Arduino WiFi AP API coexistence with esp-matter ConnectivityManager Implementation

[HamzaHajeir]

Board

ESP32-S3-DevKitC-1-N8R2

Device Description

.

Hardware Configuration

..

Version

v3.0.4

IDE Name

PlatformIO

Operating System

Windows 11

Flash frequency

80MHz

PSRAM enabled

yes

Upload speed

.

Description

I'm building a custom project which coexists esp-matter and Arduino in one project.

Such that the WiFi management is went through Arduino library (WiFi), and to inform CHIP's core that the application controls the WiFi. through:

auto &connMgr = chip::DeviceLayer::ConnectivityMgrImpl();
connMgr.SetWiFiStationMode(chip::DeviceLayer::ConnectivityManager::WiFiStationMode::kWiFiStationMode_ApplicationControlled);
connMgr.SetWiFiAPMode(chip::DeviceLayer::ConnectivityManager::WiFiAPMode::kWiFiAPMode_ApplicationControlled);

All up to here is okay, but when engaging with WiFi.enableAP(true) API an error happens, which is a result of incompatibility with esp-matter's code regarding WiFi.

Both stacks initializes the netif`'s (Arduino)(esp-matter[1][2]). While there should be exactly one netif initialized, the program crashes in the second call of.

A suggestion of using the name keys, and the same pattern of code in esp-matter's start(), such that to ask for the netif by name, and if not existed to create it:

      if ((esp_netifs[ESP_IF_WIFI_AP] = esp_netif_get_handle_from_ifkey("WIFI_AP_DEF")) == NULL) {
        esp_netifs[ESP_IF_WIFI_AP] = esp_netif_create_default_wifi_ap();
      }
      if ((esp_netifs[ESP_IF_WIFI_STA] = esp_netif_get_handle_from_ifkey("WIFI_STA_DEF")) == NULL) {
        esp_netifs[ESP_IF_WIFI_STA] = esp_netif_create_default_wifi_sta();
      }

Which worked well in my setup.

Sketch

.

Debug Message

E (4666) esp_netif_lwip: esp_netif_new_api: Failed to configure netif with config=0x3fccabf0 (config or if_key is NULL or duplicate key)

Other Steps to Reproduce

No response

I have checked existing issues, online documentation and the Troubleshooting Guide

• I confirm I have checked existing issues, online documentation and Troubleshooting guide.

[me-no-dev]

you are a bit ahead of the curve here. We do not guarantee that this will ever work, because matter manages WiFi on it's own. Meaning interfaces, events and so on. Let's wait for the work that will be done for v3.1 first

[HamzaHajeir]

you are a bit ahead of the curve here. We do not guarantee that this will ever work, because matter manages WiFi on it's own. Meaning interfaces, events and so on. Let's wait for the work that will be done for v3.1 first

I see that point, but its management of WiFi is overridable by the code I pasted.

What's not so following is esp_matter library which does not check against the mode in its interference. Seems its interference stops at esp_matter::start()

[Jason2866]

We do not guarantee that this will ever work

No more to say currently. Imho at some point it makes no sense to use Arduino only.
Matter can be used when building Arduino as an component of IDF.
With pioarduino it is very easy to do.

[HamzaHajeir]

The good news that I've a primarily working code that coexists between esp-matter and arduino.

The provided fix/enhancement is the only primary issue I've met.

Other issue appeared because of CONFIG_LWIP_TCPIP_CORE_LOCKING -and- CONFIG_LWIP_CHECK_THREAD_SAFETY checks exposed them. I'll provide a fix regarding that for AsyncUDP.cpp that calls raw LwIP APIs without performing any locking. The fix will help primarily arduino-as-a-idf-component users

Until espressif/esp32-arduino-lib-builder#186 gets merged (and ofcourse the fix), direct Arduino users will be helped with.