ESP Link Help
+ +The ESP Link functions in two wifi modes: Station+AccessPoint (STA+AP) and Station (STA). +In the STA+AP mode it presents a network called esp8266 that you can connect to using the +password jeelabs8266. This mode is intended for initial configuration, but it is +fully functional. Typically the easiest way to connect to the esp8266 network is using a phone, +tablet, or laptop. +The recommended next step is to configure the ESP Link to connect to your "normal" +Wifi network so you can access it from any of your machines. Once you have connected the ESP Link +to your network and pointed your browser at it successfully, you should +switch the ESP Link to STA mode, which is more secure (no canned password).
+
In STA mode the ESP Link connects to the configured network (the info is saved in flash). +If, after a reset, it cannot connect for one minute, it automatically reverts to STA+AP mode +allowing you to reconnect to the esp8266 network to change configuration.
+In STA mode the most tricky part usually is the IP address. On most networks, the ESP Link +will get a dynamic IP address assigned via DHCP and you now need to enter that IP address into +your browser to connect. The good news is that after you reset your ESP Link it will continue to +have the same IP address. However, if you leave it off for the week-end it will most likely get a +fresh IP the next time it starts up. On many Wifi routers you can enter a fixed mapping from +the ESP Link's hardware MAC address to a static IP address so it always gets the same IP +address. This is the recommended method of operation.
+ +Using your ESP Serial Programmer
+The ESP Programmer can used in several distinct ways: +-
+
- as a transparent bridge between TCP port 23 and the serial port +
- as a web console to see input from the serial port +
- as an Arduino, AVR, or ARM processor programmer using serial-over-TCP +
- as an Arduino, AVR, or ARM processor programmer by uploading HEX files (not yet functional) +
Transparent bridge
+The ESP accepts TCP connections to port 23 and "connects" through to the serial port. +Up to 5 simultaneous TCP connections are supported and characters coming in on the serial +port get passed through to all connections. Characters coming in on a connection get copied +through to the serial port.
+When using Linux a simple way to use this is nc esp8266 23
+ +Programmer using serial-over-TCP
+By hooking up the ESP's GPIO lines to the reset line of an Arduino (or AVR in general) that is +preloaded with the Optiboot bootloader/flasher it is possible to reprogram these processors over +Wifi. The way is works is that the ESP toggles the reset line each time a connection is established +and the first characters are the flash programming synchronization sequence.
+When using Linux avrdude can be instructed to program an AVR over TCP by using a special syntax +for the serial port: -Pnet:esp8266:23, where esp8266 is the hostname of the ESP +Serial Programmer (an IP address could have been used instead).
+NXP's LPC800-serial ARM processors can be programmed similarly by hooking up GPIO pins to the +ARM's reset and ISP lines. The ESP Serial Programmer issues the correct reset/isp pulses to put +the ARM chip into firmware programming mode.
+ +Web Console
+The output of an attached Arduino/AVR/ARM can also be monitored via the console web page. +When connecting, it shows the most recent 10KB of characters received on the serial port and +then continues to print everything that comes in on the serial port. Eventually the page refreshes +when it gets very long. (Yes, this could be improved with some javascript...)
+ +Programmer using HEX upload
+(Not yet functional) Instead of using the wifi-to-serial bridge to program +microcontrollers it is often faster to upload the HEX file to the ESP Serial Programmer and +have it perform the actual programming protocol.
+ +