User`s guide

RN-WIFLYCR-UG
www.rovingnetworks.com Version 1.2r 4/30/13 page 45
Chapter 3. Advanced Features & Settings
This chapter describes the WiFly module’s advanced features, including techniques to
put the module to sleep, wake up, and methods to open a TCP connection when
awake. It also describes the UART flow control, alternative GPIO functions, and the
real-time clock.
3.1 ACCESS POINT (AP) MODE
Roving Networks WiFly modules support several methods for accessing Wi-Fi net-
works. In addition to infrastructure mode and ad hoc mode, with firmware version 2.45
the modules support access point (AP) mode. You implement AP mode using special
firmware. In the future, AP mode will be released as part of the standard firmware and
will replace ad hoc mode.
AP mode provides several advantages over ad hoc mode. In AP mode:
• The module creates a soft AP network to which Android devices (smartphones
and tablets) can join. (Android devices do not support ad hoc networking.)
• The module runs a DHCP server and issues IP addresses to seven clients, which
is much faster than automatic IP in ad hoc mode.
• The WiFly module will support security in future releases, unlike ad hoc, which is
an open mode.
• The module supports routing between clients.
The following sections describe how to use AP mode with WiFly products, including
configuring the module to act as an AP, enabling AP mode in hardware and software,
and sending data to the module from a remote host.
3.1.1 Enabling AP mode
There are two methods for enabling AP mode, hardware and software, as described in
the following sections.
3.1.1.1 ENABLE IN HARDWARE
To enable AP mode in hardware, hold GPIO9 high at 3.3 V and then reset (or power
cycle) the module. The module will then boot up in AP mode with the DHCP server
enabled.
Note: In firmware version 2.36 (ad hoc mode), the auto join feature is enabled to
maintain backwards compatibility. In version 2.45 and higher (AP mode),
auto join is disabled and you must explicitly enable auto join mode using the
set wlan join 1 command for the module to associate with the pre-stored
AP settings automatically.
Note: Refer to the documentation for your module on the Support page of the
Roving Networks web site at http://rovingnetworks.com/Support_Overview
for more details on programming/configuring the module.