Roving Networks RN-131 User manual

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RN-WIFLYCR-UM
WiFly Command Reference,
Advanced Features & Applications
USER MANUAL
© 2012 Roving Networks. All rights reserved.
RN-WIFLYCR-UM Version 1.0r 9/21/2012

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Contents
Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 5!
Features.......................................................................................................................................5!
Configuration................................................................................................................................6!
Entering Command Mode ...........................................................................................................6!
Remote Configuration Using Ad Hoc Mode...................................................................................7!
Command Reference........................................................................................................... 8!
Command Syntax ..........................................................................................................................8!
Command Organization..................................................................................................................8!
Set Commands .............................................................................................................................9!
Get Commands ...........................................................................................................................33!
Status Commands .......................................................................................................................35!
Action Commands .......................................................................................................................37!
File I/O Commands......................................................................................................................40!
Advanced Features & Settings........................................................................................... 42!
Access Point (AP) Mode...............................................................................................................42!
Enabling AP mode...................................................................................................................43!
Enable in Hardware..............................................................................................................43!
Enable in Software...............................................................................................................43!
Using AP Mode .......................................................................................................................44!
Connect to the Module .........................................................................................................44!
Check for the Last Connected Device over TCP .......................................................................44!
View Associated Devices.......................................................................................................45!
Enable the Link Monitor .......................................................................................................45!
Route Data between Clients ..................................................................................................45!
GPIO4, 5 & 6 Alternative Functions......................................................................................45!
Putting the Module to Sleep & Waking It.......................................................................................46!
System & Auto-Connect Timers ....................................................................................................48!
UDP Sleep & Connection Timers...............................................................................................48!
TCP Connection Timers............................................................................................................49!
Opening a TCP Connection ...................................................................................................49!
Closing the TCP Connection..................................................................................................49!
Wake on Sensor Input .................................................................................................................49!
Wake on UART Activity................................................................................................................50!
UART Receiver & RTS/CTS Hardware Flow Control......................................................................50!
Setting GPIO Direction, Alternate Functions & Disabling LEDs.....................................................51!
Setting the Alternate GPIO Functions ....................................................................................53!
Controlling Connections with GPIO Pins .................................................................................54!
Setting Debug Print Levels...........................................................................................................56!
Scan Output Format ................................................................................................................56!
Firmware Version 2.36 & 2.45 ..............................................................................................56!
Firmware Version 2.22 through 2.30 .....................................................................................58!

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UART Heartbeat Messages .......................................................................................................58!
Using the Real-Time Clock Function .............................................................................................59!
Time Stamping Packets ...............................................................................................................60!
Advanced Applications ..................................................................................................... 61!
Sending Data using UDP .............................................................................................................61!
UDP Auto Pairing ....................................................................................................................62!
UDP Retry ..............................................................................................................................62!
UDP Broadcast........................................................................................................................62!
Joining Networks & Making Connections........................................................................................63!
Associate with an Access Point .................................................................................................63!
Making Connections ................................................................................................................64!
Setting Up Automatic Connections............................................................................................65!
Controlling Connections using GPIO5 & GPIO6...........................................................................65!
Using DNS Settings.................................................................................................................66!
Using the Backup IP Address/Connect Function .........................................................................66!
Using the HTML Client Feature ....................................................................................................66!
Built-In HTML Client Modes .....................................................................................................67!
Connect to a Web Server Automatically......................................................................................67!
Connect to a Web Server Automatically when UART Data Is Received...........................................68!
Post Binary Data .....................................................................................................................68!
Post Sensor Data Automatically ................................................................................................69!
HTML Client Example: Posting Sensor Data Automatically...........................................................69!
HTML Client Example: Posting UART Data to a Web server..........................................................70!
Upgrading Firmware Via FTP ........................................................................................................71!
FTP Client..................................................................................................................................72!
Connect to an FTP Server.........................................................................................................72!
Creating Files on the FTP Server ...............................................................................................72!
Retrieving Files from the FTP Server .........................................................................................73!
Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) .......................................................................................................73!
Launching a WPS Application...................................................................................................75!
Status LEDs during WPS Process ..............................................................................................75!
Scan Output Format Showing WPS-Enabled Access Point ...........................................................75!
Ad hoc Networking Mode .............................................................................................................77!
Configuring Ad Hoc Mode.........................................................................................................77!
Enable Ad Hoc Mode in Hardware .........................................................................................77!
Enable Ad Hoc Mode in Software ..........................................................................................77!
Scanning for Access Points in Ad Hoc Mode ..............................................................................78!
Analog Sensor Capability .............................................................................................................79!
Sampling Sensor Pins Automatically .........................................................................................79!
Using the Built-In Sensor Power ...............................................................................................80!
Default Configuration ........................................................................................................ 81!
ADHOC PARAMETERS ................................................................................................................81!
BROADCAST PARAMETERS ........................................................................................................81!

