-air firmware updates though.

    https://github.com/parallaxinc/Parallax-ESP
  • I assume you have a batch of ESP-01 ESP-01S units with the 6 pin dual row header.

    These unit use a modified AT command structure and operate a 3.3 volts only. They are not 5 volt tolerant.

    They will run the Parallax firmware though.

    Mike

  • ESP8266's 5V tolerance is a never ending story...

    —▶ https://github.com/nodemcu/nodemcu-firmware/pull/2057#issuecomment-320431743
    the CEO of Espressif asserts that the GPIOs are 5V tolerant at 3.3V supply: https://twitter.com/ba0sh1/status/759239169071837184.

    ...but even after that statement I stayed conservative.
  • iseries wrote: »
    I assume you have a batch of ESP-01 ESP-01S units with the 6 pin dual row header.

    These unit use a modified AT command structure and operate a 3.3 volts only. They are not 5 volt tolerant.

    They will run the Parallax firmware though.

    Mike

    Yes.
    I also have a few of the ones that look similar to the module that Parallax used.

    I've also used both an FTDI device to program one and also an Arduino type device.
  • I have recently got into programming them as well. Have had them for some time now and just go around to programming them.

    In the beginning used the AT commands to work with them which is ok but kind of difficult to program that way.

    I have one on my Pixracer flight controller that has custom firmware on it that works well.

    I recently got into these unit because I wanted to build a WEMO device or a IoT switch that can be controlled by talking to it or using a phone or tablet.

    I found the SSDP specification and how to broadcast that information and using the Arduino library is much easier than using the AT commands that it came with.

    Now I need to marry that with a blue tooth module so that I can set the WiFi information when installing or changing network settings.

    I could also use an ESP32 which has all those in one package with enough pins to control the relays as well.

    Mike

  • David Betz wrote: »
    Hello!
    I have here a batch of the original not breadboard friendly ESP8266 devices. I know that Parallax sells a module using the ESP8266 who would work with the Basic Stamps.

    Has anyone gotten the original platform to work with Stamp?
    You can probably run the same firmware on one of those old ESP8266 modules that runs on the Parallax module. The code is available in the Parallax GitHub account. If your ESP8266 module has less than 2MB of flash you won't be able to do over-the-air firmware updates though.

    https://github.com/parallaxinc/Parallax-ESP

    David,
    You mention the firmware that Parallax came up with, how would I go about pushing it to a selected ESP8266 device? Normally I'm using an FTDI device similar to the ones we use for the Prop to talk to one, via a breakout board that has the not breadboard friendly wonder in a shape that makes it easier to use. This is via the Arduino IDE with the ESP8266 stuff added in.
  • David Betz wrote: »
    Hello!
    I have here a batch of the original not breadboard friendly ESP8266 devices. I know that Parallax sells a module using the ESP8266 who would work with the Basic Stamps.

    Has anyone gotten the original platform to work with Stamp?
    You can probably run the same firmware on one of those old ESP8266 modules that runs on the Parallax module. The code is available in the Parallax GitHub account. If your ESP8266 module has less than 2MB of flash you won't be able to do over-the-air firmware updates though.

    https://github.com/parallaxinc/Parallax-ESP

    David,
    You mention the firmware that Parallax came up with, how would I go about pushing it to a selected ESP8266 device? Normally I'm using an FTDI device similar to the ones we use for the Prop to talk to one, via a breakout board that has the not breadboard friendly wonder in a shape that makes it easier to use. This is via the Arduino IDE with the ESP8266 stuff added in.
    I've used a PropPlug to program the Parallax WX modules. I don't see any reason you can't use one for your modules as well. If your module has at least 1MB of flash you can also do a wireless update once you get the initial firmware programmed in. I don't ever use the PropPlug anymore. Your FTDI device should work as well. You have to tie GPIO0 on the ESP8266 to ground to program it.

  • The firmware that is on the Parallax unit is on there GitHub site and was build using a UNIX environment and not using Arduino. It would have been nice to have it done through the Arduino libraries as it would have made it easier to build for those that don't have a UNIX environment and use Arduino.

    I happen to have a Ubuntu server in the cloud that I was able to start and build there environment. This allows you to run there make system to build the httpd.user1.bin file that needs to be flashed at 0x1000 address. It would have been easy if that file was built already on GitHub site but that was not the case.

    Anyway you need to use the Espressif download tool to flash the ESP8266 with the boot_v1.2.bin, httpd.user1.bin files. Once that is done you have a working version of there product.

    This process took me about an hour from start to finish. I didn't bother with this before because the Arduino code has sketches that already allow you to build a web server and talk to it.

    Mike

    Note: when the ESP8266 starts up the boot loader runs at baud 74880 and then switches to 115200. So if you see garbage on the screen this is normal and switching to 74880 if you want to see what the boot loader is saying.

  • iseries wrote: »
    The firmware that is on the Parallax unit is on there GitHub site and was build using a UNIX environment and not using Arduino. It would have been nice to have it done through the Arduino libraries as it would have made it easier to build for those that don't have a UNIX environment and use Arduino.
    We tried using the Arduino environment but there is so little RAM on the ESP8266 that we ended up with insufficient space for the Propeller loader.

  • David Betz wrote: »
    David Betz wrote: »
    Hello!
    I have here a batch of the original not breadboard friendly ESP8266 devices. I know that Parallax sells a module using the ESP8266 who would work with the Basic Stamps.

