16. NodeMCU ESP8266 WIFI Communication c# wpf software

A simple project were you can control a led with a windows app with WIFI, connected to a NodeMCU ESP8266. The app is written in Visualstudio 2017 in C#.

On the rigth: arduino monitor for output NodeMCU ESP8266 sketch.
On the left: windows app for controlling the LED.
Bottom: Breadboard with LED and the NodeMCU ESP8266.

• Flashing LED
• Upload sketch
• LED on click
• LED off click
• Flash LED

NodeMCU ESP8266
	NodeMCU Dev Board is based on widely explored esp8266 System on Chip from Expressif. Feature: Wireless 802.11 b / g / n standard Support STA / AP / STA + AP three operating modes Built-in TCP / IP protocol stack to support multiple TCP Client connections (5 MAX) D0 ~ D8, SD1 ~ SD3: used as GPIO, PWM, IIC, etc., port driver capability 15mA AD0: 1 channel ADC Power input: 4.5V ~ 9V (10VMAX), USB-powered Current: continuous transmission: ≈70mA (200mA MAX), Standby: <200uA Transfer rate: 110-460800bps Support UART / GPIO data communication interface Remote firmware upgrade (OTA) Support Smart Link Smart Networking Working temperature: -40 ℃ ~ + 125 ℃ Drive Type: Dual high-power H-bridge driver CH340 chip-driven * The ESP8266 chip requires 3.3V power supply voltage. It should not be powered with 5 volts like other arduino boards. * NodeMCU ESP-12E dev board can be connected to 5Vusing micro USB connector or Vin pin available on board. * The I/O pins of ESP8266 communicate or input/output max 3.3V only. i.e. the pins are NOT 5V tolerant inputs.
	Blue LED
	Wire
	Micro USB Cable
	Resistor
	Breadboards
Software	Arduino IDE
	Visual studio

Arduino IDE
Installing Arduino Core for NodeMCU ESP-12E Using Arduino Boards Manager.

• File, Preferences
• Copy 'http://arduino.esp8266.com/stable/package_esp8266com_index.json' into Additinal Boards Manager URL's
  
• Board '...', Boards Manager
• There should be an option 'esp8266', 'by ESP8266 Community'
• Select install
• After installing, it should look like this.
  

Select NodeMCU board.

• Tools, Board: '....', ESP8266 Boards, Nodemcu 0.9 (ESP-12 module
• 

Select Port number.

• Tools, Port, COM...
• 
• If greyed out, in 'Device manager', Ports(COM LPT, USB-SERIAL CH340 (COM...) must be visible
• 

Setup the components.

• Short leg LED to Ground
• Long leg resistor, d7
• 

Connect NodeMCU ESP8266 to the computer.

Sketch

#include <BearSSLHelpers.h>
#include <CertStoreBearSSL.h>
#include <ESP8266WiFi.h>
#include <ESP8266WiFiAP.h>
#include <ESP8266WiFiGeneric.h>
#include <ESP8266WiFiGratuitous.h>
#include <ESP8266WiFiMulti.h>
#include <ESP8266WiFiScan.h>
#include <ESP8266WiFiSTA.h>
#include <ESP8266WiFiType.h>
#include <WiFiClient.h>
#include <WiFiClientSecure.h>
#include <WiFiClientSecureAxTLS.h>
#include <WiFiClientSecureBearSSL.h>
#include <WiFiServer.h>
#include <WiFiServerSecure.h>
#include <WiFiServerSecureAxTLS.h>
#include <WiFiServerSecureBearSSL.h>
#include <WiFiUdp.h>

const char* ssid = "WIFI ID";
const char* password = "PASSWORD";
 
int ledPin = 13; // GPIO13---D7 of NodeMCU
int loopCountRead = 0;
int loopCountWrite = 0;
int ledStatus = 0;
int lastCmd = 3;
int cmdLastProcessed = 3;
WiFiServer server(80);

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(115200);
  delay(10);
 
  pinMode(ledPin, OUTPUT);
  digitalWrite(ledPin, LOW);
 
  // Connect to WiFi network
  Serial.println();
  Serial.println();
  Serial.print("Connecting to ");
  Serial.println(ssid);
 
  WiFi.begin(ssid, password);
  WiFi.mode(WIFI_STA);
  
  while (WiFi.status() != WL_CONNECTED) {
    delay(500);
    Serial.print(".");
  }
  Serial.println("");
  Serial.println("WiFi connected");
 
