ESP-01S batch troubles

[uxhamby]

Hi,

I have a batch of ESP-01S modules that are not behaving in the way I've become accustomed to, from previous work.

I am using the NODE MCU flasher software (on Win XP), which has worked very well for me up to now.

I am using an eBay bought USB / ESP01 hardware adaptor, that has worked very well for me many times in the past.

I have the ESPEasy_ESP82xx_mega-20211224.zip which is the latest f/w, so far as I can divine.

I am using the ESP_Easy_mega_20211224_normal_ESP8266_1M.bin file as the obvious candidate, although in desperation, I have also tried the ESP_Easy_mega_20211224_normal_ESP8266_1M_VCC.bin file. Both yield the same result. (I am not really sure what conditions call for the VCC).

I have settings as used many time in the past, start address 0000, speed 115200, flash speed 40MHz, SPImode DIO etc.

The ESP units I am attempting to use appear to work well out of the box, under the Espresif AT system. I can interact with them at the serial point, using AT commands. They also appear to put up an access point under the native AT system. (I haven't actually connected to it but it appears available.)

When I attempt to flash the ESP_Easy_mega_20211224_normal_ESP8266_1M.bin firmware onto the devices, the flash operation appears to go well. I get lots of "flash success" messages accumulating in the log and ultimately I get a 'successful flash' message at the end. It certainly appears that the flash is successful.

Once I unplug the module and re power it, where I am accustomed to getting an AP available to connect to the module, I get nothing. I also get nothing coming out of the serial port.

I am at a bit of a loss to know what to try next.

Suggestions?


Thanks,

Brian H.
Uxbridge Ont.

[Ath]

Are you sure the modules have 1MB flash? Wouldn't know exactly how to check that, other than looking at the flash chip used, but there used to be 512 kB modules, and maybe someone labeled a batch of those as 1M...

[uxhamby]

Interesting suggestion, I hadn't checked that till now, so I had a look & took a show and tell picture.

The flash chip on the board appears to be this one: 25Q80ASSIG

20220224_101047.jpg (1.04 MiB) Viewed 11808 times

Although there is a one character (ASSIG / ASTIG) discrepency in the alpha part of the part number, it seems positively identified as an 8Mb / 1MB device as the size info is apparently in the 80 part of the part number.

Thanks,

Brian H.

[TD-er]

I get flashbacks to the "Puya" troubles we had in the past.
Can you try to flash a blank image first and then the binary?
If that's working, but saving settings is not, then we need to add the vendor ID of that flash chip to the chips that need the Puya patch.

If you manage to get the unit to run its access point, can you show the flash chip vendor ID and chip model nr?

[uxhamby]

Hi,

Can you try to flash a blank image first and then the binary?

Yes, I have done that and nothing changes.

If you manage to get the unit to run its access point, can you show the flash chip vendor ID and chip model nr?

OK, I'll see about that next.

Is there an AT command for that, I am not finding one?

Thanks,

Brian H.

[uxhamby]

I find I can indeed connect to the Espressif native AP on one of these devices fresh out of the box, but it refuses to interact with me over http on port 80.

I can show that I get assigned address 192.168.4.2 and I can ping 192.168.4.1, so I believe I am connecting to the AP.

Code: Select all

wlan0: flags=4163<UP,BROADCAST,RUNNING,MULTICAST>  mtu 1500
        inet 192.168.4.2 netmask 255.255.255.0  broadcast 192.168.4.255
        inet6 fe80::8143:882e:f0d6:1b2c  prefixlen 64  scopeid 0x20<link>
        ether b8:27:eb:26:aa:a1  txqueuelen 1000  (Ethernet)
        RX packets 1524446  bytes 1094017075 (1.0 GiB)
        RX errors 0  dropped 0  overruns 0  frame 0
        TX packets 1296307  bytes 195279922 (186.2 MiB)
        TX errors 0  dropped 0 overruns 0  carrier 0  collisions 0

Code: Select all

ping 192.168.4.1
PING 192.168.4.1 (192.168.4.1) 56(84) bytes of data.
64 bytes from 192.168.4.1: icmp_seq=1 ttl=128 time=28.1 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.4.1: icmp_seq=2 ttl=128 time=47.1 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.4.1: icmp_seq=3 ttl=128 time=12.1 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.4.1: icmp_seq=4 ttl=128 time=32.3 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.4.1: icmp_seq=5 ttl=128 time=7.46 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.4.1: icmp_seq=6 ttl=128 time=12.4 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.4.1: icmp_seq=7 ttl=128 time=4.51 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.4.1: icmp_seq=8 ttl=128 time=4.86 ms
^C

Also, playing with the serial port some more, I notice that I get a lot of ERRORs returned to AT commands that query system and WiFi parameters. AT+MODE returns "2" so I am in AP mode but others like CWSTATE?, CWLAP? AND SYSRAM? just return "ERROR". Perhaps I am not in a correct mode to use these commands, I don't know enough about this to be sure.

