Roving Networks WiFly RN-131GSX, RN-131G User Manual And Command Reference

RN-131G

rn-131-um.pdf 5/14/2009

WIF

LY

GSX

802.11 b/g wireless LAN Module

User Manual and Command Reference

Version 1.1

Copyright © 2009 Roving Networks, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The contents of this document can be changed by Roving networks without prior notice and do not
constitute any binding undertakings from Roving networks. Roving Networks is not responsible under
any circumstances for direct, indirect, unexpected or consequent damage that is caused by this
document.

RN-131G

rn-131-um.pdf 5/14/2009

Contents

1 RN-131G Overview .......................................................................................................................... 3

2 Hardware Interface............................................................................................................................ 4

2.1 Power ......................................................................................................................................... 4

2.2 Reset .......................................................................................................................................... 4

2.3 UART ........................................................................................................................................ 4

2.4 LED Indictors ............................................................................................................................. 5

3 Configuration .................................................................................................................................... 5

3.1 Entering Command Mode ........................................................................................................... 5

4 WiFly Command Reference .............................................................................................................. 6

4.1 Command Syntax ....................................................................................................................... 6

4.2 Command Organization .............................................................................................................. 6

5 SET Commands ................................................................................................................................ 7

5.1 COMM Parameters ..................................................................................................................... 7

5.2 DNS Parameters ......................................................................................................................... 8

5.3 FTP Parameters .......................................................................................................................... 8

5.4 IP Parameters ............................................................................................................................. 8

5.5 SYSTEM Parameters .................................................................................................................. 9

5.6 TIME Server Parameters .......................................................................................................... 10

5.7 UART Parameters .................................................................................................................... 10

5.8 WLAN Parameters ................................................................................................................... 10

6 GET Commands ............................................................................................................................. 11

7 STATUS Commands ...................................................................................................................... 11

8 ACTION Commands ...................................................................................................................... 12

8.1 FILE IO Commands ................................................................................................................. 13

8.2 System timers and other features .............................................................................................. 13

8.3 Wake on Sensor INPUTs .......................................................................................................... 14

8.4 Wake on UART ........................................................................................................................ 14

8.5 Uart Receiver, RTS/CTS Hardware Flow Control ..................................................................... 15

8.6 Setting PIO directions, Disabling LED drivers .......................................................................... 15

8.7 Alternate IO functions .............................................................................................................. 16

8.8 Setting Debug Print levels ........................................................................................................ 16

9 Joining Networks and Making Connections .................................................................................... 17

10 Firmware Upgrade over FTP ........................................................................................................... 19

11 Setting Adhoc Mode and Restoring Configuration Settings ............................................................. 20

12 Default Configuration Settings ........................................................................................................ 21

13 Know issues and Errata ................................................................................................................... 22

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1 RN-131G Overview

The RN-131g “WiFly” radio module is a complete, stand alone, embedded wireless LAN access
device. The device has on board TCP/IP stack and applications. Requiring only 4 pins (POWER,
TX, RX, GND) to design in. Once initial configuration is set, the radio can automatically access
the WiFi network and send/receive serial data over UART.

• Qualified 2.4GHz IEEE 802.11b/g transceiver

• High throughput, up to 4Mbps sustained data rate with TCP/IP and WPA2

• Ultra-low power (4uA sleep, 35mA Rx, 110-180mA Tx)

• Small, compact surface mount module

• On board ceramic chip antenna and U.FL connector for external antenna

• 8 Mbit flash memory and 128 KB RAM

• UART and SPI (future) data/control interfaces

• 10 general purpose digital I/O

• 8 analog inputs

• Real-time clock for wakeup and time stamping

• Accepts 3.3V regulated or 2-3V battery

• Supports Adhoc connections

• On board ECOS -OS, TCP/IP stacks

• Wi-Fi Alliance certified for WPA2-PSK

• FCC / CE/ ICS certified and RoHS compliant

Features

• Host Data Rate Up to 2.7 Mbps for UART

• Memory 128 KB RAM,2MB ROM, 2 KB battery-backed memory, 8 Mbit Flash.

• Intelligent, built-in power management with programmable wakeup

• Can be powered from regulated 3.3-3.7V source or 2.0-3.0V batteries

• Real time clock for time stamping, auto-sleep and auto-wakeup modes

• Configuration over UART or wireless interfaces using simple ASCII commands

• Over the air firmware upgrade (FTP), and data file upload.