    Has anyone gotten the original platform to work with Stamp?
    You can probably run the same firmware on one of those old ESP8266 modules that runs on the Parallax module. The code is available in the Parallax GitHub account. If your ESP8266 module has less than 2MB of flash you won't be able to do over-the-air firmware updates though.

    https://github.com/parallaxinc/Parallax-ESP

    David,
    You mention the firmware that Parallax came up with, how would I go about pushing it to a selected ESP8266 device? Normally I'm using an FTDI device similar to the ones we use for the Prop to talk to one, via a breakout board that has the not breadboard friendly wonder in a shape that makes it easier to use. This is via the Arduino IDE with the ESP8266 stuff added in.
    I've used a PropPlug to program the Parallax WX modules. I don't see any reason you can't use one for your modules as well. If your module has at least 1MB of flash you can also do a wireless update once you get the initial firmware programmed in. I don't ever use the PropPlug anymore. Your FTDI device should work as well. You have to tie GPIO0 on the ESP8266 to ground to program it.

    Hello!
    That's the part I found out the hard way. But once it was sorted out, it all worked.

    Problem is still making the thing work with the Stamp. Oddly enough supposedly someone got the ESP8266 to work with the second English import, (after the Pi, but not counting tea.)

    So now I'm still examing alternatives.
  • David Betz wrote: »
    David Betz wrote: »
    Hello!
    I have here a batch of the original not breadboard friendly ESP8266 devices. I know that Parallax sells a module using the ESP8266 who would work with the Basic Stamps.

    Has anyone gotten the original platform to work with Stamp?
    You can probably run the same firmware on one of those old ESP8266 modules that runs on the Parallax module. The code is available in the Parallax GitHub account. If your ESP8266 module has less than 2MB of flash you won't be able to do over-the-air firmware updates though.

    https://github.com/parallaxinc/Parallax-ESP

    David,
    You mention the firmware that Parallax came up with, how would I go about pushing it to a selected ESP8266 device? Normally I'm using an FTDI device similar to the ones we use for the Prop to talk to one, via a breakout board that has the not breadboard friendly wonder in a shape that makes it easier to use. This is via the Arduino IDE with the ESP8266 stuff added in.
    I've used a PropPlug to program the Parallax WX modules. I don't see any reason you can't use one for your modules as well. If your module has at least 1MB of flash you can also do a wireless update once you get the initial firmware programmed in. I don't ever use the PropPlug anymore. Your FTDI device should work as well. You have to tie GPIO0 on the ESP8266 to ground to program it.

    Hello!
    That's the part I found out the hard way. But once it was sorted out, it all worked.

    Problem is still making the thing work with the Stamp. Oddly enough supposedly someone got the ESP8266 to work with the second English import, (after the Pi, but not counting tea.)

    So now I'm still examing alternatives.
    You weren't able to get the WX working with a BS2? That's odd because that was Parallax's goal in designing the rather odd protocol between the MCU and the WX. It needed to be useable by a BS2. I'm pretty sure they have sample code to show how that's done.

  • So after you got the ESP8266 flashed with the firmware and you plug it in you should be able to connect to it and bring up the web page they show in WX ESP8266 product guide.

    The pins on the ESP8266 are 3.3volt and not 5volt so it's possible the serial is not driving the pins high enough to be recognized by the Stamp? The WX board has level shifter to work with either 3.3v or 5 volts.

    I use a Propeller chip and the 3.3 volt level and it works fine. Don't have a Stamp.

    Mike

  • iseries wrote: »
    So after you got the ESP8266 flashed with the firmware and you plug it in you should be able to connect to it and bring up the web page they show in WX ESP8266 product guide.

    The pins on the ESP8266 are 3.3volt and not 5volt so it's possible the serial is not driving the pins high enough to be recognized by the Stamp? The WX board has level shifter to work with either 3.3v or 5 volts.

    I use a Propeller chip and the 3.3 volt level and it works fine. Don't have a Stamp.

    Mike
    Ah, I forgot he wasn't using a WX module. He'll probably have to provide his own level shifters.

  • David Betz wrote: »
    David Betz wrote: »
    David Betz wrote: »
    Hello!
    I have here a batch of the original not breadboard friendly ESP8266 devices. I know that Parallax sells a module using the ESP8266 who would work with the Basic Stamps.

    Has anyone gotten the original platform to work with Stamp?
    You can probably run the same firmware on one of those old ESP8266 modules that runs on the Parallax module. The code is available in the Parallax GitHub account. If your ESP8266 module has less than 2MB of flash you won't be able to do over-the-air firmware updates though.

    https://github.com/parallaxinc/Parallax-ESP

    David,
    You mention the firmware that Parallax came up with, how would I go about pushing it to a selected ESP8266 device? Normally I'm using an FTDI device similar to the ones we use for the Prop to talk to one, via a breakout board that has the not breadboard friendly wonder in a shape that makes it easier to use. This is via the Arduino IDE with the ESP8266 stuff added in.
    I've used a PropPlug to program the Parallax WX modules. I don't see any reason you can't use one for your modules as well. If your module has at least 1MB of flash you can also do a wireless update once you get the initial firmware programmed in. I don't ever use the PropPlug anymore. Your FTDI device should work as well. You have to tie GPIO0 on the ESP8266 to ground to program it.

    Hello!
    That's the part I found out the hard way. But once it was sorted out, it all worked.

    Problem is still making the thing work with the Stamp. Oddly enough supposedly someone got the ESP8266 to work with the second English import, (after the Pi, but not counting tea.)

    So now I'm still examing alternatives.
    You weren't able to get the WX working with a BS2? That's odd because that was Parallax's goal in designing the rather odd protocol between the MCU and the WX. It needed to be useable by a BS2. I'm pretty sure they have sample code to show how that's done.
    Hello!

    These are indeed the original parts. I've not as of yet bought a WX module. That's my next step as it happens David.
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