ESP programmer

Installing Drivers

Before proceeding with programming an ESP8266 or ESP32 module, it is essential to ensure that the serial port drivers are correctly installed.

1. Connect the ESP to the PC: Connect your ESP module to a USB port on your computer and wait for the operating system to attempt to recognize the hardware.

2. Verify the installation: Open Device Manager (on Windows, you can find it by searching for "Device Manager" in the Start menu). Expand the "Ports (COM & LPT)" section.

   • If you do not see the "Ports (COM & LPT)" section, or if, once expanded, you do not find a serial port identified as "CH340" (or similar, depending on the serial chip used), this means that the drivers are not installed correctly.

3. Install CH340 drivers:

   • Disconnect the ESP from the PC.

   • Run the tool "CH34x_Install_Windows_v3_4.exe" (or the latest version available for your operating system).

   • Click "Install" and follow the on-screen instructions.

   • Once the installation is complete, close the tool.

4. Reconnect the ESP: Reconnect the ESP module to your PC. The operating system should now recognize the device correctly and in Device Manager, in the "Ports (COM and LPT)" section, a new COM port associated with your ESP should appear. Make a note of the COM port number (e.g. COM3, COM4, ​​etc.), you will need it for programming.

Programming the ESP8266/ESP32

Once you have verified that the drivers have been installed correctly, you can proceed with programming your ESP module.

Start ESP Programmer: Open the ESP Programmer software (or your favorite programming tool, such as ESPHome Flasher, NodeMCU PyFlasher, etc.).

1. Select the device type: Within the software, select the specific model of your device (for example, ESP8266 or ESP32).

2. Check and select the COM port:

   • The software should automatically detect the COM port your ESP is connected to.

   • If the port is not recognized, press the "Refresh" button or manually type the correct COM port number in the designated text box (the one you wrote down from Device Manager).

3. Upload the necessary files: Use the appropriate buttons or sections of the software to upload the files you want to "flash" to your device. These may include:

   • Firmware: The main code that your ESP will execute.

   • SPIFFS (o LittleFS): The file system for data management.

   • Partitions: The flash memory partition map.

   • Bootloader: The device's boot software.

4. Start programming: Once all the files are loaded, click the "Write" button to start the writing process to your ESP module's memory.