MissionPlanner 1.3.45 cannot connect to PixRacer ESP8266

Ground Control Software Mission Planner
21

Apologies for not replying sooner but I was at work.
I’ve managed to fix the WiFi module and now it connects to MissionPlanner 1.3.49 almost everytime.

Using 192.168.4.1/getstatus, my board responds:

Comm Status
Packets Received from GCS	0
Packets Sent to GCS	2720
GCS Packets Lost	0
Packets Received from Vehicle	2720
Packets Sent to Vehicle	54
Vehicle Packets Lost	0
Radio Messages	0

System Status
Flash Memory Left	487424
RAM Left	12960
Parameters CRC	C97A639A

I remembered that on April 2017, I’ve flashed both my AUAV PixRacer and clone PixRacer ESP8266 boards using the latest MAVLinkESP firmware v1.1.1 and by also using 192.168.4.1/getparameters I get the following

Name	Value
SW_VER	16842752
DEBUG_ENABLED	0
WIFI_MODE	0
WIFI_CHANNEL	11
WIFI_UDP_HPORT	14550
WIFI_UDP_CPORT	14555
WIFI_IPADDRESS	17082560
WIFI_SSID1	1383622992
WIFI_SSID2	1919247201
WIFI_SSID3	0
WIFI_SSID4	0
WIFI_PASSWORD1	1920493936
WIFI_PASSWORD2	1919247201
WIFI_PASSWORD3	0
WIFI_PASSWORD4	0
WIFI_SSIDSTA1	1383622992
WIFI_SSIDSTA2	1919247201
WIFI_SSIDSTA3	0
WIFI_SSIDSTA4	0
WIFI_PWDSTA1	1920493936
WIFI_PWDSTA2	1919247201
WIFI_PWDSTA3	0
WIFI_PWDSTA4	0
WIFI_IPSTA	0
WIFI_GATEWAYSTA	1
WIFI_SUBNET_STA	1
UART_BAUDRATE	921600

I remember that all I did was to flash the boards with the MAVLink firmware using my FTDI adapter, as both boards came with older firmware version than 1.0.4 and the 192.168.4.1/update page always returned FAIL. No other parameters were changed. Today, I’ve performed another flash of one of my two boards using the same firmware (I kept the firmware file back then and it is exactly the same as the current one on the homepage) and issued the same getparameters just to check that they are the same default ones.

Using Fing on Android, I’ve checked the network connection between my tablet (Chuwi Hi8, Intel Z3736F, Android 4.4.4 / Windows 8.1 x86) and the PixRacer and noticed that the network link used as gateway the 192.168.4.1 address. Rebooting the tablet to Windows and connecting again to PixRacer, the network information shows a null default gateway address.

Re-checking the default MAVLinkESP v1.1.1 parameters, I’ve noticed that both WIFI_GATEWAYSTA and WIFI_SUBNETSTA had values of 1 (this applies to both boards). Changing both of these to 0 solved the problem and now MP always connects to the PixRacer via the ESP8266. I do not know if this problem (the wrong configuration) applies only to my boards or it is a case of wrong default configuration (I assume that flashing the board with the firmware erases everything, including the saved configuration, then replaces it with default values).

Now, when I remove my 3DR Telemetry module, I can connect to the PixRacer WiFi (previously this was not possible even with the 3DR Telemetry module removed). Some times MP fails to connect responding “Only 1 heartbeat packet received” but rebooting the WiFi card fixes this and connects which is an improvement. The parameter changes above do not have any effect on Tower Beta Android app, this application can connect every single time to the PixRacer, whether the 3DR telemetry is connected or not.

Hope this can help.
Again, many thanks to everyone for the time taken to help me fix this.

22

Interesting, when we look here: https://github.com/dogmaphobic/mavesp8266/blob/master/PARAMETERS.md

WIFI_IPSTA MAV_PARAM_TYPE_UINT32 Wifi STA Static IP Address (4)
WIFI_GATEWAYSTA MAV_PARAM_TYPE_UINT32 Wifi STA Gateway Address (4)
WIFI_SUBNETSTA MAV_PARAM_TYPE_UINT32 Wifi STA Subnet Address (4)

(4) Defaults to 0 for an unset address. If either the STA IP, Gateway, or Subnet are set, then all three need to be set for it to work properly.

23

your issue will be mavlink routing related. and not a MP issue as such. MP can only display what it is sent.

