/AtomGPS_wigler

Uses an ATOM M5 GPS Kit for Wigle wardriving

Primary LanguageC++

GitHub Tag

AtomGPS Wigler

Table of Contents

Overview

AtomGPS Wigler is a wardriving tool originally created by @lozaning. For use with the M5Stack Atom GPS kit, this tool is specifically designed for Wi-Fi network geolocation. LED status indicators are outlined below. Wigle compatible CSV files are written to SD.

Prerequisites

  • M5 AtomGPS
  • SD card (Formatted FAT32)
  • Arduino IDE or Esptool.py

Flashing to AtomGPS

  • Download this forked codebase: 
    git clone https://github.com/lukeswitz/AtomGPS_wigler.git
cd AtomGPS_wigler/build

Method One: Esptool.py

1. Locate the device:

  • Linux

    ls /dev/ttyUSB*

  • macOS:

    ls /dev/cu.*
    • Windows, check COM port in Device Manager.

2. Flash the firmware, partition and bootloader:

Warning

Ensure you have the latest version of esptool.py installed from the link above, or a known warning about header fields will display when flashing.

  • Navigate to the build folder (if not already there).
  • Flash using the following command inside the build folder or by specifying file paths:

esptool.py -p [YOUR_PORT] -b 1500000 --before default_reset --after hard_reset --chip esp32 write_flash --flash_mode dio --flash_size detect --flash_freq 80m 0x1000 AtomGPS_wigler_v1_6.bootloader.bin 0x8000 AtomGPS_wigler_v1_6.partitions.bin 0x10000 AtomGPS_wigler_v1_6.bin

Method Two: Arduino IDE

1. Open the .ino file in Arduino IDE (or copy and paste it into a new sketch).

2. Add & Install ESP32 Boards:

  • Open Arduino IDE.
  • Go to File > Preferences.
  • Add https://dl.espressif.com/dl/package_esp32_index.json to "Additional Boards Manager URLs."
  • Click OK.
  • Navigate to Tools > Board > Boards Manager.
  • Search for "esp32" and search for "esp32 by Espressif Systems" and click Install
image

3. Add the Required Libraries:

M5Atom
SD
SPI
TinyGPSPlus
WiFi

For example:

  • Library Manager > search M5Atom. Click Install.
image

4. Set Board: Tools > Board > esp32 > M5Atom

5. The default settings are as below:

image

6. Click Upload

SD Configuration

FIRST: Create a plaintext file named config.txt on the SD card.

The config.txt file on the SD card can contain the following variables, each defined on a new line

Variables

  1. speedBased

    • Type: Boolean
    • Default: false
    • Description: Determines if the scanning delay is based on the speed of the device.
    • Values: true or false
    • Example: speedBased=true

  2. scanDelay

    • Type: Integer
    • Default: 150
    • Description: The delay in milliseconds between scans when speedBased is false.
    • Values: Any positive integer
    • Example: scanDelay=1000

  3. adaptiveScan

    • Type: Boolean
    • Default: true
    • Description: Enables adaptive scanning, adjusting the scan time based on the number of networks found.
    • Values: true or false
    • Example: adaptiveScan=false

  4. channels

    • Type: Array of up to 14 Integers, with reuse possible.
    • Default: channels=1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11
    • Description: A comma-separated list of WiFi channels to scan.
    • Values: Any valid WiFi channel numbers (1-11 for most regions)
    • Example: channels=1,6,11,12,13,14

Example config.txt

speedBased=false
scanDelay=250
adaptiveScan=true
channels=1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11

Note

  • When speedBased is true it will override scanDelay.
  • Ensure there are no spaces.
  • Only valid channels for your region should be included in the channels array to ensure compliance with local regulations.
  • Adjust the scanDelay value to balance between scan frequency and power consumption when speedBased is set to false.

Get out Wardriving!

After flashing, the device scans for Wi-Fi networks, using LEDs to display status. Configure with the SD config.txt file or use the defaults as described.

LED Indicators

  • RED blink if the SD card is missing/write error.
  • PURPLE blink while waiting for a GPS fix.
  • GREEN blink during scanning
  • Press and hold the button during scanning to toggle the Green LED.

Bonus: Contribute to the wigle.net database. Or join the community and compete to find the most Wi-Fi networks.

Feedback & Community

Detailed review and instructions for beginners | Thanks to kampf for the writeup:

Caution

Wardriving may not be legal in all locations. Please check local laws and obtain proper consent where necessary.