Sunday, May 15, 2016

Updating firmware of Wi-Fi ESP8266 Module using FTDI

"This is one procedure for downloading and installing the latest available firmware on an ESP8266 using the flash tool provided by Espressif, the chip manufacturer."


Windows 10
PuTTY 0.67



Hint:

  • The operation of the ESP8266 outside of stated limits may be unstable and unreliable - you could damage your sanity.
  • The ESP8266 may draw more current than the 3.3V regulator on your Arduino can supply - you could damage your Arduino. Use a separate 3.3v power source.

Hardware:

  • ESP8266 - ESP01 module
  • FTDI - FT232RL module
  • StepDown 5v-3.3v module

Schematics:
Schematics using FTDI of 5v and a stepdown module




Downloads:


Installing the Firmware:

  • Power up your ESP connecting it to your PC.
  • Press and hold the Reset button, and then press and hold the Flash button. Release the Reset button, and then release the Flash button.
  • Click the box in the flash download tool GUI window labeled "SpiAutoSet," which will cause the download tool to automatically select the correct flash size and crystal frequency.
  • In the flash download tool GUI window, select checkbox on the left and click the START button.

Flash Download Tool DOS window

Flash Download Tool GUI window

  • Press and hold the Reset button, and then press and hold the Flash button. Release the Reset button, and then release the Flash button. Click the START button in the Flash Download Tool GUI window. The download should begin, and its progress should be shown in the Flash Download Tool GUI window and the log window, as depicted below.
Loading firmware

  • When the flash operation is complete, close the Flash Download Tool. Remove power from the ESP board, and then reconnect the power.

Testing:

  • Open PuTTY, and click the Serial radio button. Enter the COM port number (which must be less than 10) and the baud rate (which will most likely be 115200 or 9600.)
  • Click the Open button, and a PuTTY terminal session window should open.


  • Enable Caps Lock on your PC, and type AT, but don't press Enter. You should see AT in the PuTTY terminal window. If you don't, you may have selected the wrong COM port or the wrong baud rate. Close PuTTY and start again at the top of this section. The permissible baud rates are: 9600, 19200, 38400, 74880, 115200, 230400, 460800, and 921600; try each one in turn until you find the one that works.
  • Enable Caps Lock on your PC, and type AT, but don't press Enter. You should see AT in the PuTTY terminal window. Type a + sign followed by GMR. When you see AT+GMR in the PuTTY terminal window, while holding the Ctrl key down, press the M key followed by the J key. Release the Ctrl key. You should see the ESP8266 firmware information in the PuTTY terminal window similar to that shown in the picture below.




Links:

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