WLAN Driver

Advanced WLAN functionality for ESP-IDF.

Functions for WLAN initialization and management.

Overview

The WLAN Driver provides a simplified, high-level interface for WiFi connectivity on ESP32 platforms. It wraps the standard ESP-IDF WiFi driver to provide easy-to-use functions for common modes like Station (STA) and Access Point (AP).

This driver is designed for:

Simplicity : One-function initialization for STA and AP modes
Reliability : Built-in event handling and retry logic
Convenience : Abstracts complex event loops and state machines

Key Features

✅ Station Mode (STA) : Connect to existing WiFi networks
✅ Access Point Mode (AP) : Create a WiFi hotspot
✅ Security : Supports WPA/WPA2/WPA3 authentication (via Kconfig)
✅ Status Monitoring : Simple mechanism to check connection status
✅ Event Handling : Integrated event group management for connection states

Architecture

The driver follows a layered architecture:

API Modules

The API is organized into main functional areas:

Initialization

Functions for setting up WiFi in different modes:

Station Mode : Connect to a router
Access Point Mode : Host a network

Key functions:

wb_wifi_init_sta() - Initialize as Station (Client)
wb_wifi_init_ap() - Initialize as Access Point (Hotspot)

Management

Functions for controlling the WiFi lifecycle:

Key functions:

wb_wifi_check_status() - Get current connection status
wb_wifi_deinit() - Stop WiFi and free resources

Quick Start Guide

Installation

Ensure wb-idf-core is included in your project components.

Station Mode Example

Connecting to a WiFi network:

#include "wb-idf-wlan.h"
#include "nvs_flash.h"

void app_main(void)
{
    // 1. Initialize NVS (Required for WiFi)
    esp_err_t ret = nvs_flash_init();
    if (ret == ESP_ERR_NVS_NO_FREE_PAGES || ret == ESP_ERR_NVS_NEW_VERSION_FOUND) {
      ESP_ERROR_CHECK(nvs_flash_erase());
      ret = nvs_flash_init();
    }
    ESP_ERROR_CHECK(ret);

    // 2. Initialize WiFi in Station Mode
    char *ssid = "MyWiFiNetwork";
    char *password = "mysupersecretpassword";
    
    ESP_LOGI("WLAN", "Connecting to %s...", ssid);
    wb_wifi_init_sta(ssid, password);

    // 3. Check status (Optional)
    if (wb_wifi_check_status() == WIFI_CONNECTED_BIT) {
        ESP_LOGI("WLAN", "Connected successfully!");
    }
}

Access Point Mode Example

Creating a WiFi hotspot:

#include "wb-idf-wlan.h"
#include "nvs_flash.h"

void app_main(void)
{
    // NVS Init...
    
    // Initialize WiFi in AP Mode
    char *ap_ssid = "MyESP32Hotspot";
    char *ap_password = "password123";
    
    ESP_LOGI("WLAN", "Starting AP: %s", ap_ssid);
    wb_wifi_init_ap(ap_ssid, ap_password);
}

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Connection Failed

The device attempts to connect but eventually fails or times out.

Incorrect SSID or Password.
Signal too weak.
Router authentication settings mismatch (e.g., WPA3 required but not enabled in Kconfig).
Double check credentials.
Move closer to the router.
Check menuconfig settings under Component config -> Wi-Fi .

WiFi Init Failed

NVS not initialized before WiFi.
Power supply insufficiency.
Ensure nvs_flash_init() is called first.
Check power supply stability.

Best Practices

NVS Initialization

Always initialize NVS Flash ( nvs_flash_init() ) before initializing WiFi, as the WiFi driver stores calibration data in NVS.

Event Handling

The driver uses an internal Event Group. The wb_wifi_check_status() function can be used to poll the status, but for more complex applications, consider hooking into the standard ESP-IDF event loop if you need asynchronous notifications.

License

Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may not use this file except in compliance with the License. You may obtain a copy of the License at

[http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0](http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0)

Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations under the License.