ESP8266 as a Server and Firebase connection

[Chrislari]

Thank you very much for this library.

I think i am on an issue that probably cant be solved. Time for asking you.
I am using and ESP8266 to read some sensor values and set-up a server that i can access through the internet and interact with the ESP8266 (read the current values of the sensors and send commands that forward some IR -signals in the room).
This action takes place on demand when i choose to connect to the device. Meanwhile, while client is not connected, i want to connect to Firebase periodically and send some data values f.e. every 1 hour.

The code i have build does not seem to work for Firebase since i get an error (not connected). The same code does work if i remove all the "server code".

Any idea?
Is that possible to make it work?

Here is my code:

void setup() {

Serial.begin(115200);

pinMode(connectionStatusLed, OUTPUT);
pinMode(faultLed, OUTPUT);
pinMode(sendRecvLed, OUTPUT);

// WiFi start Up
if (!WiFi.config(local_IP, gateway, subnet)) {
  Serial.println("STA Failed to configure");
}
digitalWrite(faultLed, HIGH);
Serial.print("Connecting to ");
Serial.println(ssid);

WiFi.begin(ssid, password);
while (WiFi.status() != WL_CONNECTED) {
delay(500);
Serial.print(".");
}
Serial.println("");
Serial.println("WiFi connected");
Serial.println("IP address: ");
Serial.println(WiFi.localIP());
WiFi.setAutoReconnect(true);
WiFi.persistent(true);
digitalWrite(connectionStatusLed, HIGH);

server.begin();
Serial.println("Server started");
delay(1000);

//Firebase Signin
/* Assign the api key (required) */
config.api_key = API_KEY;
/* Assign the RTDB URL (required) */
config.database_url = DATABASE_URL;
/* Sign up */
if (Firebase.signUp(&config, &auth, "", "")){
  Serial.println("ok");
  signupOK = true;
}
else{
  Serial.printf("%s\n", config.signer.signupError.message.c_str());
}
/* Assign the callback function for the long running token generation task */
config.token_status_callback = tokenStatusCallback; //see addons/TokenHelper.h
Firebase.begin(&config, &auth);
Firebase.reconnectWiFi(false);

// NTPClient start up
timeClient.begin();
timeClient.setTimeOffset(7200); // ofsset from the GMT time in seconds

//IR code settings
#if DECODE_HASH
// Ignore messages with less than minimum on or off pulses.
irrecv.setUnknownThreshold(kMinUnknownSize);
#endif  // DECODE_HASH
irrecv.setTolerance(kTolerancePercentage);  // Override the default tolerance.
irrecv.enableIRIn();  // Start the receiver
    
delay(2000);

//Dht Start Up
dht.setup(tempPin, DHTesp::DHT22);
digitalWrite(faultLed, LOW);

}

void loop() {

String request;
float humidity = dht.getHumidity();
float temperature = dht.getTemperature();
String sHumidity = String(humidity) + String("%");
String sTemperature = String(temperature) + String("°C");

timeClient.update();
unsigned long epochTime = timeClient.getEpochTime();
Serial.println(epochTime);


if (WiFi.status() != WL_CONNECTED) {
  digitalWrite(faultLed, HIGH);
  digitalWrite(connectionStatusLed, LOW);
} else {
  digitalWrite(faultLed, LOW);
  digitalWrite(connectionStatusLed, HIGH);
  
  if (!client.connected()) {
      
      timeClient.update();
      unsigned long epochTime = timeClient.getEpochTime();    
      if (Firebase.ready() && signupOK && (epochTime - previousEpochTime)>20) {
        String formattedTime = timeClient.getFormattedTime();
        int currentHour = timeClient.getHours();
        int currentMinute = timeClient.getMinutes();
        int currentSecond = timeClient.getSeconds();
        int currentDay = timeClient.getDay();
          