Code: Select all

AT+RST
AT+RST


OK

 ets Jan  8 2013,rst cause:1, boot mode:(3,7)

load 0x40100000, len 27728, room 16 
tail 0
chksum 0x2a
load 0x3ffe8000, len 2124, room 8 
tail 4
chksum 0x07
load 0x3ffe8850, len 9276, room 4 
tail 8
chksum 0xba
csum 0xba
ŒãsÛl„$[1B]Dþ
ready
AT+GMR
AT+GMR

AT version:1.1.0.0(May 11 2016 18:09:56)
SDK version:1.5.4(baaeaebb)
compile time:May 20 2016 15:08:19
OK
AT+CIPSTAMAC?
AT+CIPSTAMAC?

+CIPSTAMAC:"2c:f4:32:8b:a7:88"

OK
AT+CIPAPMAC?
AT+CIPAPMAC?

+CIPAPMAC:"2e:f4:32:8b:a7:88"

OK
AT+SYSRAM?
AT+SYSRAM?


ERROR
AT+CWMODE?
AT+CWMODE?

+CWMODE:2

OK
AT+CWLAP
AT+CWLAP


ERROR
AT+CWSTATE
AT+CWSTATE


ERROR

I am wondering if trouble with this batch of devices is more profound that just the flash. I am beginning to eye the round bin on the floor in the corner as a good home for them.

AT_tests.txt.gz

(370 Bytes) Downloaded 365 times

Thoughts?

Brian H.

[TD-er]

Both the espressif download tool, and the Python flash tool esptool.py can show more information on the detected flash chip.

Maybe these units are not the ESP-01S, but the ESP-01 ?
e.g. one with less than 1M flash?

If the unit is stil reacting to AT commands, then the flash has not been erased, nor flashed with ESPEasy.

Maybe you need to forcefully connect GPIO-0 to GND before booting so you're sure the unit is in flash mode.

[uxhamby]

If the unit is stil reacting to AT commands, then the flash has not been erased, nor flashed with ESPEasy.

Sorry if I was not clear in my original description of my issue, here is a quick reiteration:

I have a batch of 5 of these units.

I have some that are virgin so I can test AT commands etc. They have never had a firmware upload attempted. AT commands work on these units.

The two units that have been offered ESPeasy firmware wind up bricked.

The second unit is known to have worked under the AT command system before the fatal firmware upload attempt.

My programming environment, hardware and software is well tried tested and true for all units prior to this batch as recently as the day before yesterday.

I conclude that something about a firmware upload is fatal or potentially fatal to all of these units.

I am trying to understand why.

Maybe these units are not the ESP-01S, but the ESP-01 ?
e.g. one with less than 1M flash?

Sorry again if I was not clear in my original description, here is a quick reiteration:

The difference between ESP01 and ESP01S is the flash size, so far as I understand. The flash part number (see the picture above) suggests a 1MB size flash chip is installed. Also, FWIW (eBay and all) these units have ESP01S silk screened right on them. I conclude that they are ESP01S's.

Both the espressif download tool, and the Python flash tool esptool.py can show more information on the detected flash chip.

Thank you for this useful suggestion, where can I obtain these tools?

Brian H.

[TD-er]

The Espressif download tool is included in the zip file you can download for ESPEasy.
And you can also download it from the Espressif site, but there it is not really easy to find (at least it was not immediately clear in the past)

esptool.py is a Python tool, so you must also have Python running on your system.
https://github.com/espressif/esptool

[Vincenttor]

Well not sure if this may help, but i have some esp01 laying around.
Latest firmware upload is no problem, but then when starting it gives a list of config.txt error etc etc.

Tried to install the old R120 firmware and the esp does run ok with this.
Found it on a puya topic , in my case the r120 is fine but i could not get the latest or a few previous versions to work.

Maybe you can give it a shot with this version : https://www.electrodragon.com/w/images/ ... y_R120.zip

[uxhamby]

Hi Vincenttor,

I found that I had old R120 bins still on my hard drive from aeons ago. I had both a 512 version and a 1024 version as it happens, so I tried both on one of these devices.

No signs of life were evident after loading either of them.

Thanks for the suggestion.

Brian H.

[uxhamby]

Here is the output from the esptool.py flash_id command:

Code: Select all

pi@RPi5:~ $ esptool.py --port /dev/ttyUSB0 flash_id
esptool.py v2.8
Serial port /dev/ttyUSB0
Connecting........_
Detecting chip type... ESP8266
Chip is ESP8266EX
Features: WiFi
Crystal is 26MHz
MAC: 2c:f4:32:8b:9c:e5
Uploading stub...
Running stub...
Stub running...
Manufacturer: 68
Device: 4014
Detected flash size: 1MB
Hard resetting via RTS pin...

Its all Greek to me. Does this reveal anything of interest?


Thanks,

Brian H.

[Alex P]

I flash them with flash_download_tool in DOUT mode. I can advise you to flash in different modes and watch debugging in COM.