• Secure WiFi authentication WEP-128, WPA-PSK (TKIP), WPA2-PSK (AES).

• Built in networking applications DHCP, UDP, DNS, ARP, ICMP

• 802.11 power save and roaming functions

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2 Hardware Interface

See the RN-131 data sheet on the Roving Networks website for technical specifications and
layout information. (Document rn-131-ds.pdf

2.1 Power

There are two options for powering the RN-131G module directly.

1. DC SUPPLY: Apply 3.3 VDC power to VBATT (pin 20), AND V3.3IN (pin 21)
Tie 3.3VREG-IN (pin 18) to GROUND. 3.3V-REG-OUT (Pin 17) leave floating.

2. BATTERY: Apply battery = 1.8 to 3.3VDc to VBATT (pin 20). V3.3IN pin 21 = floating.
Tie pin 17 to pin 18. (this enables the on board battery boost 3.3V switcher).

2.2 Reset

Reset is active LOW and is optional/does not need to be connected. The reset pin is 3.3V
tolerant and has an internal pullup of 100K to the VBATT. There is also a built in voltage
brownout monitor.

2.3 UART

• Connect a common ground when using the external TX, RX inputs.

• For a 3 wire DB-9 interface (tx, rx, gnd only) Factory default is hardware flow control

disabled, CTS and RTS are not required.

• When using a 5.0Vdc Input, PIO’s and UART pins require a 10K ohm series resistor. PIO’s

are 0-3.3Vdc not 5 volt tolerant.

Warning: Do NOT exceed the voltage ratings on the 3.3V pins, damage to the module will
result.

Important Notes:

#1: The Sensor inputs SENS0-7 are extremely sensitive to over voltage. Under no
conditions should these pins be driven above 1.2VDC. Placing any voltage above
this will permanently damage the radio module and render it useless.

#2: Placing 5VDC or any voltage above 3.3Vdc into the VDD pins of the module will
permanently damage the radio module.

#3: Placing 3.3Vdc into the PIO’s while they are set as outputs will permanently
damage the radio modules. The failure mode is a short across GND and VCC. Use a
10KΩ resistor in series or a 10KΩ pull up resistor for input and output PIO’s
respectively.

)

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2.4 Status Indictors

PIO 4, 5 and 6 are active high and can be connected to external LEDs to provide status.

Condition PIO6=Red LED PIO5=Yellow LED PIO4=Green LED

ON solid Not Associated Connected over TCP

Fast blink Rx/Tx data transfer No IP address

Slow blink Associated, No Internet IP address OK

OFF Associated, Internet OK

3 Configuration

3.1 Entering Command Mode

Upon power up, the device will be in data mode. To enter command mode, exactly the three
characters $$$ must be sent. The device will respond with CMD.

While in command mode, the device will accept ASCII bytes as commands.
To exit command mode, send exit<cr>. The device will respond with “EXIT”.

Parameters, such as the SSID, channel, IP address, Serial Port settings, and all other settings can
be viewed and configured in command mode.

ASCII characters can be sent through a terminal emulator connected to the UART or via Telnet.
When using the UART communications settings should match the settings used when RN-131g
connects, for example: the default is 9600 baudrate, 8 bits, No Parity, 1 stop bit, and hardware
flow control disabled.

Run your favorite terminal emulator, Roving Networks provides a free one, Teraterm, at

http://www.rovingnetworks.com/support/teraterm.zip.

Type $$$ on your emulator. You should see “CMD” returned to you. This will verify that your
cable and comm. settings are correct. Most valid commands will return an “AOK”, response,
and invalid ones will return an ERR description.

To exit command mode, type “exit“<cr>.

NOTE: You can enter command mode locally over the serial port at any time when not
connected, and also when connected if the appropriate settings are enabled.

Over the air, Remote configuration

Once the module has associated and if TCP SERVER is enabled (the default) the device will be
listening for connections on port 2000.

Using Windows XP or Linux or any other TCP command line client or program, you can access
remote configuration.

Example: (windows command line) telnet 10.10.10.149 2000
Response “*HELLO*”

You can now enter command mode and configure the module.

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4 WiFly Command Reference

4.1 Command Syntax

Commands begin with a keyword, and have optional additional parameters, generally space
delimited. Commands and options are case sensitive. Hex input data can be upper or lower
case. String text data, such as SSID is also case sensitive.