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COMM PARAMETERS .................................................................................................................81!
DNS PARAMETERS ....................................................................................................................81!
FTP PARAMETERS .....................................................................................................................81!
IP PARAMETERS........................................................................................................................82!
OPTIONAL PARAMETERS ...........................................................................................................82!
SYSTEM PARAMETERS...............................................................................................................82!
TIME SERVER PARAMETERS ......................................................................................................82!
UART PARAMETERS...................................................................................................................83!
WLAN PARAMETERS ..................................................................................................................83!
String Variable Sizes ...................................................................................................................83!
Restoring Default Configuration Settings .......................................................................................84!
Boot-up Timing Values...................................................................................................... 85!
Supported Access Points .................................................................................................. 86!
Command List................................................................................................................... 87!
Known Problems............................................................................................................... 92!
Current Firmware Features & Fixes .................................................................................... 93!
Version 2.36/2.45 9/14/2012......................................................................................................93!
Version 2.30 10/26/2011............................................................................................................94!
Version 2.27 09/08/11................................................................................................................94!
Version 2.23 04/03/2011............................................................................................................94!
Version 2.21 07/11/2010............................................................................................................95!
Version 2.20 06/14/2010............................................................................................................95!
Fixes ......................................................................................................................................95!
Features .................................................................................................................................95!

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INTRODUCTION
The Roving Networks WiFly radio module is a complete, standalone embedded wireless LAN access device. The device
has an on-board TCP/IP stack and applications, and in the simplest configuration only requires four pins (power, TX, RX,
and ground). Once you have performed the initial configuration, the device automatically accesses a Wi-Fi network and
sends/receives serial data over the UART.
This user manual is applicable to standalone RN-131 and RN-171 modules, as well as Roving Networks hardware that
includes these modules. Although there are some differences, the RN-131 and RN-171 modules support the same ASCII
command set. The RN-XV device incorporates the RN-171 module; therefore, all RN-171 hardware features apply to the
RN-XV. Table 1 compares the RN-131 and RN-171 module features.
Table 1. Comparing the RN-131 & RN-171
Feature
RN-131
RN-171
Output power
18 dBm (fixed)
12 dBm (programmable)
Lowest power
18 dBm
0 dBm (< 100 mA Tx current)
On-board antenna
Yes
No
Accurate sleep timer
Yes (32 kHz)
No (+/- 10% error)
GPIO pins available
10, GPIO4 – 13 (GPIO1 – 3 are not available for use)
14, GPIO1 – 14
Default firmware
WiFly_GSX-<version>.img
WiFly_EZX-<version>.img
Refer to the RN-131 and the RN-171 data sheets on the Roving Networks website at http://www.rovingnetworks.com for
more details on their hardware differences and for detailed hardware specifications.
FEATURES
•Fully qualified and Wi-Fi certified 2.4-GHz IEEE 802.11 b/g transceiver
•FCC, CE, ICS certified, and RoHS compliant
•Ultra-low power:
oIntelligent, built-in power management with programmable wakeup
oAccepts 3.3-V regulated or 2- to 3-V battery with on-board boost regulators
oIEEE 802.11 power save and roaming functions
oRN-131: 4 uA sleep, 35 mA Rx, 210 m Tx at 18 dBm (Tx power not configurable)
oRN-171: 4 uA sleep, 35 mA Rx, 185 mA Tx at 12 dBm (Tx power configurable)
•Antenna options:
oRN-131: On-board ceramic chip antenna and U.FL connector for external antenna
oRN-171: RF pad

