REC WiFi Grill App Example Video. 1

iPhone Setup Video. 1

Android Setup Video. 1

Phone App Method for Configuring the WiFi Module. 1

Installing the RECWifiGrill App. 1

Connecting the Wi-Fi Module to Your Grill Control 1

Setting Up Ad Hoc Communication with your iPhone. 1

Setting Up Ad Hoc Communication with your Android Device. 1

Connecting the Wi-Fi Module to Your Home Network. 1

Installing Cloud Operation. 1

Registering Your Wi-Fi Module at ROANOKECONTROLS.CLOUD.. 1

Mounting the Wi-Fi Module in Your Grill 1

Setting the Wi-Fi Module to Default Settings. 1

PC Setup Application. 1

Mac Setup Application. 1

PC Method for Configuring the WiFi Module. 1

The Wi-Fi Module shown above was designed and manufactured by Roanoke Electronic Controls, Inc. to allow wireless Wi-Fi communication with wood pellet grills that utilize our grill controls. The Wi-Fi module can operate in 3 modes.

1.       As an ad hoc network where the grill Wi-Fi Module appears as a wireless access point and your phone communicates directly with the module by connecting to it as you would any other wireless network.

2.       As a normal home network, where the grill control is wirelessly connected to your home network and your phone communicates with the grill via the home network.

3.       As a cloud network where communication between your phone and the Wi-Fi Module goes through a cloud server. This allows you to monitor your grill when you are away from your home network. You can communicate with your grill from anywhere with internet service which is almost anywhere. (This mode of operation requires your home network to have internet service)

The purpose of these instructions is to guide you in accomplishing 6 tasks. First, you′ll need to install the phone app (iPhone or android). Then we will connect the Wi-Fi Module to your grill control in task 2. In task 3, we will get your phone and the Wi-Fi Module communicating as an ad hoc network. In task 4, we will connect the Wi-Fi Module to your home network to allow your phone to communicate with the Wi-Fi Module via your home network. In task 5, we will get cloud communication established. During tasks 3, 4 and 5 the Wi-Fi Module will be sitting on a grill shelf similar to that shown above so the display can be read. In task 6, we will mount the Wi-Fi module in the grill.

Installation of the RECWiFiGrill Android app is done as all other Android apps.

1.         From the home screen, tap Play Store.

2.         At the top of the page, tap Google Play and enter ″RECWiFiGrill″ in the search window.

3.         The logo of the RECWiFiGrill app will appear. Tap the logo.

4.         Tap ″Install″ and ″Accept″.

5.         The app will begin downloading and installing.

Installation of the RECWiFiGrill iPhone app is done as all other iPhone apps

1.       From the home screen, Tap App Store. (To install apps, you must sign in with your Apple ID or create one).

2.       Tap Search located at the bottom of the screen then enter RECWiFiGrill.

3.       Tap Get then tap Install (There is no charge)

4.       If prompted, sign in to the iTunes Store to complete the install.

First, unplug the pellet grill from A/C power. The Wi-Fi Module is connected to the grill control with a 3 foot telco cable (RJ11 6P/4C). Connect one end of the RJ11 cable to the Wi-Fi Module via an RJ11 connector (right side) as shown above. Connect the other end to an existing RJ11 connector on the grill control.

Place a piece of paper on the grill shelf nearest to the grill control and sit the connected Wi-Fi Module on the piece of paper in a manner that allows you to read the module display.

Plug the grill into A/C power. You will see the display on the Wi-Fi Module start to function. The first thing displayed will be:

[c] 2016 REC, INC.

This indicates that the firmware in this module was developed by REC, Inc. in 2016 and that it is copyright protected. The next displays indicate some initializing functions that must be completed before the module can communicate.

Program Execute

WiFi Startup

Setup Step (0,1, & 2)

Setup Scan

The module then starts displaying 4 pieces of information in a round robin fashion. If you need to call for help with a problem, it would be very helpful if you would make note of these 4 pieces of information.

Host 61 SDK 152

There are two microprocessors in the Wi-Fi module. This display indicates the firmware version in these two devices. At the time of this writing, these are the current firmware versions.

AccPoint Mode

This indicates that the Wi-Fi module is operating as a wireless access point and it is not connected to a network.

