Jackpot WiFi STA mode

Software / Firmware Jackpot Board / FluidNC
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Here’s a new thread about FluidNC / Jackpot WiFi.

Got the thing connected to my network in STA>AP mode in the living room a couple weeks ago, it was fine.

Moved it to my shop, and it just won’t connect. Keeps falling back to AP.

I’ve assigned a static IP on my router, and this morning I took it back to the living room (because it’s f*cking freezing right now in my shop), and configured the Jackpot with static IP as well. So neither device has any doubt, no reason to negotiate.

Restarted it 10 times, perfect.

Moved it back to the shop. Nope.

There are at least 5 other devices within 10 feet that all connect with no problem, including the RPI Zero that is bridging USB over WiFi on my Boss Laser.

Put the Jackpot into STA (only) mode. In hopes that, if there is no option to fall back to AP, it will try harder.

Nope.

Now, can’t connect at all. Dang it.

Figured out the USB/Fluidterm thing with the browser app. Had to manually install Windows drivers.

That’s kind of awesome, I can see the boot sequence.

Thank God for the browser terminal. Set it back to STA>AP.

Watching the boot messages in the terminal, I’ve now seen three behaviors:

  1. Connects in STA mode, no problem. (10%)
  2. Fails to connect, falls back to AP. (30%)
  3. Connects in STA mode, and then disconnects after Fluid/GRBL messages, usually falls back to AP, but not always. (60%)

Behavior #3 is problematic. Connect, and then later disconnect. No bueno.

My Jackpot has been connected now for several hours. It’s sitting in my shop, on the desk, not connected to the machine. Ten feet away from the Problem Spot.

I will now reboot it… boom! It came back in STA.

Again… yes. No problem. Again… yes. OK.

Again… Nope. Fail.

I think the WiFi software and/or radio is not great. Interestingly, I have a few other ESP32 devices (light switches, etc) that also kind of suck in unpredictable ways.

Tomorrow I will move some wifi satellites around to get a better signal in that part of my shop. Can’t hurt.

What I want is a single board with GRBL etc, and a real computer with real memory, performance, and network support. Jeez.

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I have a mesh satellite in my garage just for this reason. The WIFI chips on the ESPs are great but they are just not as powerful as other devices. Also if any of your wiring is going over the top of the chip it will effect the signal as well.

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The esp32 uses an old over manufactured networking chip. This allows them to keep the cost dirt cheap. But unfortunately results in issues like this. As @Jonathjon stated making sure that there is a clear path for the esp to send a signal vertically will result in the best possible signal.

What you can do is add a access point to your garage (if you have mesh WiFi you simply need to add a tower or move it around, if not there are a few options for extending WiFi signals)

Other wise I’d leave it as a hosting device

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This is a big one. Wiring around the ESP32 can really impact performance.

Can you post a picture of your installed Jackpot, showing all of the wiring going to it?

There are some things that can potentially be done to help wifi performance, but let’s see first if we can address this with simple fixes like wire routing changes.

Note: There are ESP32s with external antennas, and it’s possible to flash these and run FluidNC in the jackpot with them, so there are a variety of options on the board if we can’t sort out the stock ESP32.

It’s not super crazy to use a remote AP or mesh extender depending on your home/shop network setup. That’d be another option if we can’t fix it with harness routing or similar.

This is common for ESP32 IoT devices to need some help in marginal WiFI environments.

As remarkable as an ESP32 is with a reasonbly decent dual core microcontroller, it’s a long, long way from what I’d call a real computer. WiFi can be really tricky, though and the ESP32 isn’t the highest end of WiFi devices.

If you want bulletproof networking you need wired Ethernet, and at this point I’m not aware of any ESP32s with an Ethernet module that can run FluidNC. That kind of wired application works well with a small SBC like a Raspberry Pi, but then again that’s not really what the Jackpot is targeted at.

