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Arduino UNO and ESP8266 Problems :(

PostPosted: Fri Jul 31, 2015 4:32 am
by AlishaWatts
I am trying to make a simple model of a Mars Rover, using an Arduino UNO and an ESP8266...
The connections seem to be okay, as everything either works or has worked at a point. (they are like this)

http://i.stack.imgur.com/7ffIh.png

This is a snippet of the relevant code I have used:

http://i.stack.imgur.com/gzLSQ.png

After running the programme on the Arduino, everything goes a bit temperamental.The Wifi connection will always become available to connect on my phone, but I will only occasionally be able to actually connect to it.The COM box replies with this most of the time, but with errors in different places:

http://i.stack.imgur.com/fNF5P.png

Occasionally the box will display no errors, like so:
http://i.stack.imgur.com/aF9A4.png

But it still doesnt work when I try and type the SSID code into google. A webpage with a simple 'Hello World' and two LED buttons is meant to come up, but instead either a blank page appears, or the html code for the page.
The relevant code for this in Arduino is:

http://i.stack.imgur.com/etndh.png

Has anyone exerienced any similar problems, or knows how to sort this out? Thank you so much!! ^-^

Re: Arduino UNO and ESP8266 Problems :(

PostPosted: Sat Aug 01, 2015 2:07 am
by tytower
Offhand make sure all the earths are connected together .It does not quite look like that atm but they probably are .

The uno has a black lead to pos line . Is that just a typo? The first regulator is maybe supplying 5V but they are not marked so I don't know .I assume your batteries are only supplying 6V nominal . I don't think that's enough headroom for the regulator but you also have it going to the vin pin so does vin get dropped to 5V -I think so by the regulator on the Uno ?.

Normal power to the regulator of the board is expected to be over about 7 volts or so . Documentation says it will run down to about 6V but I would not rely on that for this wifi chip.
The second regulator supplies the 3.3V it is powered direct by the batteries at 6V and that 6V line powers the Uno Vin also and the motor boards? . I see the voltage divider there on the TX line to the Uno but not one on the RX.

The regulators are not marked so I wonder what the first one is supplying?I can't read the motor boards sorry.

A separate power supply for the motors might help and boosting the power with a 5th battery wouldn't hurt either. The esp draws big current regularly , like each 100ms , and your motors draw big currents initially also . this could well drop the voltage instantaneously on a battery supply which would probably affect the esp making it erratic and resetting it .