The first command is fully decoded and must be complete. Other command parameters can be
shorted by using only the first character.

For example,

set uart baudrate 115200 is valid,

set uart b 115200 is also valid,

set u b 115200 is also valid, however,

s uart baudrate 115200 is NOT valid.

Numbers can be entered as either decimal, (like 115200 above) or HEX. To enter HEX, use

0x<value>. For example, the HEX value FF would be entered as 0xFF.

4.2 Command Organization

Commands fall into 5 general categories:

• SET COMMANDS -Take effect immediately, permanently (save command issued).

• GET COMMANDS -Retrieve the permanently stored information for display to user.

• STATUS COMMANDS -See what is going on with the interface, IP status, etc.

• ACTION COMMANDS- Perform action such as scan, connect, disconnect, etc.

• FILE IO COMMANDS - Upgrade, load and save configuration, delete files, etc.

NOTE: You must save the configuration or the module will load the previous settings upon reboot
or power up.

When the system boots, all configuration data is loaded into RAM variables from the file called
“config”. The set commands actually only modify the RAM copy of variables in the system.
This allows temporary change of parameters “on the fly” to test features, minimizes power usage
and saves on flash re-write cycles.

Once all configuration is complete, the user must save the settings using the save command to
store the configuration data, otherwise it will not take effect upon reboot or reset. Multiple
configurations can be stored by using the save <filename> command, and these
configurations can be loaded using the load <filename> command. These files can be upload
to remote FTP site, such that once a desired configuration is created, it can quickly be copied into
additional devices (cloning).

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5 SET Commands

These commands begin with “set”. There are 6 major categories.

• COMM - communication and data transfer, timers, matching characters

• DNS - DNS host and domain

• FTP - FTP host address and login information

•

IP - IP settings

•

SYS - system settings such as sleep and wake timers

•

TIME - timer server settings

•

UART - serial port settings such as baudrate and parity

•

WLAN - wireless interface settings, such as ssid, chan, and security options

5.1 COMM Parameters

set comm close <string> sets the ASCI string that is sent to the local UART when the TCP

port is closed. If no string is desired, use the command with no
<string> parameter. Max string length is 32 characters.

set comm open <string> sets the string that is sent to the local UART when the TCP port is

opened. If no string is desired, use the command with no
<string> parameter. Max string length is 32 characters.

set comm remote <string> sets the string that is sent to the remote TCP client when the TCP

port is opened. If no string is desired, use the command with no
<string> parameter. Max string length is 32 characters.

set comm idle <secs> sets the Idle Timer Value. This is the number of seconds with no

transmit or receive data before the connection is closed
automatically. Default is 0, never disconnect on idle.

set comm match <value> sets matching character initiate forwarding data across the TCP/IP

connection. The value is entered as the decimal value of the of
the ASCII character. Default is 0, disabled. For more information
see section 8.5

set comm size <value> sets the Flush Size value. This is the number of bytes to receive

on the UART before forwarding, 0 or 1 forwards immediately. .
Default is 16 bytes. Maximum value = 1024 bytes

set comm time <num> sets the Flush Timer. This is the number of 10 millisecond

intervals after a byte is received before the data is sent over
TCP/IP, 1 is the minimum value. Default is 2 (20 milliseconds)

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5.2 DNS Parameters

set dns address <addr> sets the IP address of the DNS sever. This is auto-set when using

DHCP, so only used used in STATIC IP mode.

set dns name <string> sets the name of the DNS server

set dns backup <string> sets the name of the backup DNS server

set dns domain <string> sets the name of the DNS domain

5.3 FTP Parameters

set ftp filename <file> sets the name of the file transferred when issuing the ftp get

command. If the file is not found on server the connection will
time out.

set ftp addr <addr> sets the ftp server IP address.

set ftp user <name> sets the ftp user name for accessing the FTP server.

set ftp pass <pass> sets the ftp password for accessing the FTP server.

5.4 IP Parameters

set ip address <addr> sets the IP address of the WiFly GSX module. If DHCP is turned

on, the IP address is assigned and overwritten during association
with the access point. IP addresses are “.” delimited. Note this is
different from the RN-111b module which is space delimited!

