ESP8266 ESP-01 with AT version:0.50.0.0

[espruino-discuss2]

Posted at 2015-10-19 by MichaelPralow

at first, i am just so happy it finally works, had some problems with an apparently faulty esp8266

after that bad start i ordered some esp8266 esp-01 from eBay, by especially searching for "...tested..." and i got one with the following firmware:

"AT+GMR\r\r\nAT version:0.50.0.0(Sep 18 2015 20:55:38)\r\nSDK version:1.4.0\r\nTested in UK by AudioSpectrumAnalyzers\r\nOK\r\n"

well to get it working with an Espruino Pico i needed to change the ESP8266_v025 module in one little detail

from

if (d=="ready")

to

if (d=="Ready.")

here is a larger part to see the change in context

"reset" : function(callback) {
    at.cmd("\r\nAT+RST\r\n", 10000, function cb(d) {
      //console.log(">>>>>"+JSON.stringify(d));
      // if (d=="ready")...
      if (d=="Ready.") setTimeout(function() { wifiFuncs.init(callback); }, 1000);
      else if (d===undefined) callback("No 'ready' after AT+RST");
      else return cb;
    });
  },

ok now to my question, do we want a special ESP8266_v50 module? if yes i will create the issue and pull-request including an update to the documentation

but i would like to know, what is your preferred way to handle the (in this case a lot) duplicate code?

[espruino-discuss2]

Posted at 2015-10-20 by Kolban

@MichaelPralow ... I was reading your post and a thought struck me. Given the fact that the AT command processor running on ESP8266s is no more and no less than a relatively simple app that reads data from the serial port and writes responses to the serial port and has chosen AT commands for the purpose ... would there be any interest in an alternative app that accepted as input and returned as output ... JSON strings?

If such a thing existed, then I am guessing it would easier for a native Espruino board to send and receive data as we would no longer have to have this vague intermediate format which is the AT command set?

[espruino-discuss2]

Posted at 2015-10-20 by @allObjects

@Kolban There we go... I fully support your idea that time has moved on... not just a little bit, because:

Solving the interface problems to allow any computer using a standard serial port to control the modem functions with software, they invented the Hayes Standard AT command set, introducing the first PC modem in June 1981. some computer history article.

Nothing wrong with AT commands, but it is much easier to communicate with JSON... (even XML is somewhat outdated, who would have thought that...).

[gfwilliams]

Posted at 2015-10-20 by @gfwilliams

@MichaelPralow argh, what a mess! Why can't they just leave it alone?

IMO we should stick with the existing ESP8266WiFi_0v25 module unless it turns out they've changed something so drastic in 0.50 that we can't do it easily. I've just committed a change to fix it for 0.50 and will update the website over the next day or so.

Does anyone have a copy of this 0.50.0.0 firmware? I'd like to get a download link for it on the Espruino website.

would there be any interest in an alternative app that accepted as input and returned as output ... JSON strings?

I don't think it would make much difference. It'd be a little faster, but so what? IMO it's far more important that someone can buy an ESP8266 and use it without having to re-flash the firmware. I'd also hope that the 0.50.0.0 firmware is quite well tested and stable now...

AT command support has to exist in Espruino for GSM support (and also some other things like BT devices), so it's not such a big deal.

[espruino-discuss2]

Posted at 2015-10-20 by MichaelPralow

found https://github.com/boseji/ESP8266-Store/blob/master/firmware/AT_v0.50_on_esp_iot_sdk_v1.4.0_150918.zip

@gordon - so far i only made some easy checks (simple client load page, simple servo hello world) do you have some hints for proper test suite?

@Kolban - from AT to JSON does not help with the problem at hand - command processor version vs. Espruino ESP8266 module, i like json though :-)

[espruino-discuss2]

Posted at 2015-10-20 by asez73

@Kolban JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is definitly javascript idiomatic thus Espruino too.
However, I believe that what @gordon wants is just impossible.
Each and every module maker including an esp8266 chip wants to add its own 'firmware'. And obviously, the officiel sdk is still moving once a month, deprecating functionnalities while enforcing others...

[gfwilliams]

Posted at 2015-10-20 by @gfwilliams

Ok, great!

I'm not sure about tests - if you can create a server, request a webpage, connect to a network and create an access point then you should have tested the majority of it.

[espruino-discuss2]

Posted at 2015-10-20 by Kolban

The official (i.e. from Espressif themselves) AT v0.50 download release can be found here:

http://bbs.espressif.com/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=1123

[gfwilliams]

Posted at 2015-10-20 by @gfwilliams

Perfect - thanks!