OpenThread Leader Node Example (CLI)

This example demonstrates how to create an OpenThread Leader node using the CLI Helper Functions API.
The Leader node is the first device in a Thread network that manages the network and assigns router IDs. This example shows how to configure a Leader node manually using OpenThread CLI commands.

Supported Targets

Note on Thread Support:

• Thread support must be enabled in the ESP-IDF configuration (CONFIG_OPENTHREAD_ENABLED). This is done automatically when using the ESP32 Arduino OpenThread library.
• This example uses OpenThread.begin(false) which does not automatically start a Thread network, allowing manual configuration.

Features

• Manual Leader node configuration using CLI Helper Functions API
• Complete dataset initialization with network key and channel
• Network information display using native OpenThread API calls
• Demonstrates both CLI Helper Functions and native OpenThread API usage
• IPv6 address listing (unicast and multicast)

Hardware Requirements

• ESP32 compatible development board with Thread support (ESP32-H2, ESP32-C6, or ESP32-C5)
• USB cable for Serial communication

Software Setup

Prerequisites

1. Install the Arduino IDE (2.0 or newer recommended)
2. Install ESP32 Arduino Core with OpenThread support
3. ESP32 Arduino libraries:
   • OpenThread

Configuration

Before uploading the sketch, you can modify the network configuration:

#define CLI_NETWORK_KEY    "dataset networkkey 00112233445566778899aabbccddeeff"
#define CLI_NETWORK_CHANNEL "dataset channel 24"

Important:

• The network key must be a 32-character hexadecimal string (16 bytes)
• The channel must be between 11 and 26 (IEEE 802.15.4 channels)
• All devices in the same network must use the same network key and channel

Building and Flashing

1. Open the LeaderNode.ino sketch in the Arduino IDE.
2. Select your ESP32 board from the Tools > Board menu (ESP32-H2, ESP32-C6, or ESP32-C5).
3. Connect your ESP32 board to your computer via USB.
4. Click the Upload button to compile and flash the sketch.

Expected Output

Once the sketch is running, open the Serial Monitor at a baud rate of 115200. You should see output similar to the following:

Setting up OpenThread Node as Leader
=============================================
Thread Node State: Leader
Network Name: OpenThread-ESP
Channel: 24
PanID: 0x1234
Extended PAN ID: dead00beef00cafe
Network Key: 00112233445566778899aabbccddeeff
IP Address: fd00:db8:a0:0:0:ff:fe00:0
Multicast IP Address: ff02::1
Multicast IP Address: ff03::1
...

Using the Device

Leader Node Setup

The Leader node is automatically configured in setup() using the following sequence:

1. Initialize new dataset: Creates a complete dataset with random values
2. Set network key: Configures the network security key
3. Set channel: Configures the IEEE 802.15.4 channel
4. Commit dataset: Applies the dataset to the active configuration
5. Start interface: Brings up the network interface
6. Start Thread: Starts the Thread network

Network Information

Once the device becomes a Leader, the loop() function displays:

• Device role (Leader)
• Network name
• Channel
• PAN ID and Extended PAN ID
• Network key
• All IPv6 addresses (unicast and multicast)

Joining Other Devices

To join other devices to this network:

1. Use the same network key and channel in the Router/Child node examples
2. Start the Leader node first
3. Then start the Router/Child nodes

Code Structure

The LeaderNode example consists of the following main components:

1. setup():

   • Initializes Serial communication
   • Starts OpenThread stack with OpenThread.begin(false) (no auto-start)
   • Initializes OpenThread CLI
   • Configures the device as a Leader using CLI Helper Functions:
     • OThreadCLI.println() - Sends CLI commands
     • Commands: "dataset init new", "dataset networkkey", "dataset channel", "dataset commit active", "ifconfig up", "thread start"

2. loop():

   • Checks if device role is Leader using OpenThread.otGetDeviceRole()
   • Displays network information using native OpenThread API calls:
     • otThreadGetNetworkName() - Network name
     • otLinkGetChannel() - Channel
     • otLinkGetPanId() - PAN ID
     • otThreadGetExtendedPanId() - Extended PAN ID
     • otThreadGetNetworkKey() - Network key
     • otIp6GetUnicastAddresses() - Unicast IPv6 addresses
     • otIp6GetMulticastAddresses() - Multicast IPv6 addresses
   • Updates every 5 seconds

Troubleshooting

• Device not becoming Leader: Ensure this is the first device started, or clear NVS to start fresh
• Network key/channel mismatch: Verify all devices use the same network key and channel
• No network information: Wait for the device to become Leader (may take a few seconds)
• No serial output: Check baudrate (115200) and USB connection

Related Documentation

• OpenThread CLI Helper Functions API
• OpenThread Core API
• OpenThread Overview

License

This example is licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0.