Example: “set ip a 10.20.20.1”

set ip dchp <0,1> enable or disable DHCP client. If DHCP is turned on, the IP,

gateway and net mask are assigned and overwritten during
association with the access point.

set ip gateway <addr> sets the gateway IP address, If DHCP is turned on, the gateway IP

address is assign and overwritten during association with the
access point.

set ip host <addr> sets the remote host IP address. This command is used for

making connections from the WiFly module to a TCP/IP server at
the IP address <addr>.

set ip backup <addr> sets a secondary host IP address.

set ip localport <num> sets the local port number.

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set ip netmask <value> sets the network mask. If DHCP is turned on, the net mask is

assign and overwritten during association with the access point.

set ip protocol <value> sets the IP protocol. This is a bit mapped setting. To connect to

the WiFly GSX module over TCP/IP such as Telnet the device must
have the use the TCP Server protocol. ( this is the default setting )

Bit Value Protocol

0 UDP (receive from ANY IP)
1 TCP Server +Client
2 UDP (only receive from Host IP)
3 HTTP (future use)

set ip remote <value> sets the remote host port number.

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5.5 SYSTEM Parameters

set sys autoconn <secs> TCP mode: sets the auto connect timer. The auto connect timer

will attempt to connect to the stored remote host IP every <secs>
seconds. If set to once the module will only make one attempt to
auto connect. This command can be used to have the module
periodically connect to the host. 0 is the default and disables auto
connect.

set sys autosleep <num *10ms> UDP mode: sets the auto-sleep timer. 0 disables.

set sys iofunc <value> sets the IO port alternate functions. Bit-mapped value. For more

details see section 8.7

set sys mask <mask> sets the IO port direction mask. Bit-mapped value. For more

information see section 8.6

set sys printlvl <value> sets numerous print functions. 0 = quuiet 1 = connect

information Default is 1.

set sys output <value> <mask> sets output PIO pins to HIGH or LOW. Bit-mapped value.

Optional mask only sets a subset of pins.

set sys sleep <secs> sets the sleep timer. 0 disables.

NOTE: If not using Sensor pins to wake the module, be sure to set
the wake timer before issuing the sleep timer or the module will
not wake up.

See section 8.2 for more details on using system timers

set sys trigger <value> sets the sensor input(s) to wake on (1-4). Bit-mapped value. 0

disables.

set sys wake <secs> sets the auto wake timer. 0 disables. See section 8.2 for more

details on using system timers

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5.6 TIME Server Parameters

set time address <addr> sets the time server address.

set time port <num> sets the time server port number.

set time enable <value> Enable or disable time server. 1= get time once on powerup.

Or, get time continuously every <value> minutes.

5.7 UART Parameters

set uart parity <n,e,o> sets the UART parity.

Example : “set u p e” sets even parity

set uart baud <rate> set the UART baud rate. Valid settings are {1200, 2400, 4800,

9600, 19200, 38400, 57600, 115200, 230400, 460800, 921600}.

Example : “set u b 9600” sets the baud rate to 9600 baud.

set uart raw <rate> sets a RAW UART value. Used to set non-standard rates.

Example : “set u r 760” sets the baud rate to 7200 baud.

set uart flow <0,1> sets the flow control mode. 0=off, 1= hardware RTS/CTS.

set uart tx <0, 1> Disables or enables the TX pin= PIO0 of the UART. Disable will

set PIO0 to an INPUT with weak pulldown.

5.8 WLAN Parameters

set wlan antenna <0, 1> determines which antenna is active, use 0 for chip antenna, 1 for

UF.L connector.

set wlan channel <value> sets the wlan channel, 1-13 is the valid range for a fixed channel.

If 0 is set, then scan is performed, using the ssid, for all the
channels set in the channel mask.

set wlan key <num> <value> sets the WEP key. key must be EXACTLY 13 bytes (26 ASCII

chars). Data is expected in HEX format, “0x” should NOT be used
here.

Example : “set w k 112233445566778899AABBCCDD”

Hex digits > 9 can be either upper or lower case.

set wlan mask <value> sets the wlan channel mask, bit-mapped value. Bit 0 = ch 1.

set wlan num <value> sets the default WEP key to use. 1-4 is the valid range.

Example : “set w n 2” sets the default key to 2.

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set wlan phrase <string> sets the passphrase for WPA and WPA2 security modes. 1-64

chars. The passphrase can be alpha and numeric, and is used
along with the ssid to generate a unique 32 byte Pre-shared key
(PSK), which is then hashed into a 256 bit number.

However, if exactly 64 chars are entered, it is assumed that this
entry is already an ASCII HEX representation of the 32 byte PSK
and no such processing is done.