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•Hardware:
o8-Mbit flash memory and 128-Kbyte RAM, 2-Kbyte ROM, 2 Kbyte battery-backed memory
o10 general-purpose digital I/O pins (RN-131)
o14 GPIO pins (RN-171)
o8 analog inputs (14 bits, 1.2 V)
oUART (1 Mbps host data rate) and SPI slave (2 Mbps host data rate) hardware interfaces
oReal-time clock for wakeup and time stamping/data logging; auto-sleep and auto-wakeup modes
•Network support:
oSupports ad hoc and infrastructure mode connections
oPush-button WPS mode for easy network configuration
oOn-board TCP/IP stack
oOver the air firmware upgrade (FTP) and data file upload support
oSecure Wi-Fi authentication via WEP-128, WPA-PSK (TKIP), and WPA2-PSK (AES)
oConfiguration over UART or wireless interfaces using simple ASCII commands
oBuilt in networking applications: DHCP client, DNS client, ARP, ICMP ping, FTP client, TELNET, HTTP,
UDP, and TCP
CONFIGURATION
The WiFly module operates in two modes: data mode and command mode. In data mode, the module can accept
incoming connections or initiate outgoing connections. To configure parameters and/or view the current configuration, you
must put the module into command mode (also called configuration mode).
Entering Command Mode
By default, the module is in data mode. Sending the escape sequence $$$ causes the module to enter command mode.
You must send $$$ together quickly with no additional characters before or after. You must not send a carriage return
(<cr>) or line feed after the $$$ to enter command mode. The module replies with CMD to indicate it is in command
mode. Once in command mode, you can configure the WiFly device using simple ASCII commands; each command ends
with a carriage return <cr>. Most valid commands return AOK; invalid ones return an ERR description. To exit command
mode, send exit <cr>. The module responds with EXIT,indicating that it has exited command mode and entered data
mode.
NOTE: There is a 250-ms buffer before and after the $$$ escape sequence. If characters are sent before or after the
escape sequence within this 250-ms interval, the WiFly module treats them as data and passes them over the
TCP or UDP socket, and the module will not enter command mode.
You can view various parameters, such as the SSID, channel, IP address, serial port, and other settings, and configure
them in command mode. You send commands to the module through the UART or via remotely via telnet. When using the
UART interface, the communications settings should match the WiFly module’s stored settings. The default is 9,600 baud,
8 bits, no parity, 1 stop bit, and hardware flow control disabled. You can enter command mode locally over the UART
interface at any time irrespective of an active TCP connection.
NOTE: Roving Networks suggests using either the TeraTerm (Windows OS) or CoolTerm (Mac OS-X) terminal
emulator program.
When the WiFly module powers up, it attempts to auto-associate with the access point stored in its configuration settings. If
the module cannot find the access point, it enters auto association mode, and scans and attempts to join a network. This

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mode may cause the UART to become unresponsive briefly. To avoid configuration problems, the auto-associate feature is
disabled when the module is in command mode, making it easy to configure the module. The auto-associate mode turns
on when you exit command mode.
NOTE: If your module is running firmware version 2.20 or lower, the auto-associate feature is NOT disabled when the
module is in command mode. Therefore, you may lose data sent to the module while it is unassociated,
making it difficult enter command mode and configure the module.
You can disable the auto-associate feature using the set wlan join 0 command. This command prevents the WiFly module
from attempting to associate with a network that does not exist. Alternatively, enable ad hoc mode upon power up using
the GPIO9 ad hoc/factory reset jumper. If this jumper is high on power up, the module does not associate with a network.
While in ad hoc mode, you can configure the network settings.
Remote Configuration Using Ad Hoc Mode
Using ad hoc mode to configure the device eliminates the need for the module to be associated with a network access
point. In ad hoc mode, the module creates it’s own “on demand” network to which you can connect via your computer as
you would with any other network.
To enable ad hoc mode using hardware, set GPIO9 high (3.3 V) at power up. For the RN-134 board, GPIO9 is on pin 1 on
the jumper block (J2). For the RN-174 board, GPIO9 is on the J6 connector. Upon power up with GPIO9 high, the WiFly
module creates an ad hoc network with the following settings:
SSID: WiFly-GSX-XX, where XX is the final two bytes of the devices MAC address
Channel: 1
DHCP: Off
IP address: 169.254.1.1
Netmask: 255.255.0.0
With the ad hoc jumper in place, these settings override any saved configuration settings.
From your computer, connect to the WiFly-GSX-XX network. This open network does not require a pass phrase or pass
key. Currently the WiFly module only supports OPEN mode for creating ad hoc networks.
It may take a few minutes for Windows to assign an IP address and connect to the network. You can check your
computer’s IP address by running the ipconfig command in the Command Window. If connected, this command displays
your computer’s IP address and netmask.
NOTE: The automatically assigned IP address must be on the 169.254.x.ysubnet, otherwise the WiFly module will
not be accessible. If your computer has both wireless and wired interface hardware, you may need to disable
the wired LAN interface hardware before connecting to the ad hoc network. If the wired LAN is enabled, the
computer may assign an IP address that is not on the same subnet as the WiFly module.
Once connected with an appropriate IP address, telnet into the WiFly module on port 2000 using the following command:
telnet 169.254.1.1 2000
The module issues the response *HELLO*. You can now enter command mode using the escape sequence $$$ and
configure the module.
In firmware versions 2.28 and higher, you can disable remote configuration, e.g., for security. To disable remote
configuration, use bit 4 in the TCP mode register by issuing the command:
set ip tcp-mode 0x10