AP SSID XX:XX:XX

This indicates the Access Point Service Set Identifier. The X′s shown are alpha numeric digits (0-9, A, B, C, D, E, F). The least significant 6 digits of the Mac ID number (see below) are the numbers in the SSID number. This number is used by communicating devices as a means of recognizing the access point.

MAC XXXX XXXXXXXX

Each Wi-Fi Module has a Mac ID number that is unique. The X′s shown are alpha numeric digits (0-9, A, B, C, D, E, F). An example of a MAC ID number is 1AFE34DA1449. The least significant 6 digits are important when the unit is operating as an Access Point because if you scan for available wireless networks on your phone, the Wi-Fi module will show up on the scan as RECGRILLXXXXXX or in the example RECGRILLDA1449.

Make a note of these 4 displays before proceeding.

On your iPhone (Android allows Wi-Fi network switching inside apps) with the Wi-Fi Module powered up, scan for available wireless networks. There should be an available network in the list named

RECGRILLXXXXXX where the X′s are the least significant 6 digits of the Mac ID number. If it doesn′t show up, wait a few minutes (it takes a while for the Wi-Fi Module to get initialized) and try again.

Select the wireless network RECGRILLXXXXXX. When prompted, enter the password ″password″. The settings app should indicate that you are now connected to RECGRILLXXXXXX.

Now launch the app on your phone.

The initial page of the iPhone app is the discovery page that will show all available grills that the app can find. If operating in an ″ad hoc″ mode where the grill isn′t connected to a network and is operating as a wireless access point, then the only grill that will be listed is the grill that you wirelessly connected to. An example is shown below:

The top line is the MAC ID# of the grill and the bottom line is the IP address of the control. Tap on the listed grill. When the app launches check the display in the lower left corner of the grill. For the initial launch, the display may indicate that the grill is an incompatible grill as shown below:

If this occurs, then tap the settings button in the upper right corner to launch the configuration menu.

At the bottom of the configuration page change the product ID to 1001, then tap the Back button in the upper left-hand corner.

You should return to the main page as shown below:

You should at least see a temperature appear under Grill Temp and the lower left-hand corner will give some status information (in the case of this screen shot, the ignitor is off and the grill is warm) followed by the product ID of the grill (1001). The communication progress line at the bottom of the display should be moving from left to right and repeating. If so then congratulations, you gotten the 1^st mode of operation functioning.

Launch the application. On the main page, there will be a scan button, as shown below:

Tap scan to search for your grills network. You will be presented a list of available networks, as shown in snippet below:

The list will show available grills that will be listed as RECGRILLXXXXXX. Select the available grill where XXXXXX is equal to the least significant 6 digits of your Mac ID number and it will prompt you to enter the password to connect to the grill:

After selecting the grill, the app will display information about the grill:

Congratulations, you have the first mode of operation functioning.

Connecting the Wi-Fi Module to your home network has a number of benefits. Your phone will also be connected to your home network which means you can check email and browse the web and check on your grill′s operation without changing network connections. Also, the communication range will be greater. If your grill is on your back deck and your phone is communicating directly with the grill (not connected to your home network), then the range of communication probably won′t include your entire house. If you′re on your front porch, then your phone′s Wi-Fi signal probably will not make it to be back deck where the grill is. When you are communicating with your home network, you will probably have the full range of your house to communicate with the grill.

Connect your phone to the Wi-Fi Module as you did in task 3 and launch the REC WiFiGrill app. Again, the initial page will show all grills that the app can find (usually just one). Select your grill. The main page will be displayed and the grill should be communicating with the app.

Press ″SETUP″ in the upper right corner of the display. The configuration menu will be displayed. Press ″Scan for Networks″. It may take 30 seconds or so for the list to be complete. You should see the name of your home network in the list. Select your home network. When prompted, enter the password for your wireless home network and press ″OK″. This will automatically connect your Wi-Fi Module to your home network. Your device will also connect to the same network that you selected at the same time. When this is done, the app will go back to the main screen.

Observe the display on the Wi-Fi Module. Two of the four displays that are displayed in a round robin manner should have changed. Rather than displaying:

AccPoint Mode

The module will display:

Station Linked

Instead of displaying:

AP SSID XX:XX:XX

Where X′s are the least significant 6 digits of the Mac ID number. The unit will display:

STA SSID YYYYYYYY

Where the Y′s will spell the name of your home network.