Example : “set w p password” sets the phrase.

set wlan ssid <string> sets the wlan ssid to associate with. 1-32 chars.

set wlan rate <value> sets the preferred wlan data rate. Default = 1. Valid settings are:

1 = 1MBit, 2 = 2Mbit, 4=5Mbit, 8 = 11Mbit. Note that the
effective range will be reduced as the data rate is increased.

set wlan window <value> sets the IP max. buffer size. Default is 1460 bytes.

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6 GET Commands

These commands begin with “get”. They display the current values.

get com display comm. settings.

get dns display DNS settings.

get ftp display FTP settings.

get ip display IP address and port number settings.

get mac display the device MAC address.

get port return current value of the PIO pins in hex format.

get sys display system settings, sleep, wake timers, etc.

get time display the time server UDP address and port number.

get wlan display the ssid, chan, and other wlan settings.

get uart display the UART settings.

ver return the software release version

7 STATUS Commands

These commands begin with “show”, and they return the current values of variables in the system.
In some cases, for example IP addresses, the current values are received from the network, and
may not match the stored values.

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show net Displays current network status, association, authentication, etc.

show rssi Displays current last received signal strength.

show stats Displays current statistics, packet rx/tx counters, etc.

show time Displays number of seconds since last powerup or reboot

show i Displays IO pin levels status in this HEX format: 8ABC
Example: show I returns 8103 indicates pins 0, 1 and 9 high

level.

show c Displays connection status in this HEX format: 8XYZ

Bit loc 13-16 9-12 7 6 5 4 0-3
function fixed channel DNS found DNS server Authen Assoc TCP status
value 8 1-13 1=resolved 1=

contacted

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1= OK 1=OK 0= Idle,

1=Connected
3= NOIP
4= Connecting

8 ACTION Commands

$$$ enter command mode Characters are PASSED until this exact

sequence is seen. If any bytes are seen before these chars, or
after these chars, in a 1 second window, command mode will not
be entered and these bytes will be passed on to other side.

close disconnect a TCP connection.

exit exit command mode. Exit command mode. “EXIT” will be

displayed.

join <ssid> joins the network <ssid>. If network is security enabled you

must set the pass phrase with the set wlan phrase command
prior to issuing the join command

join # <num> join a network from the scan list. <num> is the entry number in

the scan list that is returned from the scan command. If network
is security enabled you must set the pass phrase with the set

wlan phrase command prior to issuing the join command

open <addr> <port> opens a TCP connection to the given IP port and address. If no

arguments are provided the device will attempt to connect to the
stored remote IP address and remote port number.

Ping <g/addr> <num> ping remote host. Default sends 1 packet. Optional <num> sends

<num> pings at 10 per second.

ping 0 - terminates a ping command
Ping 10.20.20.12 10 – pings IP address 10 times

ping g - pings the gateway

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reboot forces a reboot of the device (similar to power cycle)

scan Performs an active probe scan of access points on all 13 channels,

and prints out MAC address, receive signal strength, and SSID
name.

NOTE: Unlike the RN-111B, this command can scan for access
point and remain associated .

time Sends a UDP time server request packet out.

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8.1 FILE IO Commands

del <name> <num> Deletes a file. Optional <num> will override the name and use

the sector number shown in the “ls” command.

load <name> Reads in a new config file.

ls Displays the files in the system

save Saves the configuration to “config” (the default file).

save <name> Saves the configuration data to a new file name

boot image <num> Makes file <num> the new boot image.

factory Reset Loads factory defaults into the RAM configuration. Note that the

RESET must be capitalized. After this command the new settings
must be save to the config file using the save command and the
module rebooted for them to take effect.

ftp get <name> Retrieves a file from the remote FTP server. If <name> not

specified, the stored ftp filename is used.

ftp update <name> Deletes the backup image, retrieves new image and updates the

boot image.

8.2 System timers and other features

There are 2 timers that can be used to put the module to sleep, and perform a wake up.
If the sleep timer is enabled, the module will automatically go into low power mode after the
timer counts down to 0. The countdown is disabled if the module has an IP connection, or the
module is in COMMAND mode. The timer is reset when characters are received on the UART.

The sleep timer is set with : set sys sleep <time> time=decimal in seconds.

The wake timer is set with: set sys wake <time> time=decimal in seconds.

