NodeMCU Setup

Setup instructions, scripts and helper files for ESP32 NodeMCU development boards.

Initial setup

For the initial setup, run the following commands from the root of this repository:

• pip3 -m venv venv
• source ./venv/bin/activate
• pip install -r requirements.txt
• python esptool.py --help
• chmod +x ./download_firmwares.sh && ./download_firmwares.sh
• chmod +x setup_scripts/*

Board inventory for Micropython firmware

For diagrams (such as pinout, etc.), see diagrams/device_<deviceNr>.

Nr.	Name	SoC	Micropython Firmware	Link
1	ESP32 C3 / RP2040 Raspberry Pi Pico Development Board With 0.42 Inch LCD Risc-v WiFi Bluetooth for Arduino Microprython	ESP32 C3	https://micropython.org/download/ESP32_GENERIC_C3/	https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006051061995.html
2	LILYGO TTGO LORA32	ESP32	https://micropython.org/download/LILYGO_TTGO_LORA32/	https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003088139358.html
3	SX1267 ESP32 LoRa	ESP32	https://micropython.org/download/ESP32_GENERIC/	https://de.aliexpress.com/item/1005005967763162.html

Flashing firmware

Determine the appropriate setup script for your chip / board. Use the above board inventory for assistance.

Next, plugin in the ESP32 device. Make sure to only plug in the device you wish to flash!.

Then Execute the appropriate setup script (e.g. setup_scripts/esp32_c3_v1.22.2.sh) from the repository root.

setup_scripts/esp32_c3_v1.22.2.sh

Serial connections: REPL and file transfer

REPL / Shell

You can connect your shell to the Micropython environment by using serial I/O command-line tool such as tio (recommended, manual installation required) or the PySerial Miniterm (provided in this project's virtualenv).

To establish a serial connection, you first need to determine which serial port to use. The easiest way to accomplish this is to run

./esptool.py chip_id | grep "Serial port"

Then, run

tio <serial_port>

to connect to the device.

If you prefer using the provided PySerial Minitern, run

python -m serial.tools.miniterm <serial_port>

instead.

Once the serial connection is established, you have access to the Python REPL on the ESP32 Micropython device.

Run

print("Hello, world!")

to verify that everything is working correctly. You can also execute Python files on the device (see Working with files) by running

import some_file

Working with files

File management is handled through the ampy Python module.

First, determine the serial port to be used by running

./esptool.py chip_id | grep "Serial port"

Then, you can use the following file management commands:

• Upload a file: ./ampy.py -p <serial_port> put demos/hello_world.py main.py. This uploads a local file demos/hello_world.py to the device's flash memory root and names it main.py.
• List files: ./ampy.py -p <serial_port> ls. This lists all files in the device's flash memory.
• See all commands: ./ampy --help

ESP32 Micropython essentials

For more, see https://docs.micropython.org/en/latest/esp32/quickref.html.

Networks

import network
wlan = network.WLAN(network.STA_IF)
wlan.active(True)
wlan.scan()

GPIO output

from machine import Pin
pin8 = Pin(8, Pin.OUT)
pin8.on()

Demo files

The demos directory contains some demo scripts that can be uploaded to the device (see Working with files).

Note: Some demos may be specific to a particular development board; especially with respect to the pin layout.