24

the settings I’m using are
Parameters
Name
Value
SW_VER
16842752
DEBUG_ENABLED
0
WIFI_MODE
0
WIFI_CHANNEL
11
WIFI_UDP_HPORT
14550
WIFI_UDP_CPORT
14555
WIFI_IPADDRESS
17082560
WIFI_SSID1
1383622992
WIFI_SSID2
1919247201
WIFI_SSID3
0
WIFI_SSID4
0
WIFI_PASSWORD1
1920493936
WIFI_PASSWORD2
1919247201
WIFI_PASSWORD3
0
WIFI_PASSWORD4
0
WIFI_SSIDSTA1
1383622992
WIFI_SSIDSTA2
1919247201
WIFI_SSIDSTA3
0
WIFI_SSIDSTA4
0
WIFI_PWDSTA1
1920493936
WIFI_PWDSTA2
1919247201
WIFI_PWDSTA3
0
WIFI_PWDSTA4
0
WIFI_IPSTA
0
WIFI_GATEWAYSTA
0
WIFI_SUBNET_STA
0
UART_BAUDRATE
921600

which are the defaults

25

ive just added some more options to the MP esp8266 config page. this means that you need comms working in the first place however.

26

Updating the ESP firmware resolved the issue :slight_smile:

27

thanks for reporting back the fix!!

28

In my case, disabling the firewall did the trick. I wish it was easier to find which port exactly I need to exclude.

29

I think it is UDP port 14550.

30

the ports /\ you need to allow

1 Like
31

Thanks for the clarification!

32

Hello, I have NodeMcu v3 chip and tried 3 of the most famous firmware, but had no success. I flashed MaVESP 1.1.1, MAVESP 2 and ESP-LINK. My GCS is unable to connect to the vehicle through UDP or TCP. Is there any solution to this? I tried @Frontier 's solution but it didn’t worked.
Board: Apm 2.6

33

Hi,

i had one sucky day today - first odd issues with lidar took half of a day but finally got resolved, then this ESP8266 continued to ruin the day… Somehow i got into same exact problem, initially - i had parameters showing seemingly fine. you noted above about WIFI_GATEWAYSTA and WIFI_SUBNETSTA had values of 1 - my setup had it at 0. I could see wifi network started, my android phone could connect to the drone using tower app with no no issues - it was showing all parameters and values fine, all was operational, from tower.

No matter how and what i tried - neither mission planner nor qgroundcontrol would not connect to it no matter what. I searched for an hour on the net, looked at http://192.168.4.1/ commands and then somehow this unit started blinking blue led 1 blink at a sec and wifi network is gone now. i am pretty sure i did not try to update it, but, who knows what happened.

still, i am in genuine confusion - i have ardupilot 3.6 rc1. have latest beta of mission planner. why would tower connect to this unit and mission planner would not?

and a second question - why if this blue led blinking? does it need to be re-flashed now or has it bricked on me, by itself?

34

Hi, could you pls point me - is there a simple guide anywhere that explains how exactly to flash this firmware, via FTDI?

35

Did you disabled you pc firewall?

36

https://pixhawk.org/peripherals/8266
This is the original wiki

37

Grr, I think my Win 10 upgraded to new build and reactivated it. i just checked and firewall is up.

i went to the link you posted - it says there that there are 2 firmware versions -
Download the current version (MAVLink V2) from here: Firmware version 1.2.2
Download the legacy version (MAVLink V1) from here: Firmware version 1.1.1

Which one 3.6Rc1 needs with current MP - Mavlink2 or Mavlink1? Or, better to say it this way - which one is proven to work?

I ordered new FTDI module for Monday delivery, it looks like this board wants 3.3V for flashing. Hope it will work. It was just a bad day, if that indeed was all a firewall`s fault and then somehow this board got fried - it is frustrating. I still cannot understand what happened to it. New one at mor store costs $16 - not a big deal, but it does not look the same, not as the board that came with pixracer.
https://store.mrobotics.io/mRo-WiFi-Module-V1-0-ESP8266-p/mro-esp8266v1-mr.htm

But that one has an antenna - so it if has better range, it may make sense. I need this telemetry on the wifi, as 2 serial ports go to gps units, 1 serial to lidar, and to get telemetry i have to use this wifi board. Are those esp8266 reliable at all? i have a feel it simply went bad on me just due to several power up and downs, very odd.

38

So… :slight_smile:

$23 for basic arduino set
$12 for a set of 4 new ESP8266s
$9 for new FTDI

and some other non-sense, boards are reflashed now and MP connected fine - all due to the stupid fiewall issue. :slight_smile: fun fun fun. but, it is awesome, and it works.

39

Hi,

Would anybody know why with having esp8266 on the seemingly 921600 UART bod speed - and i can see it retrieves params pretty quick - a dataflash log download seems to work at the 9600 or so speed? it is painfully slow.

USB connection on 1.5mbit sucks out those logs in a flash. what is wrong with the path via esp8266? is there anything to be setup to speed it up? It is confusing, i cannot find anything that actually controls this, 192.168.4.1/getparameters page shows UART_BAUDRATE at 921600, SERIAL5 on pixracer is set to 921 and code 1 - what else is needed?

40

I suggest you flash the new firmware developped by @tridge , it works really well
http://ardupilot.org/copter/docs/common-esp8266-telemetry.html

But for logs downloading, USB is still the best alternative.