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esp32loader v1.0.0

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@hexadevti hexadevti released this 16 Oct 10:25
· 17 commits to main since this release
v1.0.0
318e07d

First release of esp32loader, an SD-card firmware loader for a Waveshare ESP32-P4-WIFI6 fitted in a ClockworkPi PicoCalc. Copy .bin files to the microSD card, pick one on the LCD, and the loader flashes and boots it.

File list

Features

  • File browser on the PicoCalc LCD. Before flashing, it checks the chip ID, chip revision and app descriptor of the selected .bin. Plain app images and merged *.factory.bin images both work.
  • Hold Up (or F1/F5) while resetting to come back to the loader from any app.
  • F1 Setup: pick the Wi-Fi network, the folder to open at switch-on, and the on-screen help.
  • F4 Web file manager: upload, download, rename, delete and flash files from a browser. It keeps running in the background after you press Esc, and a Wi-Fi icon shows it is on.
  • F5 USB drive mode: share the SD card with a PC. This needs the board's 4-pin USB OTG header.
  • The serial console works as a second keyboard.

Files

File What it is Flash at
esp32loader-v1.0.0-full.bin bootloader + partition table + otadata + loader, for a first install 0x0
esp32loader-v1.0.0-app.bin the loader only, to update an existing install and keep the installed app 0x20000

These files are built for ESP32-P4 chip revision v3.x with 32 MB flash. Run esptool.py --chip esp32p4 chip_id to check your chip. For a v1.x chip, build from source as described in the README.

First install

  1. Connect the board's USB-C port (the CH343 serial port) to the PC.
  2. Install esptool with pip install esptool. You can also use the copy that comes with ESP-IDF.
  3. Flash the full image. On Windows the port is COMx; on Linux and macOS it is /dev/ttyACM0 or similar. 
    esptool --chip esp32p4 -p COMx -b 460800 write_flash 0x0 esp32loader-v1.0.0-full.bin
    If the board doesn't enter download mode by itself, hold BOOT, press RESET, then let go of BOOT.
  4. Press reset. The loader starts, because no app is installed yet.

This replaces the board's bootloader and partition table. The partition layout is factory (loader, 2 MB), then ota_0 (your app, 10 MB), then a ~20 MB FAT storage partition.

Update an existing install

To update the loader but keep the app you installed:

esptool --chip esp32p4 -p COMx -b 460800 write_flash 0x20000 esp32loader-v1.0.0-app.bin

Use it

  1. Format a microSD card as FAT32 and copy .bin files to it, in any folder.
  2. Switch the PicoCalc on. To reach the loader once an app is installed, hold Up (or F1/F5) and press reset, or power-cycle.
  3. Use Up/Down to choose a file and Enter to see its details, then press Enter again to flash and run it. Backspace or Left goes to the parent folder.
  4. F1 opens Setup and the help, F4 starts the web file manager and F5 starts USB drive mode.

From your own app, call binloader_reboot_to_menu() from main/loader_api.h to jump back to the loader.

The README has the full documentation.

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