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Using the Roving Networks RN-171,174,and RN-XV — Parallax Forums

Using the Roving Networks RN-171,174,and RN-XV

$WMc%$WMc% Posts: 1,884
edited 2015-02-12 08:20 in Accessories
Hello All
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I have been experimenting with the RN-171 series of WiFi devices from Rov.Networks with great success.(RN-171,RN-174)and soon the RN-XV
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The WiFi system is based around the RN-171 WiFi module.
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The RN-174 is a development board with the RN-171 as the bases.
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The RN-XV is a direct XBee plug-in replacement to a XBee carrier board with the RN-171. It will give one full WiFi with WPA2-PSK encryption and TCP/IP connection in a wireless LAN and make use of an existing XBee set-up.(XBee carrier board)
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The RN-171 is a WiFi to serial converter...Perfect for micro's like the Propeller and the BS2...the RN-171 has a FIFO buffer to aide in communication and the serial Baud rate is selectable....upto 115.2KBaud...54Mbps on the WiFi side...802.11b/g
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IP addressing is easy with the RN-171
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Below is some test that I ran on this device.
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The BS2 sample works well with telnet. enter a "1" to turn the LED on... "0" to turn it off from the telnet window."Hello" verifies connection'
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I'd like to encourage others to post their findings with this WiFi module!

Comments

  • Bill ChennaultBill Chennault Posts: 1,198
    edited 2011-11-17 11:06
    Walt--

    Great! I know you have waited a long time for this event! What are some of your project ideas?

    --Bill; aka Serial-Cable-Replacement-Wannabe-Man
  • $WMc%$WMc% Posts: 1,884
    edited 2011-11-17 19:33
    Hello Bill..
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    I plan on converting all of my old 433MHz RF stuff over to WiFi.This will free up the Prop that I have hooked to my PC for the RF modules.
    I can also check on things from afar with this TCP/IP set-up via the Internet.
    '
    This is things like my chicken coupe feeder...All Stamp controlled.Same thing for the hog pin and cattle feeders,Front gate,Well pump monitor.Pool pump,etc.
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    I also plan to convert my BOE-HAWG to WiFi. With this set-up I can write an App and control it from my smartphone.(easier said then done,But I'll get there)
    '
    I have a working GUI but I still have some bugs with the mesock32.dll call in my App.
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    I'll post updates as I write them and try to make them fool Prof.
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    mesock.dll is for a TCP/IP socket with a port address.If you want to use http:/, HTML,etc take a look at winsock or wsock.dll for high traffic text, etc.
  • $WMc%$WMc% Posts: 1,884
    edited 2011-11-17 20:39
    Heres some hook-up info for the RN-174 to BS2.
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    For use with telnet and the RN-174 to BS2 code below
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    Super Simple
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  • $WMc%$WMc% Posts: 1,884
    edited 2011-11-17 21:37
    How to open telnet?
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    Below is some screen shots of how this is done.
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    Click on Start.....next..click on RUN....now type in "CMD"...In the CMD window type in "telnet"
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    (If you get an error about telnet not recognized....Its probably not installed. more on this later)
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    next type in the IP address of your RN-171 starting with a little "o" like | o 10.0.0.52 2000 |
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    "o" is the open command for telnet....10.0.0.52 is the IP address... and 2000 is the port# to open
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    If you can not get telnet to run...Its probably not installed...Heres a simple fix.
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    Grab the WinOS disk for your computer and put it in the CD drive...Goto to start...then control panel...then Add/remove programs....type in telnet to install from drive "?"what ever your CD drive is...usally drive D:
    '
    Let the Windows install wizard do the rest.....You should have telnet after this operation completes...
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    JPEG's 5 and 6 show how to turn the LED on and off through the BS2 with the code shown above...again super simple
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    The last jpeg was my first GUI window...nothing fancy...but it worked
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    More info and code to come....
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    If you have info on using the RN-171 please post it...!
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  • tilaktilak Posts: 1
    edited 2012-05-16 02:12
    i was trying to work with the rn 174 module
    but while associating it with an ap it got stuck at the point "dhcp: start"
    the module is not able to obtain an ip address for it self

