Grelllbbb s ESP Flashamater Adaptimizer Assembly & User Guide

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1 Grelllbbb s ESP Flashamater Adaptimizer Assembly & User Guide Overview The GEFA (we don t understand Grelllbb any better than you do, so we ll just abbreviate it GEFA) is a small programming tool that makes quick work of flashing EPS8266 modules. It was designed as a companion product to the ESP Snap-In. It uses an inexpensive USB-TTL Adapter as its interface to the computer, and works extremely well with the Arduino compiler/ide which is used to modify, compile and flash the firmware into the ESP8266 module. BOM Bill of Materials QTY Description Part # Source 1 Flashamater PCB DIGWDF Store 1 6-pin male header (cut off a strip of 6) A-197 taydaelectronics.com 2 Tact button switches A-5145 taydaelectronics.com 2 10K 1/4 or 1/8 watt resistors A-2115 taydaelectronics.com 1 4 x 2 (8 position) female header (cut off a 4x2 strip) A-195 taydaelectronics.com 1 USB-TTL adapter (CP210x type) ebay (or the DIGWDF Store) 1 Female-to-female Dupont connection cables (set of 6) ebay (or the DIGWDF Store) The inexpensive USB-TTL adapter is used not only as the interface to the computer, but because it has 3.3vdc power on-board, it s used to power the ESP module during flashing as well. Part substitutions: in lieu of the 2 x 4 female header, you can create the same result by purchasing two 1 x 4 female headers and crazy-gluing them together. Two of Tayda part #A is what we d recommend if you go this route. Otherwise, the Tayda part quoted above must be cut from the longer 2 x 20 header with a sharp knife or other saw. Also, instead of the vertical 6-pin header, you might use right-angle headers instead: Tayda part #A-199. Assembly 1. Install and solder the two 10K resistors in their locations. Be sure to clip off the extra wire leads from the bottoms cut close to the board so you don t leave sharp, pointed tips. 2. Install and solder the 4 x 2 female header in the location provided. 3. Install and solder the two tact switches in locations S1 and S2. You may want to clip off the leads on the bottom of the board afterward sometimes they leave a sharp point. 4. Install and solder the 6-pin header in the location provided. This header should point upward from the PCB. 5. This completes assembly. Easy, huh? ESP Flashamater v Page 1

2 Install the Driver for the USB-TTL adapter Secure the driver for your computer and operating system directly from Silicon Labs. Drivers are available for all versions of Windows, Linux and even OSX and Android. The adapter becomes a normal com port to the PC. Connecting the USB-TTL adapter to GEFA The USB-TTL adapter s outputs are clearly marked on either the top or bottom side. The example below shows them on the BOTTOM side of the adapter. Using the connect cables, simply match up the GEFA s marking with exactly the same marking on the USB-TTL adapter. You may be required to cross a few wires to do so because the order of the two adapters may not line up directly, but these are straight-through connections so that the TX of the USB-TTL goes to the TX on the GEFA and RX goes to RX, GND to G, etc. This may seem wrong but unlike most connections that are TX to RX and vice-versa, GEFA works by duplicating the inputs that are on the USB-TTL adapter, almost as if you were plugging the USB-TTL directly into GEFA. Important: Sadly, not all USB-TTL adapters may be marked correctly and we ve found that some manufacturers have the TX and RX lines reversed. You may have to fiddle with the connectors on your device if when flashing the ESP module you do not get any communication or a blinking LED. Don t worry about the 5v line if the USB-TTL adapter doesn t provide it GEFA doesn t use it. DO NOT CONNECT THE USB-TTL ADAPTER S 5v OUTPUT TO THE 3.3v ON GEFA! THIS WILL KILL YOUR ESP8266 MODULES -- THEY CANNOT ACCEPT 5VDC! Before using the setup, double-check to make sure your connections are correct. ESP Flashamater v Page 2