UDP sleep, and Connection timers

There is another timer than can be used to put the device to sleep.

In UDP protocol mode, the auto-conn timer is re-defined as an auto-sleep timer.

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Upon the start of transmission of the first UDP data packet this timer will count down.

set sys autosleep <value> UDP mode: sets the auto-sleep timer. 0 disables

the timer is decremented every 10 milliseconds. Because the timer is asynchronous, the
actual value can vary by 10ms. Using a minimum value of 2 is recommended to ensure
that the UDP packet gets transmitted. For larger packets the value should be increased.

In TCP-Client mode, the auto-conn timer is used as a connect out timer. If set, the device will
automatically attempt a connection when the timer expires.

set sys autoconn <secs>

In TCP-Client AND TCP-Server mode, there is also a disconnect timer.

set comm idle <secs> sets the idle disconnect timer. This causes a disconnect if no transmit
or receive data is seen.

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8.3 Wake on Sensor INPUTs

There are 4 inputs available to wake the module from sleep, SENS0-3..

To enable 1 of these inputs, use: set sys trigger <value>. 0 disables. This is a bit­mapped setting. To wake on sensor pin 2, you would use set sys trig 4, for example.

Unlike the RN-111b, The SENSE inputs do NOT have a resistor divider to allows pins to
tolerate 3V logic. So a minimum of 24K in series with 10K to ground as a divider network
from the UART RX or CTS pin should be used.

WARNING: Under no conditions should the voltage on any SENS0-7 input exceed

1.2VDC. Permanent damage to the module will result.

The SENS0-3 inputs have a small current source that is activated in sleep mode. This source
is approximately 100nA, and will cause the input to float up to about 1.2VDC. IF SENSE1 for
example, is enabled, pulling the SENS1 pin to GROUND will wake the device. An open drain
FET is a good device to tie to the pin. The threshold is about 500mV. Additional pullup to

1.2VDC may need be used if the circuit has an impedance (due to leakage current) of less
than 5Mohms ( 500mv / 100nA ). SENS1-4 pins that are not used should be left
unconnected.

8.4 Wake on UART

When the module is in Sleep mode, the UART itself is disabled. However, wake on UART can
be accomplished by connecting the SENS1 pin to the RX data pin. (using appropriate divider
resistors mentioned above) The SuRFboard for example, has built in resistor dividers to
allow wake from RXD or CTS pins.

To enable wake on RXD , use set sys trig 1.

It should be noted that the first (or possibly multiple) byte sent into the module will likely be
lost, so the designer should take care to send a preamble byte to wake up the module before
sending valid data bytes. A better way to do this is to use the CTS input to wake the
module, and wait until it is ready to accept data. To enable this, use set sys trig 2.

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8 output

Spare GPIO

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8.5 Uart Receiver, RTS/CTS Hardware Flow Control

The UART receive buffer is approx. 1024 bytes, and at lower baudrates (9600, 19200) the
system can process data into the device without need for flow control.

If constant streaming of data into RX on the device is required, care should be taken to set the
comm parameters to optimize the performance. If data has a termination char, this can be
used. Also, if data has a particular frame size, this can be used.

set comm match <value> sets the value of the packet terminator.

set comm size <value> sets the number of bytes to receive before forwarding
0-1 forwards immediately. maximum value = 255 bytes.

The comm size is automatically set whenever the baudrate is set, but should be modified if
needed.

Even at higher baudrates (115K and higher ) it is possible to operate without flow control if
packets are uniform and a protocol is used to ensure that data is delivered on the remote side
before the next packet is sent.

However, given the uncertainty of packet delays in a TCP/IP network and the affects of loss
and retries inherent in wireless networks, flow control is usually required to guarantee no data
is lost.

GPIO 12 and 13 implement UART hardware flow control if enabled.

By default flow control is disabled. To enable hardware flow contol, use set uart flow 1.

8.6 Setting PIO directions, Disabling LED drivers

The table below shows the usage of the PIO pins and their default values:

Use the command: s
For example, set sys mask 0 will default all pins to INPUT.

PIO

9 input Used for factory reset

7 output Spare GPIO, BLUE LED on WiFly Serial Adapter

6 output RED LED- (Associated, internet OK/ TCP conn )

5 output YELLOW LED – (wifi RX or RSSI )

4 output GREEN LED - (system status /ASSOC-AUTH)

13 output UART RTS – goes HIGH on POWERUP, LOW once system is READY.