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COMMAND REFERENCE
Roving Networks WiFly modules support a variety of commands for configuration. This section describes these commands
in detail and provides examples.
COMMAND SYNTAX
To issue commands to the module, you send a keyword followed by optional parameters. Commands are case sensitive,
and you cannot use spaces in parameters. Use a $to indicate a space, e.g., MY NETWORK should be written as
MY$NETWORK. Hex input data can be uppercase or lowercase. String text data, such as the SSID, is case sensitive.
You can use shorthand for the parameters. For example, the following commands are equivalent:
•set uart baudrate 115200
•set uart b 115200
•set u b 15200
NOTE: You cannot use shorthand for command keywords. For example, s uart baudrate 115200 is illegal.
You can type numbers in decimal (e.g., 115200) or hexadecimal. To enter a number in hex, use 0x<value>. For example,
the hex value FF would be entered as 0xFF.
COMMAND ORGANIZATION
There are five general command categories, as shown in Table 2.
Table 2. Command Types
Command Type
Description
Set commands
Set commands take effect immediately and are stored to memory when the save command is issued.
Get commands
These commands retrieve the stored information and display it.
Status commands
These commands display the interface status, IP status, etc.
Action commands
Use these commands to perform actions such as scanning, connecting, disconnecting, etc.
File I/O commands
Use these commands to upgrade, load and save configuration, delete files, etc.
NOTE: You must save any changes you make using the save command or the module will load the previous settings
upon reboot or power up.

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When the system boots, all configuration data is loaded into RAM variables from the config file. The set commands only
modify the RAM copy of the system variables. In general, the IP, WLAN, and UART settings require you to save and reboot
before they take effect because they operate upon power up. For example, you only associate, set the channel, and obtain
an IP address once at power up. Most of the other commands, e.g., COMM settings and timers, take effect immediately,
allowing you to change parameters on the fly, minimizing power usage, and saving flash re-write cycles.
Once configuration is complete, you must save the settings to store the configuration data, otherwise it will not take effect
upon reboot or reset. You can store multiple configurations using the save <filename> command, and you can load them
using the load <filename> command.
SET COMMANDS
These commands begin with the set keyword and include the categories shown in Table 3:
Table 3. Set Commands
Parameter
Description
adhoc
Controls the ad hoc parameters.
broadcast
Controls the broadcast hello/heartbeat UDP message.
comm
Sets the communication and data transfer, timers, and matching characters.
dns
Sets the DNS host and domain.
ftp
Sets the FTP host address and login information.
ip
Specifies the IP settings.
option
Supports optional and infrequently used parameters.
sys
Sets system settings such as sleep and wake timers.
time
Sets the timer server settings.
uart
Specifies the serial port settings such as baud rate and parity.
wlan
Sets the wireless interface settings, such as SSID, channel, and security options.
set adhoc beacon <value>
This command sets the ad hoc beacon interval in milliseconds, where <value> is a decimal number from 0 to 65,436.
Default: 100
Example: set adhoc beacon 120 // Beacons are sent every 120 ms

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set adhoc probe <value>
This command sets the ad hoc probe timeout in seconds, where <value> is the number of seconds. The probe
timeout is the number of seconds the module waits for probe responses before declaring, “ADHOC is lost,” and
disabling the network interface.
Default: 5
Example: set adhoc probe 80 // Sets the ad hoc probe timeout to 80 s
set broadcast address <address>
This command sets the address to which the UDP hello/heartbeat message is sent, where <address> is an IP address
in the form <value>.<value>.<value>.<value> with <value> being a number between 0 and 255.
Default: 255.255.255.255
Example: set broadcast address 255.255.255.255 // Sets the broadcast address to 255.255.255.255
set broadcast interval <mask>
This command sets the interval at which the hello/heartbeat UDP message is sent and is specified in seconds. The
value is a mask that is ANDed with a free running seconds counter; if the result is all 0s, a packet is sent. For
example:
•If the interval is 0x1, the module sends one packet every 2 seconds.
•If the interval is 0x2. The module sends two packets every 4 seconds.
•If the interval is 0x3, the module sends one packet every 4 seconds.
•If the interval is 0x6, the module sends two packets every 8 seconds.
•If the interval is 0x7, the module sends one packet every 8 seconds.
The minimum interval value is 1 (every 2 seconds) and the maximum value is 0xff (every 256 seconds). Setting the
interval value to zero disables UDP broadcast messages.
Default: 7
Example: set broadcast interval 6 // Sets the heartbeat UDP message interval to 6 seconds
set broadcast port <value>
This commands sets the port to which the UDP hello/heartbeat message is sent, where <value> represents the port
number.
Default: 55555
Example: set broadcast port 55555 // Sets the port to which the UDP heartbeat is sent to
// 55555