All Collections
Connect your Devices
Connect a Microchip WCM Development Kit 1 to Ubidots over HTTP
Connect a Microchip WCM Development Kit 1 to Ubidots over HTTP

Learn how to read a potentiometer and buttons on the WCM board and send their values to Ubidots IoT Application Development Platfrom.

Isabel Lopez avatar
Written by Isabel Lopez
Updated over a week ago

The Microchip Wi-Fi Client Module Development Kit is a demo board designed to connect to cloud based servers. It features a Microchip PIC32 and the Microchip WiFi Module MRF24WG0MA microcontroller. 

When complete with this tutorial you’ll be able to read the potentiometer and the buttons on the WCM board, sending their values to Ubidots, as well as reading variables from Ubidots to control the board’s LEDs from the cloud.

Requirements

Step-by-Step

  1. Setting up Software Required

  2. Setting up Ubidots Project 

  3. Summary

1. Setting up Software Required 

1. Download the MPLABX IDE from Microchip’s website and install this required code editor using the instructions provided.

 2. Download the MPLAB XC32 Compiler. For a detailed instructions in how to install XC32 compiler refer to this page.

3. Once the above required tools are properly installed, verify that the installation folder looks similar to the one below:  

2. Setting up Ubidots Project

Ubidots team already pre-built a project for you to quickly setup and connect to Ubidots development platform. 

1. To begin, download the project by clicking here. Then, unzip the file in a desired project directory.

NOTE: The sample code provided was taken as a reference from a Microchip example and has been updated in order to transmit data to Ubidots. Last update was Sept. 2017.

2. Open the MPLABX. Then, select the project you''ll be working with. To open the project just go to "File –> Open Project" and select the route below from the project previously downloaded (step #1)

...V00.40.05_WCM_Dev_Kit_1_Beta4V6/ 00.40.05_WCM_Dev_Kit_1_Beta4V6/tcpip/ tcpip_wifi_wcm_dev_app/tcpip_pic32_mrf24wg_wcm_dev_app.X

3. Now with the expected project already in the MPLABX IDE, open a file named "main_demo.h" to edit it with the parameters required to send data to Ubidots.

In the first part of the "main_demo.h" file you will find the following lines: 

At this point, you need to assign the variables IDs of the variable desired to be updated, plus your unique Ubidots TOKEN to be able to transmit the data to your Ubidots account.  

4. Now with the code updated with your Ubidots parameters, it's time to burn the code into the board. To to this, you will need to connect the PICKIT 3 to the WCM board, and the other end of the PICKIT 3 to your computer. 

With all the devices properly connected, press on "Run –> Run Project" to start running the project into the board. If everything is OK the D5 LED should start blinking blue. 

5.  Once the board is programmed, it will create a Access Point called "WCM_Soft_AP_2ed1". At this point, you need to establish the connection with this AP.

With your computer already connected to this network, open your prefer browser and type the following IP 192.168.1.25  into the browsers URL bar. 

6.  Then,  select the "Configure Network" tab and then the "Other Network" button to make the required network configurations. Here, check Adhoc or Infrastructure depending on your network type, then enter your network’s SSID and finally choose its security type: WEP or WPA/WPA2 passphrase.

To finish, press on "Join” and type your Wi-Fi password. After some blinking party, the LEDs D5 and D6 should be blinking blue, that means you are connected to Ubidots!

3. Summary 

In what felt like too easy of a process for hardware, we just integrated the Microchip WCM Development Kit 1 with starter equipment and some simple know-how. With the right devices for your environment, you too can launch industrial applications in a matter of days instead of months. 

Now it's time to create Ubidots Dashboards to visualize and interpret your data to control and monitoring your machines and environments remotely - keeping your clients happy and production at its peak.

Other readers have also found useful...

Did this answer your question?