WiFi configuration

Two ways to give Pardalote your network details — use either, or both.

WiFi is Pardalote's default transport, but not the only one — the same code runs over the USB cable. The default begin() even listens on both: a board on WiFi will switch to USB when a browser connects over the cable. With no network at all, Pardalote.begin(PARDALOTE_SERIAL) skips WiFi entirely and the browser connects with connectSerial() — nothing on this page is needed in that mode.

Option A — compile-time (secrets.h)

Create a secrets.h file in the same folder as your sketch:

#define SECRET_SSID "YourWiFiName"
#define SECRET_PASS "YourWiFiPassword"

The credentials are baked into the firmware. Simple — but if you share or publish your code, add secrets.h to .gitignore first. Pardalote picks the file up automatically via __has_include; no other changes are needed.

Option B — EEPROM (Serial Monitor)

If no secrets.h is present, Pardalote detects that no credentials are stored on first boot and prompts you via the Serial Monitor at 115200 baud:

=== Pardalote ===
No WiFi networks stored.
=== WiFi Configuration ===
[a]dd  [d]elete  [c]lear all  [s]how  [x] exit
> a
SSID: YourWiFiName
Password: ********
Saved: YourWiFiName
> x

Credentials survive re-uploads and power cycles. Up to 5 networks can be stored — useful for moving between home, studio, and classroom. Press w in the Serial Monitor at any point while the board is trying to connect to update them.

Native-USB boards (ESP32-C5 / C3 / S3): if the Serial Monitor stays blank and this menu never appears, set Tools → USB CDC On Boot → Enabled and re-upload — otherwise Serial isn't routed to the USB port. See Troubleshooting.

Both options together

If SECRET_SSID is defined and EEPROM networks are also stored, Pardalote tries secrets.h first, then falls back to the EEPROM networks in order.

How the board connects

At boot the board goes straight to connecting — there's no pause. It tries each network for up to 10 seconds, in order, and if none connects it loops back to the first one and keeps going until one does. So a board that powers up before its router is ready will join as soon as the network appears.

Before each attempt it prints a reminder:

=== Pardalote ===
Stored networks:
  1. Studio
  2. HomeWiFi
Press 'w' to configure WiFi (or connect over USB)
Trying: Studio
Failed.
Press 'w' to configure WiFi (or connect over USB)
Trying: HomeWiFi

Press w at any time to stop and open the configuration menu. Connecting stays paused while you're in the menu. When you exit with x, it starts again from the first network.

After connecting

The board announces its IP address:

• UNO R4 WiFi: scrolls across the LED matrix
• ESP32: printed in the Serial Monitor at 115200 baud

That's the address your browser connects to — see Connecting.