This example demonstrates how to use OpenThread, an open-source implementation of the Thread networking protocol, on Espressif SoCs through ESP-IDF. Thread is a low-power, IPv6-based mesh networking protocol designed for connected devices in smart homes and IoT applications. It provides reliable communication, self-healing mesh capabilities, and secure commissioning, making it an important foundation for modern connected ecosystems, including Matter (formerly CHIP).
The ot_cli example exposes the full OpenThread command-line interface (CLI) over a serial console. Developers can interact with the Thread stack directly, issue commands to create or join a Thread network, configure devices as routers or end devices, and test connectivity between nodes. By using this example, you can gain hands-on experience with how Thread devices form a network, route messages, and communicate securely.
Beyond basic networking commands, the CLI can be extended to experiment with application-layer communication, such as sending UDP/TCP messages between nodes, integrating with higher-level protocols, or even bridging Thread with Wi-Fi or Ethernet via an OpenThread Border Router (OTBR). This makes the ot_cli example a flexible starting point for exploring both Thread fundamentals and advanced use cases on ESP platforms.
To run this OT-CLI example on ESP32 boards, there are following Hardware-software Prerequisites -
- To run this example, a board with IEEE 802.15.4 module (for example ESP32-H2)/ESP32-C6 is required.
- ESP32-H2-DevKitM-1
- ESP32-C6-DevKitC-1
- PC with Windows/Linux/MacOS
- Latest version of ESP-IDF
- Or You can use VSCode with ESP-IDF extensions
📕 YouTube Video Links
- In this tutorial we will see How to run ot-cli example on ESP32 boards
📒 Important Links
🌐 What is OpenThread - Docs - 🔗 https://github.com/openthread/openthread
📙 ESP-IDF Programming Guide - 🔗 https://docs.espressif.com/projects/esp-idf/en/stable/esp32/index.html
📙 ESP-IDF Extension for VSCode - 🔗 https://docs.espressif.com/projects/vscode-esp-idf-extension/en/latest/
🌐 OT-CLI Repository - 🔗 https://github.com/espressif/esp-idf/tree/master/examples/openthread/ot_cli
🌐 OpenThread CLI Reference 🔗 https://github.com/openthread/openthread/blob/main/src/cli/README.md
📜 Source Code, Circuit Diagrams and Documentation :
🌐 GitHub Repository - 🔗 https://github.com/make2explore/ESP32-OpenThread-Command-Line-Example
🌐 Hackster Blog - 🔗 https://www.hackster.io/make2explore
🌐 Instructable Blog - 🔗 https://www.instructables.com/make2explore
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
