Enable BLE-WiFi Bridge

"Wireless Made Easy!" - This example application bridge the BLE link and Wi-Fi to enable Wi-Fi communication and configuration over BLE

Devices: WFI32E01 | RN4870 | RN4871

Watch the video and see how to enable Wi-Fi provisioning over BLE with WFI32E

⚠ Disclaimer

THE SOFTWARE ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND GIVE A PATH FOR SELF-SUPPORT AND SELF-MAINTENANCE.

This repository contains unsupported example code intended to help accelerate client product development. It is not validated for production nor audited for security best-practices.

Note that while this repository is unsupported, Microchip welcome community contributions, and all pull-requests will be considered for inclusion into the repository.

Interact with peers in the community at WiFi Forum.

Software requirement

The sample project has been created and tested with the following Software Development Tools:

• MPLAB X IDE v6.00
• MPLAB XC32 v3.01
• MPLAB Harmony v3.6.4
  • mhc v3.8.2
  • csp v3.10.0
  • core v3.10.0
  • wireless_wifi v3.6.1
  • dev_packs v3.10.0
  • wireless_system_pic32mzw1_wfi32e01 v3.6.1
  • wolfssl v4.7.0
  • net v3.7.4
  • crypto v3.7.5
  • CMSIS-FreeRTOS v10.3.1

Hardware setup using the WFI32 Curiosity Board

• Computer connected to WFI32 Curiositiy board over USB POWER (J204)
• J202 = VBUS
• J301 = open

USB-to-UART cable between the computer and GPIO Header UART1 pins (Rx, GND, Tx) to observe the console logs.

Attach a RN4871 click or RN4870 click to mikro BUS Header.

The WFI32 module is controlling the RN487x BLE module over UART2 (U2RX, U2TX) and one GPIO (BLE_RST line).

PIC32MZW1 Pin	WFI32 Pin	Pin ID	Function
A56	48	RB9	U2RX
B20	28	RK7	U2TX
B47	46	RB6	BLE_RST (GPIO, OUT, HIGH)

Hardware setup using the WFI32-IoT Board

• Computer connected to WFI32-IoT board over USB POWER (J200)

Attach a RN4871 click or RN4870 click to mikro BUS Header.

Generate QR code for Wi-Fi provisioning

A QR code is used in the demo to provision the Wi-Fi configuration over BLE.

To be recognized by the BLE_PROVISIONING sample application, the QR code must contains a string of characters which respect the following format:

Frame Format: &wifiprov|<ssid>|<authtype>|<password>&

Where & is used to indicate the start and the end of the frame.

wifiprov is required and used as a command keyword.

| is required and used as a separator.

<ssid> is the name of the router / network.

authtype represents the security type:

• 1: OPEN mode
• 3: WPAWPA2 (Mixed) mode
• 4: WPA2 mode
• 5: WPA2WPA3 (Mixed) mode
• 6: WPA3 mode

password is not required in Open mode

e.g.: &wifiprov|DEMO_AP|3|password&

Create your own QR code from: https://www.the-qrcode-generator.com/

Try Wi-Fi over BLE

• Clone/download the repo
• Open the bleprov project with MPLAB X IDE
• Build and program the code
• Open Tera Term to observe console logs
• Application starts in AP mode

TCP/IP Stack: Initialization Started
TCP/IP Stack: Initialization Ended - success

 mode=1 (0-STA,1-AP) saveConfig=1

 AP Configuration :
 channel=1
 ssidVisibility=1
 ssid=DEMO_AP_SOFTAP
 passphase=password
 authentication type=4 (1-Open,2-WEP,3-Mixed mode(WPA/WPA2),4-WPA2,5-Mixed mode(WPA2/WPA3),6-WPA3)
PIC32MZW1 AP Mode IP Address: 192.168.1.1
[APP_BLE] Init.
[APP_BLE] Configuration done.
Open Microchip Bluetooth Data App
- Select BLE UART and BM70
- Connect to your device WFI32_xxxx
- Select Transparent
- Frame format for Wi-Fi provisioning over BLE:
&wifiprov|<ssid>|<authtype>|<password>&
1: Open, 3: WPAWPA2, 4: WPA2, 5: WPA2WPA3, 6: WPA3
e.g. &wifiprov|DEMO_AP|3|password&

• Scan the QR code from the smartphone
• Copy your own Wi-Fi provisioning frame
• Open Microchip Bluetooth Data App
• Select BLE UART then BM70

• Connect and select your WFI32_xxxx device

[APP_BLE] Connected

• Select Transparent option

[APP_BLE] Transparent stream opened

• Paste (or enter the data manually) and send the Wi-Fi provisioning frame

• Application restarts in STA mode using the new Wi-Fi configuration
• Application gets and IP address from the network

[APP_BLE] Frame received
SSID: DEMO_AP - AUTH: 3 - PASS: password
Wi-Fi Configuration done.ðTCP/IP Stack: Initialization Started
TCP/IP Stack: Initialization Ended - success

 mode=0 (0-STA,1-AP) saveConfig=1

 STA Configuration :
 channel=0
 autoConnect=1
 ssid=DEMO_AP
 passphase=password
 authentication type=3 (1-Open,2-WEP,3-Mixed mode(WPA/WPA2),4-WPA2,5-Mixed mode(WPA2/WPA3),6-WPA3)
[APP_BLE] Init.
[APP_BLE] Configuration done.
Open Microchip Bluetooth Data App
- Select BLE UART and BM70
- Connect to your device WFI32_xxxx
- Select Transparent
- Frame format for Wi-Fi provisioning over BLE:
&wifiprov|<ssid>|<authtype>|<password>&
1: Open, 3: WPAWPA2, 4: WPA2, 5: WPA2WPA3, 6: WPA3
e.g. &wifiprov|DEMO_AP|3|password&
 Trying to connect to SSID : DEMO_AP
 STA Connection failed.

 Trying to connect to SSID : DEMO_AP
 STA Connection failed.

IP address obtained = 192.168.1.149
Gateway IP address = 192.168.1.1

Try BLE Serial Bridge

1. Clone/download the repo
2. Open the blebridge project with MPLAB X IDE
3. Build and program the code
4. Communicate with the BLE module from the UART console using ASCII commands described in RN4870-71 User Guide