3 Plugging/Unplugging ESP8266 Modules Be sure to align the ESP module with the outline on GEFA s pcb and be sure that the ESP module s pins align with the proper holes! Our testing with more than 100 flashes/reflashes of different ESP modules indicates that it doesn t seem necessary to disconnect the USB-TTL adapter from the computer s USB port before unplugging or plugging a ESP module into the GEFA, but your experience may differ. The Flashing Procedure The steps below assume that you have successfully modified the firmware for your netowork, have connected the GEFA to the computer with an ESP module plugged in and are ready to perform the mechanical steps. 1. Press and hold the RESET button down. 2. Press and hold the PROG button down. 3. Release the RESET button; the ESP module should blink an LED once. 4. Release the PROG button. The unit is ready. 5. Flash the firmware; watch the screen. a. The Arduino software will compile the firmware and display a row of dots as it flashes the ESP module. When the dots stop displaying, the process is complete. b. The ESP Module will also blink an LED during the flashing process and will stop blinking when it s complete. c. If using the ESP Flasher software, the screen will display progress updates. When done, it will say Leaving which means it s complete. 6. Wait about 10 more seconds and then press the RESET button. The ESP module s LED will blink once or twice as it boots up. 7. The ESP module will blink very faintly as it finds the network and secures a DHCP address, which is the default firmware setting. Give it a few seconds and then you can use your browser to access it via its IP address. Arduino Software Information How to use the Arduino compiler is adequately explained elsewhere and will not be addressed here. However, a few pertinent pieces of information are provided below: The ESPixelStick firmware requires version of the Arduino compiler. Newer versions of the Arduino compiler are available but at the time of this writing, they do not work with the ESPixelStick firmware. When downloading the software from the Arduino site, you may have to look in the archive to locate version You ll also find a copy of this version of the Arduino compiler in the file library at Remember to use the Arduino boards manager to add the Generic ESP8266 module to the Arduino setup before loading the ESPixelStick firmware. Unzipping the ESPixelStick firmware (Bill Porter s version) will create a folder named ESPixelStick-master on the computer. To USE the firmware, you must rename the folder to be espixelstick in all lower-case. This is necessary because the internal paths used in the firmware point to specific directories and the directory names/structure must be replicated properly. ESP Flashamater v Page 3

4 Load the ESPixelStick.ino file from the espixelstick folder into the Arduino software. The program code is quite well documented and is easy to modify. Only TWO ITEMS need modification and they pertain to the security setups for your wireless router. In particular, you ll need to know your router s wireless SSID and the password/passphrase set for your wireless network. You may have to use your browser to connect to the router to check them. Be sure to write it down EXACTLY as it is displayed in your router s configuration screen and remember, UPPER/lower case is important! In the Arduino code window, scroll down to this section: As directed, replace SSID_NOT_SET text with your wireless router s SSID. Remember to keep the double-quote marks around what you type. Do the same for PASSWORD_NOT_SET by replacing it with the password for your wireless setup, remembering that UPPER/lower case is important. Again, keep the double-quote marks around your entry. Then SAVE the code. It s ready to compile and flash into your ESP module. (Note: If you re actually using pixels and not Renard or DMX output, there are a few other options in the User Configuration area that pertain specifically to pixels, but these settings can also be changed later via the browser interface.) Once you make and save these changes, do not give the code or a compiled version to anyone else or they will know how to access your wireless network! TIMESAVER TIP: Use your Arduino IDE to create a standalone binary compilation of your code, and then you can use standalone flashing software with the Flashamater without the need of the Arduino IDE or having to recompile the code every time! ESP Flashamater v Page 4

5 Changing Firmware in an ESP8266 module At some time you may need to reflash an ESP module with either the same or different firmware. The best way to do this is to first restore the module to factory default settings by flashing it with the ESP Flasher software (for Windows) and the accompanying default firmware. This software is available as a free download from the DIGWDF Store; click on the download tab for the Flashamater product and you ll see the link. For some unexplainable reason flashing a new version of the ESP control firmware over the existing version isn t always successful, so returning it to factory specs first is highly recommended. The ESP Flasher software works with the Flashamater fine just remember to set the software to use the proper com port for your USB-TTL adapter. Timesaver TIP: Grelllbbb (the generally idiotic designer of the Flashamater) used the Arduino software option to Export a compiled binary of the properly configured ESP firmware for his network and then used the ESP Flasher software to flash multiple ESP modules in succession. This proved to be much faster than using the Arduino software to flash each module individually since the eventual final configuration of each module is performed via browser anyway. It also made flashing a module more portable than requiring a complete Arduino IDE on a computer since the ESP Flasher software and the compiled binary easily fits on an USB flash drive for use with a laptop. (Sometimes Grelllbbb surprises us with his ingenuity, although we still think he s pretty much an idiot most of the time ) ESP Flashamater v Page 5