ESP Ease 2.0.0 dev-8 possible bug storing configuration

[cyvr1]

Hello,

this week I had an issue with two ESP8266-12F running ESPEasy Mega 2.0-dev8. The problem is as follows.
The ESP8266 have been flashed and configured to transmit data to my FHEM server from several sensors. One ESP is used as a test system so I can run some checks on how to set up certain sensors. The second ESP is used with an RFID reader as a switch outside my house to switch on and off our cistern pump for garden irrigation. So far so good.

After running flawlessly for almost two months I wanted to test a new sensor on my test system so I had to change configuration of the devices. When trying to save the configuration via “Submit” on the web interface I only got the message that the webserver is no longer responding. The test ESP was no longer connected to my test WIFI re-flashing the firmware did not solve the problem an first I thought the ESP might be dead. But I could still flash firmware so I tried to flash esp-link and the ESP8266 was up and running again with WLAN. Re-flashing ESP Easys (R147, 2.0-dev7, 2.0-dev8) resulted in an unreachable ESP. It could not be accessed via its own AP or via test WIFI.

I flashed a 4MB empty bin file to erase the memory completely. This revived the ESPs WIFI and the "ESP0" SSID showed up on my smartphone, but only for a brief moment. After about 10 seconds it vanished again. But the ESP did show on my test Wifi. Not with the original static IP address I had configured before but with a new one received via DHCP. Anyway I was able to access it and do a new configuration without problems. What is interesting is that ESP Easy somewhere still found some configuration data though I thought I had erase all data with the empty bin file. Also I booted ESP Easy for the first time after re-flashing it with connected TX and RX which according to this forum also initiates a factory reset. The configuration was empty indeed but somewhere the WIFIs SSID and password were still stored internally as they were not shown on the configuration web page. The fields SSID and Password were empty.

This morning I needed to enable the NTP option on the second ESP with ESP Easy as I require some time stamp data. Same problem. The ESPs Wifi just went “dead” when I tried to save the configuration. I had not soldered the ESP with its breakout board directly to the PCB but used a self-made socket instead so I was lucky there. I could just remove the old ESP and replace it by a new one. I will reflash the “dead” ESP this afternoon.

It seems that after running for some time the ESP (with ESP Easy 2.0 dev-8 and maybe dev-7 also) becomes unstable in regards of storing the configuration. If revived (memory overwritten with empty bin file) it’s working again but I don’t know for how long. So on the RFID Reader I better don’t change the configuration with this version of ESP Easy. I had the R147 installed before but never experienced this issue with that version.

[orbitcoms]

Stephen,

I see people referring to a blank bin file to revive a locked up device.

Where do you get this file ? Or do how do you produce it?

Thanks

[cyvr1]

Hi,

you find a description of how to completely erase the flash memory of the ESP8266 here: http://www.pratikpanda.com/completely-f ... sh-memory/.

Also there seems to be a second method by using this command if you're running windows:

Code: Select all

esptool.exe -p COM3 -b 115200 erase_flash

or this if you're running linux:

Code: Select all

esptool.py -p COM3 -b 115200 erase_flash

You just need to replace "COM3" with the com port of your ESP8266 or UART module.
I did not try the esptool. I used the flash method instead.

[orbitcoms]

Thank you,

I have seen this reference to a blank file for a while and could never find the documentation.

Regards

Dave