WLED ESP32 + RTL8720 WIFI 5GHZ(ac)

Usermods
1

I’ve been studying the WLED project for some time. I use LED to control LEDs using ARTNET and 1.31. sometimes I notice interference at 2.4ghz (when I use it on stage). The interference is caused by other equipment. I want to use WLED at 5GHz frequency. There are very few modules with 5ghz support. my choice fell on the Realtek RTL8720. I plan to connect RTL8720+ESP32 via UART. The RTL8720 connects to WIFI 5ghz and transmits data via UART to ESP32. do you think it’s possible to do this as a USERMODE?

P.S. I am not a professional programmer. I’m a fan of writing simple programs. WLED is too complicated for me. I ask for help and advice.

2

I am guessing that nobody will be doing that as a lot of libraries depend on internal TCP/IP stack and WLED depends on these libraries.
Take a look at W5500 ethernet adapter, it exists for quite some time yet nobody (except a hack by @troy) managed to bring it upstream.

3

Thanks for the comment. I will share my successes or failures in this direction.

4

Using the RTL8720 to connect to a 5GHz Wi-Fi network and communicate with the ESP32 via UART is a feasible approach. Here are some considerations and steps to help you with this project:

  1. Hardware Connection: Ensure that the RTL8720 is correctly wired to the ESP32 via UART. This typically involves connecting TX and RX pins appropriately.

  2. Firmware Support: Since WLED is primarily designed for ESP32, you’ll need to modify the firmware to handle data received from the RTL8720. This means creating a simple interface to interpret the incoming data as control signals for the LEDs.

  3. Data Format: Decide on a simple protocol for data transmission. For example, you could send commands as strings (e.g., “ON”, “OFF”, “COLOR:FF0000” for red).

  4. Usermode Code: You can create a basic program in the ESP32 that listens for UART data and processes it to control WLED. Look at existing WLED examples and modify them to integrate UART communication.

  5. Testing: Once you have the basic setup, test it in a controlled environment to ensure stability and responsiveness before using it on stage.

  6. Community Resources: Since you mentioned not being a professional programmer, consider looking for tutorials or community forums specific to WLED and ESP32 programming. The community can provide invaluable help. https://www.pneda.com/

This approach should work as a usermode solution. If you need more detailed guidance on specific coding tasks or concepts, feel free to ask!