    i did it even using the static ip address mode but still the same problem


    however i was successfully able to connect the to an ad hoc created by my laptop
    but i was not able to view the udp packets send by it(in port peeker)

    can any one let me know what i need to do?
    i m following the manual provided by the company
  • zoopydogsitzoopydogsit Posts: 174
    edited 2012-06-04 06:11
    Hi Walt, All,
    I've been using the WiFly RN-131C as a bare module from sparkfun and wired it into a Propeller based circuit. I was able to hack it working first using just the serial port connected to it and connect via a web browser to see data. I then moved it to a prop. I found the OBEX RN-XV Wifly Web Server V01 by Ben Thacker are really well written and work a treat. I'd well recommend giving them a try. I did screw up mine a bit by trying to move from the factory settings and not setting it for both TCP and HTTP. However once I set that it worked just fine. I haven't tried the RN-171, they look cheaper but from reading the datasheet it looks like they need a pcb trace antena or a chip antena.

    Sorry I can't help you much with the 174.

    http://obex.parallax.com/objects/853/

    I'm going to stabalize the code and then consider
  • Mike GreenMike Green Posts: 23,101
    edited 2012-06-04 06:31
    I've been using the RN-XV for a while now with the Propeller as an xBee replacement. I use the Parallax USB Adapter with a terminal program to configure it for use on my WiFi network and save the configuration file. Mostly the SSID and WPA passphrase need to be entered and I need to note the TCP address. At that point, it goes into an xBee socket on a Propeller board and I use my iPad with Mocha Telnet as the Telnet terminal program. I have a PropBoeBot that I'm using this way and I'm trying to get a Scribbler2 to work with an RN-XV as well although the Hacker Port is giving me grief.

    The WiFly devices do output specific strings to their serial port when the connection is opened or closed (like *HELLO*, *OPEN*, *CLOS*). You can write your code to use them and/or modify them with configuration commands including setting them to empty so nothing gets sent.
  • $WMc%$WMc% Posts: 1,884
    edited 2012-06-05 20:04
    I've found the RN-171/174 the most easiest WiFi units to use. The RN-174 with the built-in ant.
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    I have almost converted all of my wireless stuff over to WiFi with the RN-174. All reachable from the www, with WPA encryption.
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    My GUI is on all of my PC's....Yes I have redundancy.
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    The Net gear WiFi router I have sends the commands to the WiFi devices.(RN-174)s'
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    WLAN = Wireless Local Area Network
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    A short read will gain understanding on the RN-174.
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    I wasn't asking for help here, But giving help with the RN-174.
  • $WMc%$WMc% Posts: 1,884
    edited 2012-06-06 18:37
    @talik
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    Push an IP address into the RN-174 under TCP/IP. You need to get the RN-171/174 in to your LAN.
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    If you don't know the IP address of your wire-less LAN????
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    Open the CMD window. You might have to look in the control panel for this.
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    Next type "cmd" in the "run" window.
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    In the black cmd window, type " ipconfig "
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    This will return the IP/address of the PC your using and the work-group of the IP/address.
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    If its 192.168,yyy.xxx, Then the work group is at "192.168.yyy.xxx" or it could be "10.0.yyy.xxx"
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    If the "yyy" is "1" then the work group is "192.168.1.xxx"
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    "yyy" is the work group...."xxx" is the node address
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    Make sure the IP/address you set does don't conflick with another IP/adress.."xxx"=0-255
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    If IP/address 192.168.5.100 is already used...You can't use the IP/address
  • Don MDon M Posts: 1,647
    edited 2012-07-25 09:06
    I see Roving Networks was acquired by Microchip a few months ago... I just ordered the RN-174 and the RN-XV. Looking forward to working with these units.
  • nacedonacedo Posts: 1
    edited 2013-06-28 08:57
    Hi,

    I'm using the RN-171 in PCB project and I had a problem with the communication, i'm trying to generate the ad hoc network but the module doesnt generate it, i do it setting at 3.3v the GPIO9.
    thanks for your help
    best regards

    Humberto
  • $WMc%$WMc% Posts: 1,884
    edited 2015-01-24 23:05
    I'm in the process of building a smoker/griller controller. (I'm tired of baby sitting the fire box for 4-8 hours at a time)
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    I'll post some new WiFi code soon.
  • Bill ChennaultBill Chennault Posts: 1,198
    edited 2015-01-25 06:56
    Walt--

    Wow! This is an old thread! I pray you are happy and healthy!

