Connecting the WiFi module to FEZ Mini

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Recently I asked for help getting started building a robot ( http://www.tinyclr.com/forum/1/861/ ) using the Robot Kit for FEZ Mini. Specifically I was looking for controlling the robot wirelessly over a standard network. It was suggested that I could use this ( http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=9333 ) board.

I have the following questions:

  1. Has anyone actually made this board work with FEZ Mini?
  2. I am having trouble finding documents that explain exactly how I access the board from the FEZ Mini. Would I simply open a network connection and that is all? Does FEZ Mini even have the .NET networking stack installed?
  3. Does anyone know of a tutorial on how to hook up this board?

Thanks.

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  1. Yes I had the same module working on FEZ, not Mini but all FEZes are the same. It was very preliminary work http://www.tinyclr.com/downloads/Shield/FEZ_Shields_WiFly.cs

  2. You will not find any document :slight_smile: The module is serial so it connect to any serial port on any microcontroller, including FEZ. If you know how to use serial ports (UART) then that is all you need really

  3. It is pretty simple if you have the basics down but since you are asking I would say this will be a bit of challenge but I am sure you can nail down. I do not know what is your background and knowledge so I will not be able to know where you need help.

With all that said, I would love to see WiFi robot…control it from on iphone :smiley: so I am willing to help as much as possible.

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  1. I am a bit confused. You mentioned that the WiFi module is serial. If I understand you correctly, the WiFi module itself is on the network, but whatever data arrives is sent down to the FEZ device via a SPI to COM bridge which you’ve built up via the driver provided in the link. So to send/receive data, I’d use your driver (btw, I don’t see a method for receiving data in your driver). Do I have it all correct so far?

  2. If this is all correct, it would be difficult to build a web server on the device, since I wouldn’t be able to use the HttpListener set of classes that already parse the HTTP stack - I’d have to basically build a web server from scratch.

  3. My background is that I’ve worked with C# pretty much since the beginning and have coded against Embedded Master and CANXtra. I can do software no problem, but hardware…someone else has always done hardware.

  4. Ok, I am going to order the parts and plow forward.

Since you are interested, we can certainly make it a community project with all the source code out in the open.

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  1. Correct. Those modules are serial<->wifi gateway. The shield has SPI<->serial chip so at the end it is SPI<-><wifi

  2. you will never be able to use the native socket drivers with these modules. Too much to fit on a single chip. If you want full TCP support then FEZ Cobra has it all.

  3. Good so you knwo what I am talking about. Ethernet is native to EMX (FEZ Cobra) and CANxtra but it is not native for USBizi (FEZ Mini, Domino, Rhino and Panda). See this http://www.tinyclr.com/compare/

  4. I actually already spoke to our networking expert about helping out so he will jump in and do something for us.