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I have this WiFly device and I can't seem to make it work correctly. I've connected both available interfaces (UART and SPI) to my microcontroller (STM32F107). For now, just the UART interface would make me happy.

From the three boards mounted, in only one of them the RN-171 would reply to the commands sent through the UART interface. The other two would just remain mute.

I was suspecting that maybe I was activating the SPI mode automatically, so I've putted the SPI associated pins at a state that will shut it down for this device (CS high, everything else low).

However, now even this board is not working anymore. Factory reset is not bringing it back either. I'm really confused.

Has anyone here worked with this device before? What am I missing here?

Thanks in advance.

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    \$\begingroup\$ Can you post a schematic showing how you have it connected, which pins are connected where on your microcontroller? \$\endgroup\$
    – Toby Jaffey
    Commented Dec 8, 2011 at 21:11
  • \$\begingroup\$ Have you verified by some other means that the modules are powered, functional, and awake? (Perhaps measuring power supply current at the crudest) Are you sure you have the right baud rate, vs something close but erroneous? Have you exposed the inputs to more than 3.3v or to signals while the module was unpowered? \$\endgroup\$
    – Chris Stratton
    Commented Dec 8, 2011 at 21:54
  • \$\begingroup\$ I'm not sure the SPI interface is user-accessible. I looked through the datasheet when this product first came out, and unless something's changed, all the SPI pins are listed as No Connect. I was also unable to find anything in the programming guide about accessing SPI. SPI's in the product description though, so I don't know what the deal is. \$\endgroup\$
    – mng
    Commented Dec 9, 2011 at 1:18

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I was suspecting that maybe I was activating the SPI mode automatically, so I've putted the SPI associated pins at a state that will shut it down for this device (CS high, everything else low).

The problem was, indeed, the SPI module being activated, but not by the microcontroller's doings, but by some noise that was being generated in this. Sorry about asking a question with such a dumb mistake in hands. Thanks for all the comments.

To make this question (and answer) more useful, I can answer to @mng comment: it is possible to use SPI with the RN-171 module, but there is no documentation in their site yet. If you ask their engineers, they will send you some docs for you to use it, but you are not allowed to redistribute them.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Thanks for the info. I will probably go with the RN-XV module for now. \$\endgroup\$
    – mng
    Commented Dec 11, 2011 at 8:42

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