ESP8266 ESP-01 doesn't react

Hi!

I can't make ESP8266 work with Espruino. I'm using USB-TTL converter. Flashing works without any problems:

esptool.py -p /dev/tty.usbserial write_flash 0 espruino_1v90_esp8266_combined_512.bin
esptool.py v1.2.1
Connecting...
Auto-detected Flash size: 8m
Running Cesanta flasher stub...
Flash params set to 0x0020
Writing 524288 @ 0x0... 524288 (100 %)
Wrote 524288 bytes at 0x0 in 47.2 seconds (88.9 kbit/s)...
Leaving...

After that, I disconnect it from the computer and connect again (GPIO to ground) and launch Espruino Web IDE. I choose /dev/tty.usbserial and the connection is established. But I can't write anything in the console at the left.

What should I do to make it work?

1 Attachment

When you are flashing gpio0 shall be grounded.

When running, shall gpio0 be left ungrounded, or pulled up with a resistor.

Remenber to put ch_pd to 3.3 volt to enable it.

In the IDE check tht the baud rate is 115200. It defaults to 9600 and that needs to be changed.

@Frida, yes, I tried to disconnect gpio0 after flashing, but the result is the same.

@Wilberforce, yes, I set it to 115200.

Does /dev/tty.usbserial or /dev/cu.usbserial matter on flashing stage or on connection from Web IDE? Which should I choose?

By the way, when I'm trying to write any text in the console a small LED on USB-TTL is flashing on every button push, but the console is still empty.

@user71504 I'd try rule out a glitch with the IDE - it's not unheard of for things to break between the chrome app and the OS version - so maybe try connect from the command line using the 'screen' command. I'd also consider using esptool's 'erase_flash' option before flashing. This will wipe the ESP8266-01. Failing this, I'd be looking at the board itself. If you have another try that.

@Ollie, yes, I tried screen too. The result is the same - empty screen. And yes, I erased it before flashing.

Before Espruino I used Arduino IDE to write firmware for it and it worked without problems.

Oh. I only have two more suggestions then - flash at a lower baud rate - I can't tell what the speed was from the snippet, and lastly try an earlier version of the binary - and maybe not just the combined file try the user1.bin, blank.bin and boot_v1.6.bin approach. I have 1.87.

@Ollie, I just tried 1.87 and console started giving a response. I disconnected gpio0 and launched the Web IDE:

>1+1
=2
>wifi.getStatus()
Uncaught ReferenceError: "wifi" is not defined
 at line 1 col 5
wifi.getStatus()
    ^
>var wifi = require("Wifi");
=function () { [native code] }
>wifi.connect("TP-LINK", {password: "password"},function(err){if(err)console.log(err);else console.log("connected!");})
=undefined
connected!
>wifi.getStatus()
={
  "mode": "sta+ap",
  "station": "connected",
  "ap": "enabled",
  "phy": "11n",
  "powersave": "ps-poll",
  "savedMode": "off"
 }
> 

But when I tried to upload a simple sketch I received errors:

Sketch:

setInterval(function() {
  console.log('Hello, world!');
}, 3000);

Output:

>
 _____                 _
|   __|___ ___ ___ _ _|_|___ ___
|   __|_ -| . |  _| | | |   | . |
|_____|___|  _|_| |___|_|_|_|___|
          |_| http://espruino.com
 1v87 Copyright 2016 G.Williams
Espruino is Open Source. Our work is supported
only by sales of official boards and donations:
http://espruino.com/Donate
Flash map 1MB:512/512, manuf 0xc8 chip 0x4014
>Erasing Flash.....
Writing...
Compressed 27200 bytes toLoading 75 bytes from flash...
 ets Jan  8 2013,rst cause:2, boot mode:(3,7)
load 0x40100000, len 1396, room 16
tail 4
chksum 0x89
load 0x3ffe8000, len 776, room 4
tail 4
chksum 0xe8
load 0x3ffe8308, len 540, room 4
tail 8
chksum 0xc0
csum 0xc0
2nd boot version : 1.4(b1)
  SPI Speed      : 40MHz
  SPI Mode       : QIO
  SPI Flash Size & Map: 8Mbit(512KB+512KB)
jump to run user1 @ 1000
don't use rtc mem data
rlLoading 75 bytes from flash...
 ets Jan  8 2013,rst cause:2, boot mode:(3,7)
load 0x40100000, len 1396, room 16
tail 4
chksum 0x89
load 0x3ffe8000, len 776, room 4
tail 4
chksum 0xe8
load 0x3ffe8308, len 540, room 4
tail 8
chksum 0xc0
csum 0xc0
2nd boot version : 1.4(b1)
  SPI Speed      : 40MHz
  SPI Mode       : QIO
  SPI Flash Size & Map: 8Mbit(512KB+512KB)
jump to run user1 @ 1000
r,Loading 75 bytes from flash...
 ets Jan  8 2013,rst cause:2, boot mode:(3,7)
load 0x40100000, len 1396, room 16
tail 4
chksum 0x89
load 0x3ffe8000, len 776, room 4
tail 4
chksum 0xe8
load 0x3ffe8308, len 540, room 4
tail 8
chksum 0xc0
csum 0xc0
2nd boot version : 1.4(b1)
  SPI Speed      : 40MHz
  SPI Mode       : QIO
  SPI Flash Size & Map: 8Mbit(512KB+512KB)
jump to run user1 @ 1000
r,Loading 75 bytes from flash...
ERROR: Prompt not detected - upload failed. Trying to recover...
 ets Jan  8 2013,rst cause:2, boot mode:(3,7)
load 0x40100000, len 1396, room 16
tail 4
chksum 0x89
load 0x3ffe8000, len 776, room 4
tail 4
chksum 0xe8
load 0x3ffe8308, len 540, room 4
tail 8
chksum 0xc0
csum 0xc0
2nd boot version : 1.4(b1)
  SPI Speed      : 40MHz
  SPI Mode       : QIO
  SPI Flash Size & Map: 8Mbit(512KB+512KB)
jump to run user1 @ 1000
r,Loading 75 bytes from flash...
 ets Jan  8 2013,rst cause:2, boot mode:(3,7)
load 0x40100000, len 1396, room 16
tail 4
chksum 0x89
load 0x3ffe8000, len 776, room 4
tail 4
chksum 0xe8
load 0x3ffe8308, len 540, room 4
tail 8
chksum 0xc0
csum 0xc0
2nd boot version : 1.4(b1)
  SPI Speed      : 40MHz
  SPI Mode       : QIO
  SPI Flash Size & Map: 8Mbit(512KB+512KB)
jump to run user1 @ 1000
r,Loading 75 bytes from flash...
 ets Jan  8 2013,rst cause:2, boot mode:(3,7)
load 0x40100000, len 1396, room 16
tail 4
chksum 0x89
load 0x3ffe8000, len 776, room 4
tail 4
chksum 0xe8
load 0x3ffe8308, len 540, room 4
tail 8
chksum 0xc0
csum 0xc0
2nd boot version : 1.4(b1)
  SPI Speed      : 40MHz
  SPI Mode       : QIO
  SPI Flash Size & Map: 8Mbit(512KB+512KB)
jump to run user1 @ 1000
r,Loading 75 bytes from flash...
 ets Jan  8 2013,rst cause:2, boot mode:(3,7)
load 0x40100000, len 1396, room 16
tail 4
chksum 0x89
load 0x3ffe8000, len 776, room 4
tail 4
chksum 0xe8
load 0x3ffe8308, len 540, room 4
tail 8
chksum 0xc0
csum 0xc0
2nd boot version : 1.4(b1)
  SPI Speed      : 40MHz
  SPI Mode       : QIO
  SPI Flash Size & Map: 8Mbit(512KB+512KB)
jump to run user1 @ 1000
r,Loading 75 bytes from flash...
Disconnected

I'm going to say power is unstable/insufficient.

Do you have a capacitor between GND and 3.3v on the ESP8266-01? It's been a while since I used an 01 but I the thing did keep resetting without the capacitor.

I'm using this schema. Just unplug GPOI0 from the ground after flashing.

1 Attachment

Maybe try the capacitor, between VCC and GND. Also without being connected to wifi - do you have more success loading a sketch?

I tried it without Wi-Fi connection too.

Which capacitor should I use?

I think 47uF is recommended in the docs but you can go bigger. I think I might have used 100uF

Finally bought a capacitor (47uF, 16V) and ESP8266 started working!

Thank you very much, @Ollie! And Happy New Year to all!

That's made my year ;)

As an aside, I started with the ESP8266-01 boards but eventually left them alone in favour of ESP8266-12 boards, or more specifically, development boards like the NodeMCU.

01 has really limited pin outs, less flash and you need to supply the power via FTDI and faff with flashing routines.

My current favourite is the D1 Mini (and replicas of). It's tiny and comes with pin header but you decide whether to solder it.

The NodeMCU is probably the best board in terms of exposing ESP8266 pins but it comes with pre-soldered pin header - great for breadboarding but it you want to use it in your application you need to pull all that out to keep it small.

Hope that's useful. Glad you are up and running!