tiyn/wiki
1
0
Fork 0
mirror of https://github.com/tiyn/wiki.git synced 2025-10-09 09:27:53 +02:00
Code Issues Projects Releases Wiki Activity
wiki/wiki/microcontroller.md

2.9 KiB
Raw Blame History

Microcontroller

Microcontroller are small computers on an integrated circuit. It contains a processor, memory and programmable in- and output.

ESP32

The ESP32 is a cheap and low-energy microcontroller made by Espressif Systems. It features Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Some variants of this chip also include LoRa-capability and can be used to communicate via Meshtastic.

Usage

The following sections address various usages and setups of the ESP32.

Setup in Arduino IDE

For the ESP32 to work correctly in the Arduino IDE some things have to be set up. This section addresses the steps to take to use the ESP32 with the Arduino IDE.

Under preferences set the following URL under Additional boards manager URLs.

https://raw.githubusercontent.com/espressif/arduino-esp32/gh-pages/package_esp32_index.json

Afterwards install the board manager esp32.

Flash Firmware on the ESP32

This section especially focusses on the ESP32S3 microcontroller. Make sure that the ESP32 is in programming mode. For other microcontroller of the ESP32-xx family the process should be similar. This following guide is written for Windows.

  • Download ESP RF Test Tool and Test Guide
  • Download Firmware of ESP32S3
  • Open EspRFTestTool_vX.X_Manual.exe
    • Select the ESP32S3 as ChipType
    • Select the correct COM for your ESP
    • Set the BaudRate to 115200
    • Click open
    • Click Select Bin and search for your ESP32S3 Firmware (probably named xiao_esp32s3_firmware.bin or similar)
    • Left of the Select Bin button select USB and Flash for the two drop-down options
    • Click Load Bin
    • After the upload of the data a completion message should appear
  • The ESP32S3 is completely flashed

Programming Mode

When connecting an ESP32 to the computer it needs to be in programming mode. If it is not in programming mode it will show up as port but will encounter Write Timeout Errors when trying to flash programs or firmware onto it. To put the ESP32 in the programming mode press and hold the Boot-Button (usually labeled B). Then press and release the Reset-Button (usually labeled R). Afterwards release the Boot-Button. The board now should be in programming mode and it should be possible to upload and flash programs or firmware onto it. This section is based on a Reddit comment by cmatkin.

Troubleshooting

The following sections address various errors that can occur when using the ESP32.

Can Not Access the Microcontroller Under Linux

Sometimes the rights to access the ESP32 are set wrong. To fix this run the following command.

sudo chmod 777 /dev/ttyACM0