ESP8266 WiFi Module

ESP8266 is a WiFi module which is able to be programmed by Arduino IDE software. This module has an ESP8266EX chip and usually a 32 Megabit flash memory for uploading the firmware.

This module has different types such as ESP12, NodeMCU etc.

Also have designed a module with ESP8266 and ATmega8a a while ago for using in my projects:

Either of the microcontroller and the ESP8266 or ESP32 WiFi module must be programmed separately. I have used the above method for the WiFi Robot project.

The Breadboard, ATMega8a + ESP8266

You can test the above method on a breadboard.

First of all, you have to program the ATMega8A with an AVR parallel programmer (high voltage programmer). Furthermore if you’re going to use a SPI programmer, you must put a pull up resistor for PC6 (Reset pin) of ATMega8a. There’s a sample ATmega8A program file that you can download it: Download the ATMega8a flash file

So the fuse byte in AVR parallel programming, set the “Fuse High Byte” to 0x78, the “Fuse Low Byte” to 0xA4, and the “Lock Bits Byte” to 0xFC.

The fuse byte in AVR SPI programming, set the “Fuse High Byte” to 0xD8, the “Fuse Low Byte” to 0xA4, and the “Lock Bits Byte” to 0xFC.

Then program the ESP8266 module with Arduino IDE or flash download tool and a USB to serial adapter. Due to firmware files addresses, the esp module must have a 32MBit flash memory. So if your module has not a 32Mbit Flash, try to replace its flash memory with a 32Mbit. For example W25Q32. You can also download the sample program file for ESP8266: Download ESP Module firmware files

The smaple contains the following files:

• ESP8266EX_0x000000: Must be copy at address 0x0 in the 32Mbit flash memory. This file includes some initial system settings.
• ESP8266EX_0x001000: Must be copy at address 0x1000 in the 32Mbit flash memory. This file includes the firmware program data.
• ESP8266EX_0x0FE000: Must be copy at address 0xfe000 in the 32Mbit flash memory. This is a 4KB blank file for the system settings.
• ESP8266EX_0x300000: should be copy at address 0x300000 in the 32Mbit flash memory. This file includes internal webpage data.
• ESP8266EX_0x3FC000: should be copy at address 0x3fc000 in the 32Mbit flash memory. This file includes some initial wireless/WiFi settings.
• ESP8266EX_0x3FE000: should be copy at address 0x3fe000 in the 32Mbit flash memory. This is a blank file for the system settings.

Here’s ESP Flash Tool settings:

Assembled WiCard (The Sample Program Circuit)

Finally assemble the module after programming the firmware on ATMaga8A and ESP module (I’m using an ESP12 module which I have replaced its flash with a W25Q32).

Port Pins

The following table will help you to find the WiCard port pins:

Status LEDs

Also you can use GPIO 12 (MTDI) of your ESP8266 module (if it’s available) as “NET Status LED”. Besides that, you can use  GPIO 14 (MTMS) as “Program Status LED” and GPIO 15 (MTCK) as “Error LED”.

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WiCard

Written by: M. Mahdi K. Kanan – Full stack electronics and programming engineer and the founder of WiCardTech