If the app functioned after you connected the Wi-Fi module to your home network and the two round robin displays mentioned above changed correctly, then congratulations. You′ve gotten the 2^nd mode of operation working. If not, then go to the section below called ″Setting the Wi-Fi Module to Default Settings″ then start again at ″Connecting the Wi-Fi Module to Your Home Network″ above.

Connect your phone to the Wi-Fi Module as you did in task 3 and launch the RECWiFiGrill app. The app should begin communicating with your grill. If the blue line at the bottom of the screen traverses completely from left to right on the screen, then it is communicating fine.

Press ″Settings″ in the upper righthand corner of the display. The ″Configuration Menu″ will be shown. Select ″Scan for Networks″. It may take 30 seconds or so for the list to be populated. You should see the name of your home network on the list. Select your network by touching the name. When prompted for a password, enter the password then press ″done″. You will see a message ″Waiting for Confirmation″ followed by ″Modification complete Update Phone to match″.

Launch the Settings App and connect your phone to your home wireless network. Observe the display on the Wi-Fi grill. It may take a full minute to display it, but you should see a display that says:

Station Linked

There should also see a display that shows:

STA SSID YYYYYYYY

Where ″YYYYYYYY″ will spell the name of your wireless home network.

Relaunch the app. The app should function as before, but your phone is communicating with the grill through your home network. If so then congratulations, you have the 2^nd mode of operation of the Wi-Fi module functioning.

If not, then go to the section below called ″Setting the Wi-Fi Module to Default Settings″ then start again at ″Connecting the Wi-Fi Module to Your Home Network″ above.

Cloud operation is only possible when you′ve gotten the Wi-Fi module connected to your home network and your home network has internet access.

The default setting of the Wi-Fi module has cloud operation disabled. Just to the right and below the Wi-Fi module display are two LED′s. One is red and the other is blue. If for some reason the blue LED is on, then cloud operation is enabled and you can skip this step to enable cloud operation. If it′s not on, then (while the Wi-Fi Module is displaying the four round robin displays), press and hold the pushbutton switch located at the top center of the Wi-Fi Module until the unit displays:

Hold for Exit

Release the switch, then press and release the switch until the unit displays:

Hold for Cloud On

Press and hold the switch until the blue LED comes on. Then release the switch. Cloud Operation has been enabled.

The next step is to create an account at roanokecontrols.cloud. You can do this from the settings page of the phone app or just visit roanokecontrols.cloud on your computer. Select ″Sign Up″ to create an account. You will be prompted to enter a user name, an email address and a password. A confirmation email will be sent to the email address you entered. Click on the confirmation link in the email to create the account. You′ve now created an account with us, but you still need to register the Wi-Fi module. If you log into roanokecontrols.cloud , the site will inform you that you have no devices associated with your account. The only way to register the grill on roanokecontrols.cloud is via the phone app

On the phone app (Android and iPhone) press ″Settings″ in the upper right corner of the display to launch the Configuration Menu. Select Register Device. If you′ve already created an account, enter the Username and password. If not, you can tap ″RoanokeControls.cloud″ to go to our cloud site to create an account. When you′re done creating an account, you will need to return to the Wi-Fi app to enter your cloud username and password. Press send (or done) when they are entered. You will see a ″Waiting for Confirmation″ message followed by a ″Registration Complete″ message.

On your phone, tablet or computer, go to roanokecontrols.cloud and log in. If your grill has been registered correctly, a page will be brought up showing information about your grill. It will have all the information that the app shows. You can change the grill and meat probe set point and you can send a shutdown signal to your grill. The only thing you can′t do is turn the grill from off to on via the cloud and the app.

The grill information isn′t updated on a continual basis. If the grill is off, then information will be sent from the grill to the cloud every two minutes. If the grill is on, the information will be sent from the grill to the cloud every 20 seconds. The web site at roanokecontrols.cloud indicates a ″Last Updated″ date and time. This is the date and time that the grill information was sent from the grill to the cloud.

Please note, when the android or iPhone app is launched and the grills are set up for cloud operation; the grill discovery page will list available grills via the network the phone is connected to and the grills that are available via the cloud. Grills available via the network will have the grills IP address underneath it in the list. Grills available via the cloud will have ″Cloud Access″ underneath. It is possible for a grill to be listed twice. Once as a grill available on the network and again as a grill available with cloud access. You can select that grill with either kind of access. If no cloud access grills are listed and you think there should be, you may need to log into the cloud. Press the ″Log In″ button in the upper righthand corner of the discovery page to log in then press the return button in the upper left corner of the log in page to return to the discovery page.