        //Get a time structure
        struct tm *ptm = gmtime ((time_t *)&epochTime); 
        int monthDay = ptm->tm_mday;
        int currentMonth = ptm->tm_mon+1;
        int currentYear = ptm->tm_year+1900;
        //Print complete date:
        String currentDate = String(currentYear) + "/" + String(currentMonth) + "/" + String(monthDay) + "   " + String(currentHour) + ":" + String(currentMinute) + ":" + String(currentSecond);
        Serial.print("Date Time: ");
        Serial.println(currentDate);
         // Write an Float number on the database path test/float
        if (Firebase.RTDB.setFloat(&fbdo, "temperature", temperature )){
           Serial.println("PASSED");
           Serial.println("PATH: " + fbdo.dataPath());
           Serial.println("TYPE: " + fbdo.dataType());
        }
        else {
          Serial.println("FAILED");
          Serial.println("REASON: " + fbdo.errorReason());
}
        
      }
  }
}

if (!client.connected()) {
    client = server.available();   // Listen for incoming clients
    return; 
}


// Wait until the client sends some data or if an IR code is send to the Server 
if(client.available()) {
   Serial.println("client available");  
   while(client.available()){
      if (irrecv.decode(&results)) {
          digitalWrite(sendRecvLed, HIGH);
          client.println("IR Code received"); //decode IR signal in Strings
          dump(&results);
          delay(100);
          digitalWrite(sendRecvLed, LOW);       
          irrecv.resume(); // Be ready to receive the next value
      }
      Serial.println("Client Connected");
      Serial.println(counter2);
      // Blink Blue Led if client sends and receives data
      if(counter2 == 0) {
        digitalWrite(connectionStatusLed, LOW);
      } else if (counter2 == 1){
        digitalWrite(connectionStatusLed, HIGH);
        counter2 = -1;
      }
      counter2 = counter2 + 1;
      request = client.readStringUntil('\n');
      Serial.println(request);
  }
}

//Check if client does not send data for 10 seconds and disconnect 
unsigned long timeout = millis();
while (client.available() == 0) {
  if (millis() - timeout > 10000) {
   
    Serial.println(">>> Client Timeout !");
    client.stop();
    delay(1000);
    return;
  }
}    

// Match the request of the client and send the IR signal to the room or the Data to the client
if (request.indexOf("humidity") !=-1) {
  //client.println(humidity, 1);
  client.println(String("hum1 ") + String(humidity, 1));
  Serial.println(humidity, 1);
}
if (request.indexOf("temperature") != -1){
  client.println(String("temp1 ") + String(temperature, 1));
  Serial.println(temperature, 1);
}

}

[mobizt]

You are sign in as anonymous which I'm not recommended, device will create the garbage user in your project and it's not convenient to delete.

Library's TCP client can't establish connection to server.

The possible causes are no internet access and low memory which cause the SSL handshake failed.

You should enable WiFi and SSL debug in IDE to see what's happen.

You should check the free heap at any point in your code because it is esp8266 which has limited memory which you should remove unnecessary library e.g. timeclient from your sketch as the configTime function for NTP time request is enough.

[Chrislari]

You are sign in as anonymous which I'm not recommended, device will create the garbage user in your project and it's not convenient to delete.

Library's TCP client can't establish connection to server.

The possible causes are no internet access and low memory which cause the SSL handshake failed.

You should enable WiFi and SSL debug in IDE to see what's happen.

You should check the free heap at any point in your code because it is esp8266 which has limited memory which you should remove unnecessary library e.g. timeclient from your sketch as the configTime function for NTP time request is enough.

Thanks for the quick reply.
Though, i added the SSL and WiFi debugging and all i see is the below message:
"[hostByName] request IP for: www.googleapis.com
[hostByName] Host: www.googleapis.com lookup error: -6!"

The same message also for the NTPC client.

I really have no idea what is happening. Please advise if possible on how to proceed.
Thank you.

[mobizt]

No internet access.
Remove WiFi.config it should work.

[Chrislari]

Ok. That worked but now i cannot connect to my ESP remotely from my mobile since the local ip is not configured.

[Chrislari]

OK. I have to find a way to do assign an static IP to the ESP8266 since i use port forwarding to access it remotely.
Many thanks.