XPicoWiFi/1.5

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Revision as of 20:38, 22 January 2016 by Ltrxmg42 (talk | contribs)
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Overview

The 1.5 firmware release for the xPico Wi-Fi includes several new features, especially around the area of how to use the USB port that is native to the xPico Wi-Fi. In addition, since Lantronix has now created more network services and applications than what can fit in the flash of the xPico Wi-Fi, we have created a Windows application called "Packager" that lets you choose which modules to build into a firmware image, without having to install the full SDK to create your own firmware.

Packager

Packager.png

When you double click on the xPicoWifi_1.5.0.0R9_Package.exe, you will open a self-contained graphical application to build a custom firmware image.

For example, this picture shows building an image with AES encryption, the Discovery protocol, NTP, Tunnel, User_Data, the Mux, and Usb_Acm. Note that everything there but the Usb_Acm come in the standard image. That's because the standard image has Bridge and Usb_Rndis by default, which means the USB port is a network protocol.

With the image built per this picture, the USB port of the xPico Wi-Fi will appear as a third serial port.


New USB features

USB to SoftAP

With 1.4 firmware, we introduced the ability to use the xPico Wi-Fi as a network adapter over USB using RNDIS. See the USB to Wi-Fi guide. This allows you to bridge from a USB host with a network stack to the infrastructure network that the xPico Wi-Fi is connected to via the client interface. The SoftAP interface of the xPico Wi-Fi still remains for another device to connect locally and configure the xPico Wi-Fi.

BridgeConfig.png

With 1.5 firmware, the functionality is expanded to let you choose to bridge to either the client interface (wlan0) or the SoftAP interface (ap0). See this screenshot that shows how to configure the Bridge to use either interface (or disable it).

USB Serial

Another option that is new to 1.5 is to use the USB port on the xPico Wi-Fi as an additional serial port. This requires that you create a firmware image that includes the Usb_Acm module using either the SDK or the Packager.

CdcacmConfig.png

When you build this module to the firmware, it will add a third Line, called Line CDC_ACM to the xPico Wi-Fi. Connecting the xPico Wi-Fi's USB port to a USB Host will enumerate as a USB CDC ACM which emulates a serial port. For example, in Windows, it will add a COM port with the built in