So I built these two WiFi-to-IR prototypes, one based on the ESP-01 chip and the other on a NodeMCU. I wrote a sketch, uploaded it into both of them, and also uploaded the Blynk “Push Data” sketch. Like Alice who stumbled into the rabbit hole, I quickly realized I was in for an adventurous ride. I could only enable one key on my Blynk virtual remote control (see above post). As soon as I enabled more, I encountered the dreaded “Cmd error” message after putting the 8266 into verbose debugging mode to read all the messaging from the UNO to the 8266. The Blynk Cloud WiFi connection was broken !
09:35:31.746 -> BlynkIR V1.0 1/12/20
09:35:31.781 -> [10]
09:35:31.781 -> ___ __ __
09:35:31.814 -> / _ )/ /_ _____ / /__
09:35:31.848 -> / _ / / // / _ \/ '_/
09:35:31.848 -> /____/_/\_, /_//_/_/\_\
09:35:31.883 -> /___/ v0.6.1 on Arduino Uno
09:35:31.918 ->
09:35:32.359 -> [612] Connecting to MyHomeRouter
09:35:35.585 -> [3826] AT version:1.3.0.0(Jul 14 2016 18:54:01)
09:35:35.619 -> SDK version:2.0.0(5a875ba)
09:35:35.653 -> Farylink Technology Co., Ltd. v1.0.0.2
09:35:35.687 -> May 11 2017 22:23:58
09:35:35.721 -> OK
09:35:40.883 -> [9139] +CIFSR:STAIP,"192.168.1.67"
09:35:40.916 -> +CIFSR:STAMAC,"84:f3:eb:dd"
09:35:40.950 -> [9146] Connected to WiFi
09:35:51.160 -> [19417] <[1D|00|01|00] _tN
09:35:51.397 -> [19657] >[00|00|01|00|C8]
09:35:51.432 -> [19657] Ready (ping: 54ms).
09:35:51.465 -> [19658] Free RAM: 566
09:35:51.499 -> [19682] >[14|00|01|00|16]
09:35:51.499 -> [19700] >pm[00]14[00]out[00]15[00]out[00]4[00]out
09:35:51.566 -> [19762] <[11|00|02|00]fver[00]0.6.1[00]h-beat[00]10[00]buff-in[00]256[00]dev
09:36:01.669 -> [29922] Cmd error **<<<<<<<<======= <<<<<===== <<<<<=====**
It seems to happen right after the keep-alive “heartbeat” to keep the WiFi connection up. Back off to just one RC key defined in the sketch, and there is no performance error. Mind you, I’m running this as a sketch inside the UNO. Others ahead of me have to compiled the code to run in native mode inside the 8266 WiFi chip. I hope that is not my only choice. Heading the advice of others, I downloaded the latest libraries, the latest IDE, kept my VOID loop to only two statements: Blynk.run() and timer.run().
I am using these three libraries:
#include <ESP8266_Lib.h>
#include <BlynkSimpleShieldEsp8266.h> and
#include <IRremote.h>
I know the IDE will indicate low memory when the RAM memory is below 500; I’m at 566. My sketch uses only 19,568 bytes, which is 60% of the available. I will continue testing and the discovery process.
Those plastic sleds the Arduinos are shipped in make great breadboard bases, right?