Autoconnect only for SoftAP mode

[francescogirotto]

Can I use Autoconnect only for work in softAP mode without block the main() ?

[Hieromon]

AutoConnect aims to establish a connection to any AP by the ESP module itself as a WiFi station. (ie. as a WiFi client) So it can't keep the ESP module in only SoftAP mode.
If you enable the AutoConnectConfig::preserveAPMode setting, AutoConnect maintains the AP mode state when you call the library. If you enable AutoConnectConfig::preserveAPMode and start SoftAP prior to AutoConnect::begin, AutoConnect will not interfere with that SoftAP.
Also, to disabe AutoConnectConfig::autoRise setting. This setting directs to AutoConnect not to start the captive portal. Please note that AutoConnect aims to establish a connection with any AP and will try to be a station always.

It depends on the following logic sequence as a template:

// For ESP8266, The same is true for ESP32 with the appropriate include directives.
#include <Arduino.h>
#include <ESP8266WiFi.h>       // WiFi.h for ESP32
#include <ESP8266WebServer.h>  // WebServer.h for ESP32
#include <AutoConnect.h>

AutoConnect portal;
AutoConnectConfig config;

const char* apSSID = "ap-esp";
const char* apPW = "ap-password";

IPAddress ipAP(192, 168, 1, 1);
IPAddress ipGW(192, 168, 1, 1);
IPAddress ipNM(255, 255, 255, 0);

// Start with SoftAP alone
void startAP() {
  WiFi.mode(WIFI_AP);
  delay(1000);
  WiFi.softAPConfig(ipAP, ipGW, ipNM);
  WiFi.softAP(apSSID, apPW);
  do {
    delay(100);
    yield();
  } while (!WiFi.softAPIP());
}

void setup() {
  delay(1000);
  startAP();
  // Prevents to stop SoftAP due to AutoConnect::begin
  config.preserveAPMode = true;
  // Disabling autoRise prevents AutoConnect from trying to connect to any AP as WIFI_STA.
  // However, WIFI_STA mode will be entered.
  config.autoRise = false;
  config.immediateStart = true;

  portal.config(config);
  portal.begin();         // Keeps AP mode but launches WIFI_STA
  WiFi.enableSTA(false);  // Shutdown STA
}

void loop() {
  portal.handleClient();
}

But it still launches WiFi_STA (it has the effect of initiating the WiFi station component of the ESP modules)
WiFi.enableSTA(false) to shut down its STA.