12 input UART CTS – throttles transmitter if HW flow control enabled.

1 input UART RX

0 output UART TX

et sys mask <hex val>

State DESCRIPTION

If HW Flow control enabled, toggles HIGH to indicate RX buffer full.

LOW enables transmitter, HIGH will disable.

to enable or disable certain pins as outputs.

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8.7 Alternate IO functions

There are a number of alternate IO functions that can be enabled. These functions override
the default IO function given in section 4.4, and described in the LED table of section 2.3.
If no bits are set for a particular PIO pin, that pin is available to be used as general purpose
input or output, based on the IOMASK setting.

set sys iofunc <value> sets numerous alternate functions. Bit-mapped value.

Bit Function
4 PIO4 - Output. HIGH once associated/authenticated and have IP address.
5 PIO5 - Input. Set HIGH to trigger TCP connection, LOW to disconnect.
6 PIO6 - Output. HIGH when connected over TCP, LOW when disconnected.

8.8 Setting Debug Print levels

There are a number of print functions that can be enabled to assist in debugging the operation
and status of the module. The following command is used to control these printouts.

set sys printlvl <value> sets additional print functions. Bit-mapped value.

Bit Function
1 Print startup messages showing progress of association, dhcp, etc.

Once the configuration has been checked, this can then be turned off so that these messages
do not interfere with the datastream.

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9 Joining Networks and Making Connections

Configuring the module to make connections is a two set process. First you need to associate
with a network access point and second you need to open a connection.

To configure the module over the WiFi link is a chicken and egg problem. The module must be
associated to a network to connect to it and program the network settings. This problem can
be solved by configuring the module from the UART or over the air using adhoc mode.

If configuring the module using adhoc mode, see section 11. Once in adhoc mode open up a
telnet window on IP address 169.254.1.1 port 2000

If configuring the module using the UART mode either using the RS232 or development board,
open a terminal emulator on the COM port associated with that deveice. The default baud rate
is 9600, 8 bits no parity.

Associate with a network access point

From within the terminal window, put the WiFly GSX module into command mode by typing
$$$ in the terminal window. You should get CMD back confirming you are in command mode.

Type show net to display the current network settings.

Now finding all available networks with the scan command

network you’re connecting to is open, you can simply use the join command to associate with
the access point. From the scan list above you can see that roving1 is an open network access
point.

Type join roving1 to associate with an access point.

If

the

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You could also have specified the roving1 access point by using the command join # 1

If the access point is security enabled you will need to set the pass phrase prior to issuing the
join command. The RN-131G module will attempt to inquire and determine the security
protocol of the access point so you do not have to set the authentication mode. To set the
pass phrase for WPA use the command set wlan phrase <string>. For WEP set the key using
the set wlan key <num> command.

Once you have successfully associated to the network the access point SSID is stored. This
along with the pass phrase can be saved to the config file so the module can associate with the
network each time it is booted up.

Open a connection

To make a connection into the module simply open a IP socket and connect to the IP address of
the module. Telnet is a simple way to test this connection. From in Telnet type open <addr>
<port>. In the example above the telnet command you look like open 10.20.20.62 2000.
Once open you can type characters into the UART window and see them on the Telnet window
or visa versa.

To make a connection from the module you will need IP address and port number of your a
server application. A simple program to test this functionality is a COM port redirector. This
software opens an IP port and transfers all data it receives to a specified COM port on your
machine. A free com port redirector program is available from Pira at

http://www.pira.cz/eng/piracom.htm

After installing and starting this program, note the IP address of the machine it is running on.
This can be found by running ipconfig in the Microsoft command window.

With the WiFly-GSX module in command mode type open <addr> <port>. The server will
report the connection is open and you can type characters into the UART window and see them
on the server window or visa versa.

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10 Firmware Upgrade over FTP

WiFly module has a file system for storing firmware, web pages and config files. Use the ls
command to view files. File size is displayed in sectors and the active boot image is identifyied.

FL# SIZ FLAGS
11 18 3 WiFly_GSX-2.05
29 1 10 config

190 Free, Boot=11, Backup=0

Multiple firmware images and config files can be stored in the module filesystem.

