Can't re-enable WiFi after ESP.deepSleep(uS, WAKE_RF_DISABLED) ?

[sheffieldnikki]

Basic Infos

Hardware

Hardware: WeMos D1 mini
Core Version: v2.2.0

Description

My sketch spends most of its time in deep sleep, just using the WiFi when it first powers up. This works fine from a full power-cycle, but not if is reset (reset button, or new sketch uploaded over serial). In that case I can't seem to switch the WiFi back on? I presume the RF is disabled from the deep sleep, even through a reset, and WiFi.mode(WIFI_STA) isn't enough to switch it back on?

I get:

add if0
f r0, 
error: pll_cal exceeds 2ms!!!
error: pll_cal exceeds 2ms!!!
error: pll_cal exceeds 2ms!!!
....
error: pll_cal exceeds 2ms!!!
error: pll_cal exceeds 2ms!!!
scandone
reconnect
f 0, error: pll_cal exceeds 2ms!!!
error: pll_cal exceeds 2ms!!!
error: pll_cal exceeds 2ms!!!
....
error: pll_cal exceeds 2ms!!!
error: pll_cal exceeds 2ms!!!
scandone
reconnect
f -180, error: pll_cal exceeds 2ms!!!
error: pll_cal exceeds 2ms!!!
error: pll_cal exceeds 2ms!!!
....
error: pll_cal exceeds 2ms!!!
error: pll_cal exceeds 2ms!!!
scandone
del if0
usl
mode : null

Settings in IDE

Module: WeMos D1 R2 & mini
Flash Size: 4MB
CPU Frequency: 80Mhz
Flash Mode: ?qio?
Flash Frequency: ?40Mhz?
Upload Using: SERIAL
Reset Method: ?ck / nodemcu?

Sketch

#include <ESP8266WiFi.h>
extern "C" {
#include <user_interface.h>
}

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(115200);
  Serial.setDebugOutput(true);
  // Connect to WiFi if we have just powered on (*not* if waking from deep sleep)
  rst_info *resetInfo = ESP.getResetInfoPtr();
  if (resetInfo->reason != REASON_DEEP_SLEEP_AWAKE) {
    WiFi.mode(WIFI_STA);
    WiFi.begin(WLAN_SSID, WLAN_PWD);
    WiFi.setAutoConnect(false);
    WiFi.setAutoReconnect(false);
    WiFi.waitForConnectResult();
    // do some networky stuff


    WiFi.disconnect();
    WiFi.mode(WIFI_OFF);
  }
}

void loop() {
  // do regular non-networking stuff

  // enter deep sleep, with radio off upon waking
  unsigned int sleep_secs = 10;
  ESP.deepSleep(sleep_secs*1000000, WAKE_RF_DISABLED);
}

NB: I'm using WiFi.setAutoConnect(false)/setAutoReconnect because otherwise the board was always trying to connect to the WiFi immediately upon waking from deep sleep, even if WiFi.disconnect(), WiFi.mode(WIFI_OFF) and WAKE_RF_DISABLED had been called.

[sheffieldnikki]

#644 mentions using:
ESP.deepSleep(1, WAKE_RF_DEFAULT)
as a hack to switch the RF back on, but surely there is a better way?

[igrr]

No, unfortunately there isn't. If you ask it to do a deep sleep reset and wake up with RF disabled, RF is going to be exactly that — disabled.

[sheffieldnikki]

OK, is there a fast way to test the RF disabled/enabled state? So my code can distinguish between my 'normal' REASON_DEEP_SLEEP_AWAKE, and when it comes awake from a brief deep sleep used to enable the RF?

[igrr]

Writing a flag into RTC memory prior to going into deep sleep is probably the easiest way. ESP8266 SDK doesn't provide a function to query RF state.

[sheffieldnikki]

Thanks, that seems to be working nicely.

[sheffieldnikki]

Just noticed this line in Esp.h:

#define RF_MODE(mode) int __get_rf_mode() { return mode; }

can't I use __get_rf_mode() to read the current RF state?

[jeanfbrito]

This is what I'm searching for. I was using LUA scripts on Nodemcu, but it eats alot of battery.
Now I will program in "Arduino" and need to get if the RF is ON, to then send the packets.

[JamesNewton]

How does one call __get_rf_mode() in an ino file?

[pfabri]

@JamesNewton

Not sure about a .ino file. In a .cpp file you could do this: extern int __get_rf_mode();. This will then give you access to __get_rf_mode(), . You could then do int mode = __get_rf_mode()but according to my test this always returns -1 regardless of the active RF_MODE. Sad, I know.

[pfabri]

I've discovered a workable solution in a gist

This is the best solution I have found so far (source: GitHub gist)

The two functions below are all you need to toggle your WiFi chip. The huge advantage of using these is that they work without having to invoke an ESP.deepsleep() call.

Mind you, if you have already done an ESP.deepsleep(time, WAKE_RF_DISABLED) that means that your WiFi chip has been disabled altogether (see Igrr's comment above), and calling WiFiOn() will NOT be able to toggle it back ON. In this case you MUST do ESP.deepsleep(time, WAKE_RF_DEFAULT). But once you WiFi chip has been re-enabled, you can call WiFiOn() and WiFiOff() as many times as you please, they will work fine.

extern "C" {
	#include "user_interface.h"  // Required for wifi_station_connect() to work
}

#include <Arduino.h>
#include <ESP8266WiFi.h>

#define FPM_SLEEP_MAX_TIME 0xFFFFFFF

void WiFiOn();
void WiFiOff();

//------------------------------------------------------------------------------

void setup() {

	WiFiOn();
	delay(5000);
	WiFiOff();
	delay(5000);
	ESP.deepSleep(1e6 * 10, WAKE_RF_DEFAULT); // sleep 10 seconds

}

void loop() {
	;
}
//------------------------------------------------------------------------------

void WiFiOn() {

	wifi_fpm_do_wakeup();
	wifi_fpm_close();

	//Serial.println("Reconnecting");
	wifi_set_opmode(STATION_MODE);
	wifi_station_connect();
}


void WiFiOff() {

	//Serial.println("diconnecting client and wifi");
	//client.disconnect();
	wifi_station_disconnect();
	wifi_set_opmode(NULL_MODE);
	wifi_set_sleep_type(MODEM_SLEEP_T);
	wifi_fpm_open();
	wifi_fpm_do_sleep(FPM_SLEEP_MAX_TIME);

}

[therealsputnik]

The code above does not compile verbatim. Arduino IDE complains about line 19 "'WifiOff' was not declared in this scope"...

[pfabri]

@2000jago Yup, I wrote WifiOff instead of WiFiOff by mistake. Corrected.