If you are getting information from your account on roanokecontrols.cloud then congratulations you have the 3^rd mode of Wi-Fi operation up and running. The only thing left is task 6 which is mounting the Wi-Fi module in the grill.

The mounting location of the Wi-Fi module should be on a ″cool″ wall of the grill. The location of the mounting hole should be chosen so the module can be mounted with the LCD display and telco connectors towards the top. The location chosen on a Blazing Grill Works grill is shown below:

Drill the mounting hole with a 3/8″ drill bit. Deburr the hole inside and out with a round file or with a larger drill bit. The hardware to mount the Wi-Fi module consists of a spacer, a shoulder washer, a lock washer and mounting nut.

Place the spacer onto the Wi-Fi antennae mount as shown below:

The spacer should be placed on the antennae mount with the flat side up as shown. The bottom side is indented to accommodate the base of the antennae mount. The module should be mounted from the inside of the grill out as shown below:

While holding the module in place, place the shoulder washer onto the antennae mount with the shoulder of the washer fitting inside of the drilled hole as shown below:

While still holding the Wi-Fi Module in place, place the lock washer and nut on the antennae mount and tighten as shown below (tighten the nut until the Wi-Fi module is held snugly in place, but do not over tighten since you could break the antennae mount from the printed circuit board):

Screw the antennae onto the antennae mount (hand tight). Connect the Wi-Fi Module to the grill control with the supplied telco connector as shown previously and the installation is complete.

While the Wi-Fi Module is displaying the four round robin displays, press and hold the pushbutton switch located at the top center of the Wi-Fi Module until the unit displays:

Hold for Exit

Release the pushbutton switch, then press and release the pushbutton switch until the unit displays:

Hold for Defaults

Press and hold the pushbutton switch until the module resets and displays:

[c] 2016 REC, INC.

Release the pushbutton switch. The module is now at factory default settings.

RECWiFiGrill_PC_Config_Version_1_1.zip

RECWiFiGrill_Mac_Config_v1.2.pkg

To configure the Wi-Fi module to work on your grill, there are only four items that must be provided to the module. The module will need to know your home wireless network name and password as well as your REC Cloud user name and password.

You′ll need a computer that is within range of your wireless home network and has a USB port. You′ll also need the included USB to micro‐B cable (shown below).

The PC software used in this procedure is here, or you can use the Mac version. After unzipping the file, you′ll see the file RECWiFiGrill_PC_Config.exe and a folder named data as shown below. There is nothing in the data folder that you need to see or access. It contains drivers to communicate with the module and firmware to update the module if necessary. These things are handled automatically in the procedure.

To get started, use the USB cable to connect the module do your computer. The module will power up and go through some initialization routines. Allow the module to power up to the point that you see:

MAC XXXX

XXXXXXXX

Where the X′s are the MAC ID of the unit.

Double click the icon for RECWiFiGrill_PC_Config.exe. You′ll see the page below:

The Wi-Fi module uses an FTDI chip to serially communicate with the computer via USB port. FTDI drivers are commonly installed on a lot of computers. If you know that your computer has this driver then click ″Next″ to skip this, otherwise, click ″Install USB Driver″.

Click next. The page below will be shown:

The software will then proceed to find the port number to communicate with the Wi-Fi module. If the firmware in your Wi-Fi Module needs to be updated, the software will reprogram your Wi-Fi module with the latest firmware. Press ″Next″ to continue to the page shown below:

The software will then show a list of the Wi-Fi networks that can be found. Select the network that you want to connect with and press next to continue to the page below:

Enter the password for the network and press ″Next″ to continue.

The Wi-Fi Module will then log into your network. This will take some time to accomplish since it requires resetting the Wi-Fi Module. If successful, you will see what is shown below:

Press ″Next″ to advance to the page below:

Enter your REC Cloud username and password. If you haven′t created an account, click the ″Create Account″ button. Click next to proceed to the page below:

The module at this point is fully set up to work on your grill. To see if the module is communicating with the cloud. Log into roanokecontrols.cloud You should see data for the Wi-Fi Module. Since it′s not connected to an actual grill yet, some data like temperature will be shown as ″9999″, but if you′re seeing data for this module then it′s connected to your network and is successfully communicating with the cloud.