On 10/29/22, Tim Hardisty <[email protected]> wrote:
Thanks for your clarifications Alan - I have messaged Espressif
(your
reply
ended up in SPAM otherwise I might not have needed to) so I guess
I'll
get
a
similar answer.
There is HCI (RCP) firmware for the SiLabs module so I can try that
-
it's
the £7 per module saving of Espressif vs. SiLabs, plus getting WiFi
for
free
that appeals. SAMA5D2 has Ethernet - unused on my board so it is
not an
idea
that is completely out of the question: writing USRSOCK for the
Espressif
module is probably beyond me at this time!
On 29/10/2022, 00:20, "Alan C. Assis" <[email protected]> wrote:
Hi Tim,
On 10/28/22, Tim Hardisty <[email protected]> wrote:
Bit of a tangential question this, but I know there are folk on
here
who
are much more conversant with the way NuttX can be used with WiFi
and
Bluetooth modules than I am.
I think these are important questions and other people could
face
similar issues in the future.
I may have an opportunity forced on me to have to respin my custom
board
which currently has a SiLabs Bluetooth SoC as well as the main
SAMA5D2
processor. I used that module as I already have experience of it -
but
that
predates my NuttX journey.
I see there are some very good value combined WiFi + Bluetooth
modules
now
(Espressif for example...and I know there's a well-known proponent
of
those
devices here lol) and, having seen a few other questions here, I
am
thinking
that I can go the HCI route and make use of the Bluetooth Stack in
NuttX:
and add WiFi capability to my board at the same time. Winner!
First let me explain the differences:
Espressif modules are not used as external modules on NuttX,
everything is integrated inside the chip.
During the WildernessLab's presentation on NuttX Workshop their
team
shown an ESP32 solution sharing WiFi as an external module.
But they didn't use the default USRSOCK route, they implemented
a
new
solution at home.
I'm hoping I can program up a suitable module with generic radio
co-processor software (HCI I think, and whatever is needed for
WiFi)
and
access it via UART from my main processor and have it all under
the
NuttX
system in a much more easily managed manner than a separate app on
the
SiLabs SoC that just happens to communicate on some way with my
main
app on
the SAMA5D2.
Have I got this right? Is an Espressif module a good choice (email
me
direct
if you want to !!)?
For Bluetooth (BLE) if there is a HCI firmware to SiLabs chip,
then
it
could be possible to you use it, but you'll need to do some
tests
and
debugging to get things working.
For WiFi things are more complex because you need to implement a
USRSOCK yourself to the chip.
I never tested others possibilities: i.e. share Internet using
SLIP
between ESP32 and SAMA5D2, should be an easier route if it
works,
but
of course you wil be limited to UART speed.
Ethernet could be a better option (since ESP32 has Ethernet
hardware),
but it seems like an ugly and expensive workaround.
BR,
Alan
