How to flash Sonoff 4ch over the air.

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andkeh
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How to flash Sonoff 4ch over the air.

#1 Post by andkeh » 28 Dec 2022, 16:53

Hello all,
I’m now using ESP Easy quite a long time and in the past I always flashed the devices by a programmer using the flash tool and the downloaded .bin files.
I have 3 Sonoff 4ch (R2) devices which are build in and not easy to reach to do a flash with cable and Laptop.
I use the ESP_Easy_mega_20220616_normal_ESP8285_1M on this devices and I’m a bit unhappy with the wifi behaviour – for some reasons the modules (all) restart (softreboot 104). Thats why I would make an update.
Now in the new Version there is no ESP8285 Version like I used in the past (ESP_Easy_mega_xxxxxxxx_normal_ESP8285_1M) so I'm unsure which to use. Could somebody explain me the OTA Process and which .bin or .gz files to use for this type of Sonoff?
Many thanks in advance.
Great software!
Regards,
andreas

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Re: How to flash Sonoff 4ch over the air.

#2 Post by TD-er » 28 Dec 2022, 16:59

There is no specific ESP8285 build anymore, since the ESP8266 builds now will detect at runtime whether the processor is an ESP8285 or ESP8266.
This will then allow you to set the extra available pins for the ESP8285 which are not available on an ESP8266 due to the use of external flash.

N.B. do backup your existing config as this runtime detection has not yet been extensively tested.

andkeh
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Joined: 28 Dec 2022, 15:03

Re: How to flash Sonoff 4ch over the air.

#3 Post by andkeh » 28 Dec 2022, 17:10

Thanks for the quick answer, but which .bin or .gz I should give a try - as far as I understand I need to upload first the minimum version : is it this: ESPEasy_2step_UploaderMega_1024.bin via the tools/UpdateFirmware Function?
And than I could go for the: ESP_Easy_mega_20221224_normal_ESP8266_4M1M.bin.gz also via tools/UpdateFirmware?
Will this work?

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Re: How to flash Sonoff 4ch over the air.

#4 Post by TD-er » 28 Dec 2022, 17:16

The ESP8285 only has 1M of flash.
This means you need to update via serial :(
There is -in theory- an update path via the 2-step uploader image.
However the build you have running on your node is too large to use the 2-step uploader.

The .gz bin files can only be used via OTA updates (via the web interface) and only on units with > 1M flash as you simply need a newer bootloader than included in the 2-step uploader.
Therefore there are no .bin.gz files for 1M builds.

So you need to upload (via serial) a build for 1M ESP8266 nodes.
I think only the normal 1M VCC build is available in the 20221224 build, so there is not really much to choose from.

andkeh
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Joined: 28 Dec 2022, 15:03

Re: How to flash Sonoff 4ch over the air.

#5 Post by andkeh » 08 Jan 2023, 14:55

Hmm no good news.
OK may I should search for the root cause - my problem is that the devices are rebooting after some time automaticly.
I the info section I can read:
Boot: Soft Reboot (31)
Reset Reason: Software/System restart
Last Action before Reboot: Intended Reboot: timer, id: 1
SW WD count: 0


How can I find out why?
The pity in this situation is that while reboot the bootstate of the switched relais are unfortuneately not constant so my shutter is driving down a bit.
This behaviour changed during the last version updates thats why I thought it is a good idea to switch to a new version.
Can somebody help?
As I stated above I have 3 4ch Sonoff and all behave the same - would be good to know why the attent to reboot.

Thanks in advance

Andreas

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Re: How to flash Sonoff 4ch over the air.

#6 Post by TD-er » 09 Jan 2023, 00:19

An "intended" reboot sounds like the power supply may have become unstable.
Maybe check the capacitors in the unit?

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