Flashing issues with esptool (2.5.1 and 2.5.2 relases with esptool)

[mcer12]

Esptool erases memory and attempts to reset the device via RTS before upload which won't work if the device doesn't have a reset button or auto-reset circuitry. Devices like Sonoff plugs and others can't be flashed with this. The reset between memory wipe and actual upload should be removed.

[earlephilhower]

@mcer12, I don't think any of the maintainers have such a device. Would you be able to submit a PR with your proposed change?

[f5soh]

Hi,
I encountered the same issue with a ESP-01 and basic usb serial + programming button since esptool is used.
The "Only Sketch" works fine but others options erasing or partially erasing flash fails while starting binary upload.

In platform.txt i added "--before no_reset_no_sync" before the write_flash command:

tools.esptool.upload.pattern="{cmd}" "{runtime.platform.path}/tools/upload.py" --chip esp8266 --port "{serial.port}" --baud "{upload.speed}" "{upload.verbose}" {upload.erase_cmd} --end --chip esp8266 --port "{serial.port}" --baud "{upload.speed}" "{upload.verbose}" --before no_reset_no_sync write_flash 0x0 "{build.path}/{build.project_name}.bin" --end

and replaced
generic.menu.wipe.none.upload.erase_cmd=version
with
generic.menu.wipe.none.upload.erase_cmd=flash_id
into the board.txt so the first command do something with serial without erase_flash or erase_region.

This workaround allow the "Flash erase: > Only Sketch / Sketch + Wifi settings / All flash contents"
3 options to work in my case, not sure what happens for boards with a functional RTS reset.

[mcer12]

Glad somebody picket this up, thanks @f5soh . The erase should stay there otherwise you will basically just skip the erase step or do I get this wrong?

[f5soh]

I'm not sure what do you mean, with the workaround above all the options works here:
1 - Only sketch upload (without erase or partial erase, as previously)
2 - Partial erase (wifi settings) + sketch upload
3 - Full erase + sketch upload

While adding "--before no_reset_no_sync" to the second part of command (used for upload) in platform.txt, the 2 and 3 case works but case 1 do not work any more.

To make the simple sketch upload (aka erase=none) to work again, the first command (used for erase options) is "flash_id" instead of "version" which just output esptool version without talking with serial.

Only sketch output:

esptool.py v2.6
Serial port /dev/ttyUSB0
Connecting....
Chip is ESP8266EX
Features: WiFi
MAC: 68:c6:3a:ab:c9:55
Uploading stub...
Running stub...
Stub running...
Manufacturer: 85
Device: 6014
Detected flash size: 1MB
Hard resetting via RTS pin...
esptool.py v2.6
Serial port /dev/ttyUSB0
Connecting...
Chip is ESP8266EX
Features: WiFi
MAC: 68:c6:3a:ab:c9:55
Uploading stub...
Running stub...
Stub running...
Configuring flash size...
Auto-detected Flash size: 1MB
Flash params set to 0x0320
Compressed 412976 bytes to 269980...

Writing at 0x00000000... (5 %)
Writing at 0x00004000... (11 %)
Writing at 0x00008000... (17 %)...

Partial erase (wifi settings) + sketch upload output:

esptool.py v2.6
Serial port /dev/ttyUSB0
Connecting....
Chip is ESP8266EX
Features: WiFi
MAC: 68:c6:3a:ab:c9:55
Uploading stub...
Running stub...
Stub running...
Erasing region (may be slow depending on size)...
Erase completed successfully in 0.1 seconds.
Hard resetting via RTS pin...
esptool.py v2.6
Serial port /dev/ttyUSB0
Connecting...
Chip is ESP8266EX
Features: WiFi
MAC: 68:c6:3a:ab:c9:55
Uploading stub...
Running stub...
Stub running...
Configuring flash size...
Auto-detected Flash size: 1MB
Flash params set to 0x0320
Compressed 412976 bytes to 269980...

Writing at 0x00000000... (5 %)
Writing at 0x00004000... (11 %)
Writing at 0x00008000... (17 %)...

Full erase + sketch upload output:

esptool.py v2.6
Serial port /dev/ttyUSB0
Connecting....
Chip is ESP8266EX
Features: WiFi
MAC: 68:c6:3a:ab:c9:55
Uploading stub...
Running stub...
Stub running...
Erasing flash (this may take a while)...
Chip erase completed successfully in 0.0s
Hard resetting via RTS pin...
esptool.py v2.6
Serial port /dev/ttyUSB0
Connecting...
Chip is ESP8266EX
Features: WiFi
MAC: 68:c6:3a:ab:c9:55
Uploading stub...
Running stub...
Stub running...
Configuring flash size...
Auto-detected Flash size: 1MB
Flash params set to 0x0320
Compressed 412976 bytes to 269980...

Writing at 0x00000000... (5 %)
Writing at 0x00004000... (11 %)
Writing at 0x00008000... (17 %)...

Here the full erase take only 0.0s but indeed my eeprom contents are lost...

[d-a-v]

What was the "Reset Option" working entry before we used esptool, "ck" or "none" ?

[f5soh]

Tested with 2.5.0: Upload works in both cases (ck or none) and esp is running at end.
With esptool (2.5.2) i need to unplug/replug to get esp running.

[mcer12]

@f5soh What I meant is that since you removed the wipe it only rewrites the memory. That lead me to believe that with your changes no matter which option of erase memory you pick, it'll act as if "only sketch" was selected. Or am I wrong here?

[f5soh]

Look output for every option above, full erase (eeprom settings lost) or partial erase still done.

[mcer12]

Oh, sorry I see it now thank you! Any idea why the device doesnt run at the end and needs to be resetted manually? But this is a minor issue I think.

[f5soh]

After some tests, adding "--after soft_reset" to the 2nd command allow ESP to restart after flashing.

In platform.txt the upload pattern becomes:

tools.esptool.upload.pattern="{cmd}" "{runtime.platform.path}/tools/upload.py" --chip esp8266 --port "{serial.port}" --baud "{upload.speed}" "{upload.verbose}" {upload.erase_cmd} --end --chip esp8266 --port "{serial.port}" --baud "{upload.speed}" "{upload.verbose}" --before no_reset_no_sync --after soft_reset write_flash 0x0 "{build.path}/{build.project_name}.bin" --end

[denisfou]

After some tests, adding "--after soft_reset" to the 2nd command allow ESP to restart after flashing.

In platform.txt the upload pattern becomes:

tools.esptool.upload.pattern="{cmd}" "{runtime.platform.path}/tools/upload.py" --chip esp8266 --port "{serial.port}" --baud "{upload.speed}" "{upload.verbose}" {upload.erase_cmd} --end --chip esp8266 --port "{serial.port}" --baud "{upload.speed}" "{upload.verbose}" --before no_reset_no_sync --after soft_reset write_flash 0x0 "{build.path}/{build.project_name}.bin" --end

Thank you :)

It worked for me but without "--before no_reset_no_sync"