Let’s see what we can do to address the wireless performance you’re seeing and then consider options if there’s nothing simple to let you use what you have in an acceptable way.

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For the record, in this context, I’d gladly pay an extra $25 or $50 or even $100 bucks to save myself a weekend of d*cking around.

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Understood. That’s squarely in wired AP territory, or decent mesh node.
Do you have any other IoT/home automation stuff in the garage? If so, then having a dedicated AP or mesh makes even more sense.

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Oh, yeah. I have 4 or maybe 5 mesh satellites covering several acres. I use a Ubiquiti EdgeMax, Orbi mesh. Last time I checked there were 73 devices on WiFi. Hubitat home control, lights, switches, locks, Alexa, etc, etc. I’m that guy who says: “Alexa, open the pod bay doors,” and convenient things happen :slight_smile:

In any event, thanks for the insight on interference. Tomorrow I will carefully arrange the wires attached to the controller, and also move one of my mesh satellites.

During the plandemic I built a LR2, and then used it to build a greenhouse. Became rather fond of CNCJs.

I am tempted to connect a RPI running CNCJs directly to the Jackpot. Has anyone done that?

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In theory one could interlink a Pi’s Gpio with the jackpot and void the esp32 all together I believe someone made fluidnc on Raspbian

As for your specific question I don’t know if anyone has but in my knowledge it would work if you have a pi with cnc.js on it.

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Word.

I issued a few G commands in the interface to draw a square (which came out perfect), and got a Low Memory warning.

Also, turning off HTTP while moving results in the host deciding that the Jackpot is offline and reverting to the other network.

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The RPI I used for the LR2 is sitting on my desk, taunting me every day. Planning to build a LR3 once I get Primo running smoothly.

Thinking… thinking… dredging up old memories. Will the Jackpot accept commands from CNCJs over the USB interface?

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I personally don’t know. But I do know other users use lightburn with their lasers and connect that directly. I’m assuming cnc.js would be the same.

Edit

Info from the wiki says yes

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Good point.

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Definitely read that wiki page if you go that route. It talks about how to get the connection working and everything. Even list cnc.js specifically

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I found an article about how to program WiFi connection, failure and retry patterns for ESP32 today. Briefly considered diving into the source but man, life is too short. There is no joy to be had with that stuff. Only hard-fought, small gains.

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Thanks for that!

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Do you have a build thread or any tips? I have been wanting to do that for ages.

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The latest version, ‘fluidnc-v3.7.12’ seems to have fixed the Low Memory warnings.

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I posted fairly detailed answers to questions somewhere here.

Wanted an arched roof of a particular curve such that the sun is normal to the roof at all times of year for my latitude.

I used the LR to cut curved pieces of plywood that I laminated together to form the roof.

Two big takeaways: I placed alignment holes on the various parts, so when it came time to assemble and lamimate everything ended up in the correct place once I drove dowels through the holes. I wish I’d cut part numbers too. Or written them with a pencil as they came off. Spent way too much time keeping track of 50+ parts.

I couldn’t get my LR good enough to repeatedly make perfect large parts. Ended up using the best ones as templates and finishing them with my router and a big ol’ 1/2" straight bit and a top bearing.

Maybe the LR3 could handle it.

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Today I cleaned up the wires attached to the board, so there is no longer a snarl of wires on top of the ESP.

Also re-located a mesh satellite in the middle of that room.

Seems to have cleared up the issue, so that’s good advice.

Thanks!

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Glad that has got you running in a more reliable way. It’s SUPER frustrating to face silly network connectivity issues like that.

I remember a thread about that, I put a bunch of notes into a notebook where I keep ideas for things I want to make someday, and a greenhouse made that way is certainly on that list

Those are good lessons learned.

The local community makerspace received a donated wikihouse, and had plans to try and put it together. But, the parts were not well marked, rendering multiple pallets of cut parts to scrap. Details like placing good reference part identifiers can’t be overlooked on any moderately complex project.

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