  // Start the server
  server.begin();
  Serial.println("Server started");
  Serial.print("IP: ");
  Serial.println(WiFi.localIP());
}
 
void loop() {
  WiFiClient client = server.available();
  if(client)
  {
    //client.setTimeout(200);    
    while(client.connected())
    {
      if(client.available()) { 
        char c =client.read();
        if (c=='.'){
          break;
        }
        else
        {
          if (c>='0' && c<='3')
          {
            lastCmd = c- '0';
            Serial.print("Last command: ");
            Serial.println(lastCmd);
          }
        }
      }      
    }
    
    client.write('0' + lastCmd);
    client.stop();
    Serial.println("client disconnected");    
  }

  delay(1);
  switch(lastCmd)
  {
    case 0:
      lastCmd = cmdLastProcessed;
      break;
    case 1:
      ledStatus=1;
      cmdLastProcessed = 1;
      digitalWrite(ledPin, HIGH);
      break;
    case 2:
      ledStatus=0;
      cmdLastProcessed = 2;
      digitalWrite(ledPin, LOW);
      break;
    case 3:
      cmdLastProcessed = 3;
      loopCountRead++;
      loopCountWrite++;
      if(loopCountRead>1000)
      {
        loopCountRead=0;
        if (ledStatus==0){
          ledStatus=1;
          digitalWrite(ledPin, HIGH);
        }
        else{
          ledStatus=0;
          digitalWrite(ledPin, LOW);
        }
      }

      break;
  }
}

• Include libaries:
  Sketch, Include Library, ESP8266Wifi
  
• int ledPin = 13; // GPIO13---D7 of NodeMCU
  Pintlayout:
  
• WiFiServer server(80)
  Creates a server that listens for incoming connections on the specified port.
• WiFi.begin(ssid, password);
  The actual connection to Wi-Fi.
  The connection process can take couple of seconds and we are checking for whether this has completed in the loop.
• server.begin()
  Tells the server to begin listening for incoming connections.
• WiFi.localIP()
  Gives the IPv4 address of de ESP8266.
  Used in de VisualStudio, to send the commandsto the ESP8266.
• WiFiClient client = server.available();
  Gets a client that is connected to the server and has data available for reading. The connection persists when the returned client object goes out of scope; you can close it by calling client.stop().
• if(client)
  true: client is created.
  false: client is not created. client is 'null'
  
• client.connected()
  Whether or not the client is connected. Note that a client is considered connected if the connection has been closed but there is still unread data.
• client.available()
  Returns the number of bytes available for reading (that is, the amount of data that has been written to the client by the server it is connected to).
• client.read()
  Read the next byte received from the server the client is connected to (after the last call to read()).
• client.stop();
  Disconnect from the server.

Monitor output

Download ino

Visual studio

Communication loop.
The class 'TcpClient' is used for sending the messages to de NodeMCU ESP8266.

        private void DoLoop()
        {
            SendMsg oldMsg = SendMsg.reset;

            while (1 == 1)
            {
                if (oldMsg==_SendMsg)
                {
                    System.Threading.Thread.Sleep(10+00);
                    continue;
                }

                oldMsg = _SendMsg;
                TcpClient client = new TcpClient();
                try
                {
                    client.Connect("192.168.2.11", 80);
                }
                catch
                {
                    continue;
                }

                using (NetworkStream ns = client.GetStream())
                {
                    ns.ReadTimeout = 2000;
                    byte[] mybyte = Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(((int)_SendMsg).ToString() + ".");
                    Send(ns, mybyte);

                    System.Threading.Thread.Sleep(500);

                    try
                    {
                        byte[] recv = new Byte[1];
                        if (ns.DataAvailable)
                        {
                            int bytes = ns.Read(recv, 0, recv.Length);
                            if (bytes > 0)
                            {
                                byte[] a = new byte[bytes];

                                for (int i = 0; i < bytes; i++)
                                {
                                    a[i] = recv[i];
                                }

                                string converted = Encoding.UTF8.GetString(a, 0, a.Length);

                                switch(converted)
                                {
                                    case "0":
                                        ledStatus = "Status";
                                        break;
                                    case "1":
                                        ledStatus = "On";
                                        break;
                                    case "2":
                                        ledStatus = "Off";
                                        break;
                                    case "3":
                                        ledStatus = "Flash";
                                        break;
                                }
                            }
                        }
                    }
                    catch (Exception ex)
                    {
                    }
                }

                client.Close();
                System.Threading.Thread.Sleep(500);
            }
        }
        

Download solution (Visual Studio 2017 solution)