FTP Upload and Upgrade

WiFly contains a built in FTP client for getting files and updating the firmware. The client uses
passive mode FTP, which allows operation thru firewalls and the Internet.
To upload the latest released firmware from Roving Networks the following setting are required:

FTP username = roving
FTP password = Pass123
FTP filename = wifly-GSX.img
FTP directory = ./public (this parameter can not be modified)

To use FTP to upgrade the firmware, enter the following command:

ftp upload <string> (string is an optional filename, use to bypass the stored FTP filename)

The ftp upload command will retrieve the file and switch the boot image to the new file. The

previous firmware will become the backup image. Here is an example of what you should see
after a successful update:

FL# SIZ FLAGS
11 18 3 WiFly_GSX-2.05
29 1 10 config
30 18 3 WiFly_GSX-2.06

208 Free, Boot=30, Backup=11

Note the module must be rebooted or power cycled to use the new firmware. To boot a different
firmware use the following command:

Boot image <num> sets the current boot image <num>

To upload your own firmware or config file to the module, change the stored FTP settings: See
section 5.3 for more details on these commands and get your file by entering the following
command:

ftp get <string> Retrieves remote file with name <string>

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11 Setting Adhoc Mode and Restoring Configuration Settings

Adhoc mode

PIO(9) is used to put the module into adhoc mode and reset the configuration setting to the original
factory defaults.

For adhoc mode PIO9 should be set high (3.3V) at power up time. On the RN-134 PIO9 is on the
jumper block. When the module powers up in adhoc mode the WiFly module creates an adhoc
network with the following

SSID: WiFly-GSX
IP address: 169.254.1.1

Associate with the WiFly-GSX network by going into the “Control Panel / Networking and Sharing /
Networking and Sharing Center” dialog in Vista or “Control Panel / Network Connections” dialog in
Windows XP. From here, view available networks and select the WiFly-GSX network.

Note: Once associatd with the WiFly-GSX network, Vista auto IP may take a couple minutes to
allocate an IP address for your computer To work around this you can assign a static IP address.

To check the status of the adhoc network, ping the WiFly module at IP address 169.254.1.1 or open
a telnet window using port 2000. From telnet you can send data to the WiFly or enter command
mode and configure the module. For example, it is useful to use adhoc mode to setup the SSID and
security key for enterprise networking.

Note: The module does not support adhoc and enterprise network modes simultaneously.

Restoring Factory Defaults

PIO9 is also used to restore the configuration settings to the factory defaults. If PIO9 is set high
(3.3V) at power up time and then toggled five (5) times while the module remains powered on all
the configuration settings will be set back to their factory values.

The factory defaults are saved to the config file and the module must be rebooted or power cycled
for these to take effect.

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12 Default Configuration Settings

COMM PARAMETERS

Close string *OPEN*
Open string *CLOS*
Remote string *HELLO*
FlushSize 16
MatchByte 0
FlushTimer 2
IdleTimer 0

IP PARAMETERS
dhcp 1 (enabled)
protocol TCP-Server
address 0.0.0.0
localport 2000
netmask 255.255.255.0
gateway 0.0.0.0
host 0.0.0.0
remoteport 2000

ftp 208.109.78.34 ( roving default update server ) (port fixed at 21)

IP PARAMETERS

protocol TCP-Server
address 0.0.0.0
localport 2000
netmask 255.255.255.0
gateway 0.0.0.0
host 0.0.0.0
remoteport 2000
ftp 208.109.78.34 ( roving default update server ) (port fixed at 21)
dhcp 1 (enabled)

SYSTEM PARAMETERS

sleeptimer 0
waketimer 0
trigger 1 (SENS0 pin wakes up the device)
auto connect 0
iomask 0xFC ( 3,4,5,6,7,8 outputs ).
print level 1 (prints enabled)

TIME SERVER PARAMETERS

enable 0= disabled
address 158.152.1.76
port 37 ( NIST TIME protocol )
zone 7 ( pacific USA time )

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UART PARAMETERS

Baudrate 9600
parity n (none)
flow 0=disabled

WLAN PARAMETERS

channel 0
ssid roving1
rate 1 (1= 1Mbit)

13 Know issues and Errata

As of firmware version 2.06

• Web server interface is not available – Configuration over telnet and the UART

• UART flow control is not functional – The module may drop data at high data rates

• Sensor pins for reading analog signals are not supported

• Wake on UART RXD or CTS is not working on current revision REV2 of the SuRFBoard.

• The fast- autosleep timer for UDP mode is not implemented.

Fixes since fimware version 2.05

• Configuration over Telnet

• Error checking the correct number of parameters

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