Wifi blocks other work

Archive
1

Hi,

I use FEZ Spider with WiFi_RS21, UsbHost and Display_T35
On the display there should be always a overview for some data (e.g. time, IP and in the moment some random values (simulate user actions))

I have some code to connect with wifi after USBDriveConnected event, the usb-stick has an special file containing SSID and PASSPHRASE.
After connecting the display stand still for more than 20 seconds, I tried to start the wifi init in an second thread but then it always throw an exception.

What I have to do, that the wifi don’t block the display until connecting?

Here some relevant parts of my code:

Gadgeteer.Modules.GHIElectronics.WiFi_RS21.WiFiNetworkInfo info = new WiFi_RS21.WiFiNetworkInfo();
info.SSID = SSID;
info.SecMode = WiFi_RS21.SecurityMode.WPA2;
info.networkType = WiFi_RS21.NetworkType.AccessPoint;

wifi.UseDHCP();
wifi.Join(info, PASSPHRASE);

The Display shows
InfoClass : Microsoft.SPOT.Presentation.Window
with one UIElement that draws an Bitmap from Resources (in the constructor loaded) and one Text element

I tried to update the display with an timer, but the timer stops too while the wifi connect.

Regards
Fabio

2

Welcome Fabio!

I had the same issue with the RS21 as you did with this. I tried the same things as you did as well (separate thread). I asked the same type of questions you did :smiley:

It appears that there are some low level operations (not in NETMF) that are pausing the device until the WiFi init is completed. Since it’s not happening in NETMF, a thread/timer/etc doesn’t prevent that pause from occuring.

3

It is the DHCP that is blocking the system.
This should be better when we release the new GHI Premium SDK with NETMF 4.2. But his will take a while since the first NETMF SDK will not support WiFi.

4

Thanks for the update Joe!

5

Thanks,

Hope “take a while” means 1-2 month or maybe end of the year and not longer :slight_smile:

6

@ Joe out of interest, if you use fixed IP does the binding process take a shorter time and not block?