    --Bill
  • $WMc%$WMc% Posts: 1,884
    edited 2015-01-25 12:26
    Hello Bill
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    It's been a longtime since we spoke.
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    I'm doing well, I hope you the same!!!
  • $WMc%$WMc% Posts: 1,884
    edited 2015-01-28 16:34
    Microchip buys Roven networks. RN-174 discontinued. RN-171EK is the replacement p#. Pretty much the same thing. Above examples will still work.
  • max72max72 Posts: 1,155
    edited 2015-02-03 23:23
    Nice thing is there are new firmware versions, and now you can configure it as access point with security.
    Massimo
  • $WMc%$WMc% Posts: 1,884
    edited 2015-02-05 18:38
    max72 wrote: »
    Nice thing is there are new firmware versions, and now you can configure it as access point with security.
    Massimo
    '
    Cool
  • max72max72 Posts: 1,155
    edited 2015-02-06 09:03
    A couple of commands:
    Update the firmware (using the internet connection from the home wify router):
    *Start from scratch:*
    $$$
    factory R
    save
    reboot
    
    *Connect to internet using the wify router:*
    $$$
    set wlan join 1
    set wlan channel 0
    set wlan auth 4
    set wlan join 1
    set wlan phrase yourpassword
    set wlan ssid yourSSIDname
    set ftp address 198.175.253.161
    set ftp dir public
    set ftp user roving
    set ftp pass Pass123
    
    save
    reboot
    
    *let it join the net, and donwload the new firmware*
    $$$
    ftp update wifly-EZX.img
    reboot
    
    *factory reset and restart with the new firmware*
    $$$
    factory R
    save
    reboot
    
    
    

    Configure it as access point (in my case I set the baud rate to 4800 for parsing NMEA strings at this rate):
    $$$
    set ip dhcp 4
    set wlan join 7
    set wlan auth 4
    set apmode passphrase thepassword
    set apmode ssid thessid
    set uart baudrate 4800
    set ip address 192.168.1.1
    set ip netmask 255.255.255.0
    save
    reboot
    
    
    

    Massimo
  • Ron CzapalaRon Czapala Posts: 2,418
    edited 2015-02-12 08:20
    I used a slightly different Access Point setup.
    Since my home router network uses 192.168.1.1, I switched it to 192.168.2.1.

    set wlan join 7
    set wlan channel 1
    set apmode ssid WiFlyOne
    set apmode passphrase pass5678
    set ip dhcp 4
    set ip address 192.168.2.1
    set ip net 255.255.255.0
    set ip gateway 192.168.2.1
    save apmode
    save
    reboot

    I have the Sparkfun RN-XV module plugged into a Parallax XBEE/USB adapter connected to my desktop PC. https://www.sparkfun.com/products/10822

    I also have VB6 program which uses the MSWINSCK.ocx to establish a TCP connection on port 2000.
    This VB6 program also works fine on my HP Stream 7" tablet.

    After connecting to the WiFly access point I can establish a TCP connection and exchange data using Parallax Serial Terminal.

    attachment.php?attachmentid=113163

    RN_XV VB-TCP.JPG
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  • $WMc%$WMc% Posts: 1,884
    @Ron Czapala
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    Cool
  • $WMc%$WMc% Posts: 1,884
    I'm back
    '
    New Prop IDE with PropBASIC.....cool
  • $WMc%$WMc% Posts: 1,884
    I like the new Parallax WiFi
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    At $25 bucks its worth trying out. I'm ordering a couple.
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