Trouble with esp32-s3fn8 chip

[theidealist]

Hello, I recently bought this Heltec HiLetgo ESP32 Built-in OLED WiFi Kit 32 module from Amazon. I had bought one a couple of years back and gotten micropython setup and running on it no problem and kinda loved it for a home automation project.

However, there's been a hardware revision on this that I didn't notice before purchasing again. It's now an esp32-s3fn8 chip. I cannot seem to find the magic firmware + esptool.py invocation to get it to boot properly. The closest I've gotten is the v1.18 and v1.18 .bin files here.

I'm more of a software guy than a micro-controller guy, so I don't really understand the difference between PSRAM SPIRAM, or "Octal-SPIRAM". The spec on amazon lists this as having "384KB ROM; 512KB SRAM; 16KB RTC SRAM; 8MB SiP Flash".

Right now, with v1.18 or v.19 .bin files loaded at -z 0x0 I get this:

�ESP-ROM:esp32s3-20210327
Build:Mar 27 2021
rst:0xc (RTC_SW_CPU_RST),boot:0x8 (SPI_FAST_FLASH_BOOT)
Saved PC:0x420daf32
SPIWP:0xee
mode:DIO, clock div:1
load:0x3fcd0108,len:0xf24
load:0x403b6000,len:0xc2c
load:0x403ba000,len:0x2d60
entry 0x403b61f4
E (224) psram: PSRAM ID read error: 0x00ffffff
E (224) spiram: SPI RAM enabled but initialization failed. Bailing out.
E (10) spiram: SPI RAM not initialized

abort() was called at PC 0x42005f98 on core 1

Backtrace:0x40375ba6:0x3fce4b900x403811ad:0x3fce4bb0 0x403874c6:0x3fce4bd0 0x42005f98:0x3fce4c40 0x4200675f:0x3fce4c60 
ELF file SHA256: 8fd2069ebbdfbfa0
Rebooting...

Any ideas? Do I need to build micropython from source?

[shariltumin]

ESP32-S3FN8 8 MB (Quad SPI) Flash without SPIRAM. I would try v1.20.0-398.

It automatically detects and works with or without SPIRAM.

Give it a try, it might work on your board.

[theidealist]

That appears to have totally worked! I don't know why it didn't occur to me to try a nightly build 🤦

Many, many thanks!

[theidealist]

So, the nightly build boots and the REPL works, but the pinout seems unrelated to the documentation for my board. Is that normal?
The pinout diagram with my board looks like:

And the circuit diagram looks like:

But the micropython firmware calls any pin above 21 invalid. What am I missing?

[robert-hh]

I just tried with a ESP32S3, and I can use GPIO > 21. Only not all numbers are valid. The next beyond 21 is 33 for non_octal_ram devices, or 38 - 46 for all of them.

[shariltumin]

Below are the pin definitions defined in "micropython/ports/esp32/machine_pin.h". (only the part for ESP32S3 is shown).

...
#elif CONFIG_IDF_TARGET_ESP32S2 || CONFIG_IDF_TARGET_ESP32S3

#define MICROPY_HW_ENABLE_GPIO0 (1)
#define MICROPY_HW_ENABLE_GPIO1 (1)
#define MICROPY_HW_ENABLE_GPIO2 (1)
#define MICROPY_HW_ENABLE_GPIO3 (1)
#define MICROPY_HW_ENABLE_GPIO4 (1)
#define MICROPY_HW_ENABLE_GPIO5 (1)
#define MICROPY_HW_ENABLE_GPIO6 (1)
#define MICROPY_HW_ENABLE_GPIO7 (1)
#define MICROPY_HW_ENABLE_GPIO8 (1)
#define MICROPY_HW_ENABLE_GPIO9 (1)
#define MICROPY_HW_ENABLE_GPIO10 (1)
#define MICROPY_HW_ENABLE_GPIO11 (1)
#define MICROPY_HW_ENABLE_GPIO12 (1)
#define MICROPY_HW_ENABLE_GPIO13 (1)
#define MICROPY_HW_ENABLE_GPIO14 (1)
#define MICROPY_HW_ENABLE_GPIO15 (1)
#define MICROPY_HW_ENABLE_GPIO16 (1)
#define MICROPY_HW_ENABLE_GPIO17 (1)
#define MICROPY_HW_ENABLE_GPIO18 (1)
#if !CONFIG_USB_CDC_ENABLED
#define MICROPY_HW_ENABLE_GPIO19 (1)
#define MICROPY_HW_ENABLE_GPIO20 (1)
#endif
#define MICROPY_HW_ENABLE_GPIO21 (1)
#if !CONFIG_SPIRAM
#define MICROPY_HW_ENABLE_GPIO26 (1)
#endif
#if !CONFIG_SPIRAM_MODE_OCT
#define MICROPY_HW_ENABLE_GPIO33 (1)
#define MICROPY_HW_ENABLE_GPIO34 (1)
#define MICROPY_HW_ENABLE_GPIO35 (1)
#define MICROPY_HW_ENABLE_GPIO36 (1)
#define MICROPY_HW_ENABLE_GPIO37 (1)
#endif
#define MICROPY_HW_ENABLE_GPIO38 (1)
#define MICROPY_HW_ENABLE_GPIO39 (1)
#define MICROPY_HW_ENABLE_GPIO40 (1)
#define MICROPY_HW_ENABLE_GPIO41 (1)
#define MICROPY_HW_ENABLE_GPIO42 (1)
#define MICROPY_HW_ENABLE_GPIO43 (1)
#define MICROPY_HW_ENABLE_GPIO44 (1)
#define MICROPY_HW_ENABLE_GPIO45 (1)
#define MICROPY_HW_ENABLE_GPIO46 (1)
#if CONFIG_IDF_TARGET_ESP32S3 && MICROPY_HW_ESP32S3_EXTENDED_IO
#define MICROPY_HW_ENABLE_GPIO47 (1)
#define MICROPY_HW_ENABLE_GPIO48 (1)
#endif
...

To get to the pins in the firmware as shown in your board's pinout diagram, you will probably need to build your own custom firmware. You can start by copying "ESP32_GENERIC_S3" and deleting all spiram/SPIRAM references in "mpconfigboard.cmake".

[theidealist]

Works!!! At least for the LED! Thank you so much for your time and helpfulness @shariltumin! Hopefully I can get the OLED working soon.

I will try not to pester you anymore!

🙇‍♂️

[plonxyz]

Hi , just found this issue. I'm trying to flash the current micropython release on the heltec LoRa32 V3 , ( ESP32-S3FN8 ). Seems it's stuck in a loop . could anyone please provide me the [v1.20.0-398] firmware? seems that one worked in the past , thanks!

[theidealist]

I found it in my downloads and put it up here.

Did you try the nightly builds? I'd be surprised if v1.20.0-398 works, but at least one of the current nightly does not. Surprised, but I suppose not too surprised as the nightly is unstable! You can get to the nightly builds here:
https://micropython.org/download/ESP32_GENERIC_S3/

Good luck!

[plonxyz]

thank you very much @theidealist ! Now my board works , unfortunately all the builds which are available don't work , it gets either stuck in a reboot loop or it crashes while booting

[theidealist]

Glad I could help!