MicroPython wifi connection w. timeout

connectToWifi.py

import machine
import time
import network
import urequests

# Function to connect to a specific wifi network
def connectToWifi(wifi, essid, password, timeout):
    if not wifi.isconnected():
        print("Connecting to WiFi network...")
        wifi.connect(essid, password)
        # Wait until connected
        t = time.ticks_ms()
        while not wifi.isconnected():
            if time.ticks_diff(time.ticks_ms(), t) > timeout:
                wifi.disconnect()
                print("Timeout. Could not connect.")
                return False
        print("Successfully connected to " + essid)
        return True
    else:
        print("Already connected")
        return True

Could you explain me why does this works? Fo instance if I change line 10: wifi.connect(essid, password) for another function that takes time to execute it does not work.

If you change line 10, it will not connect, and thus the while-loop will only stop when the timeout runs out and it gives up.

It works by attempting to call wifi.connect(...), then waiting for a while (determined by the timeout parameter), if the time passes and it hasn't connected it will time out and call wifi.disconnect()

This was written as part of an educational initiative, and is not at all production level code, and shouldn't be used for anything but small non-important projects.