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Forum Index : Microcontroller and PC projects : Wifi webmite and Pi Pico Plus 2W

Posted: 04:46pm 08 Jul 2026 Copy link to clipboard	xardomain Newbie

Hi,
I got the boards now (six!), time to try to make them work together.

I would like to know:

1) How to differentiate between MCUs, like acquiring the MAC address. The same program will be flashed on 6 pico, but only one will be the controller so I detect its specific MAC and behave differently from the others.
The others are all equal with the same connections but the controller will have to be always the same, it is wired differently.

Apparently I can't detect the current MAC address from Webmite.

2) I see that on boot there is an ID displayed(PICO5FF0ED8XXXX), same as before. How to get access to it(supposed it is unique of course)?

3) Netmask and broadcast address
I would like to dynamically acquire these parameter in the program, I don't know how. Searched for it, I was unable to do it.

4) Manual wifi configuration: I am okay with the DHCP but I need to somewhat "order" the nodes, and assign a different parameter (a different delay offset) to each one. Again with the MAC address I could sort them in ascending order, or something similar.
The IP address could be used too but probably with the MAC address is easier.
Still, would it be possible to "force" a specific IP address?

5) After powering on, the wifi connection fails:
>
17:00:12 Port: COM6 removed
Disconnected
17:00:16 Port: COM6 inserted
Connected to COM6 at 115200
PICO5FF0ED861FD connecting to WiFi...
failed to connect.
Initializing...

If I press the RESET subsequently it always connect.

Is there any way to correct this behavior? My fix was trying to reset with the command CPU RESTART until I don't get an IP:

IF IP$ = "0.0.0.0" then
'WATCHDOG 1000 ' arm a 1-second watchdog
'DO : LOOP ' do nothing — let it expire and force a restart
PRINT "Wifi initialized failed. Retrying..."
PAUSE 500
cpu restart
endif

I was hoping to avoid the double boot process.

Thanks.

Giuseppe Marullo
IW2JWW - JN45RQ

Posted: 11:25pm 08 Jul 2026 Copy link to clipboard	phil99 Guru

> ? MM.INFO(ID)
D531A797204
>

It's a string so this may be better.

> s$ = MM.INFO$(ID) : ? s$
D531A797204
>

Or as an integer.

> execute "x% = &H"+MM.INFO$(ID)
> ? x%
14650577613316
>

My startup routine.

Sub MM.STARTUP
Pause 500 'ensure connection routine is finished
On error skip
If MM.Info(ip address) = "0.0.0.0" Then 'test for WiFi link
Print "WiFi not found";
Pause 8000 'if router is slow give it time before next attempt
Print "...Rebooting now"
CPU restart 'endless re-boot until WiFi found
EndIf

Local float TZ = 10, DS = 0 'Time Zone, Daylight Saving
Local integer n = 0
Do While Date$ = "01-01-2024" 'test internet connection, wait for date$ to update
On error skip
WEB NTP TZ+DS, "203.12.160.2" 'Second choice is 0.au.pool.ntp.org or 1.au.pool.ntp.org

Inc n : Print n; " tries", DateTime$(now),
Pause 2000
If n=15 Then Exit Sub 'give up!
Loop
Print
RUN 'start main program
End Sub

Edited 2026-07-09 15:23 by phil99

Posted: 10:42am 09 Jul 2026 Copy link to clipboard	JohnS Guru

Instead of

execute "x% = &H"+MM.INFO$(ID)

maybe

x% = val("&H"+MM.INFO$(ID))

John

Posted: 03:58pm 10 Jul 2026 Copy link to clipboard	xardomain Newbie

Thank you Phil99 and John.
Nice improvement for retrieving NTP time.

At the moment I am planning to use the ID instead of the MAC, then I will decide if it is enough.

Still I am don't know why wifi fails at first power on, it is sistematic.
Is it a known bug?
I am using a Pico Plus 2W, RP2350A04.

Giuseppe Marullo
IW2JWW - JN45RQ

Posted: 09:44pm 10 Jul 2026 Copy link to clipboard	TassyJim Guru

What make of router are you connecting to?
There were problems with some FritzBox models but I thought that was now fixed with later Fritz firmware.

Jim

Posted: 05:33am 11 Jul 2026 Copy link to clipboard	xardomain Newbie

Hi TassyJim,
router is a UniFi Cloud Gateway Fiber UCG-Fiber.

Giuseppe Marullo
IW2JWW - JN45RQ

Posted: 07:12am 11 Jul 2026 Copy link to clipboard	ville56 Guru

TassyJim said What make of router are you connecting to?
There were problems with some FritzBox models but I thought that was now fixed with later Fritz firmware.

Not quite. I still have to use the restart logic to get a reliable connection to my FritzBox which is always running the latest firmware.

Posted: 07:39am 11 Jul 2026 Copy link to clipboard	TassyJim Guru

I must have got lucky with my Fritz 7530AX.
It looks like a retry is always going to be programmed in as a backup.

Jim

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