Cannot communicate with ESP8266 NodeMCU 1.0 (ESP 12E Module)

ESPHome
1

I have a few of those boards. In the back, it says LoLin, and it is using CH340G driver @ 9600 baud. Using the Arduino IDE, I can upload program into it if I set a jumper between RST and D0. It works flawlessly with Arduino IDE.

I would like to use them with ESPHOME but somehow, I can’t initialize it. I also have ESP32 WROOM and they initialize properly using the web browser of Windows. But this 8266 seems to be a problem. I have tried everything I found on the internet without any luck.

Windows detects the board as: USB-SRIAL-CH340 (COM9)

This sounds right to me. WhenI use ESPHOME WEB and select the COM9, and hit CONNECT, it fails instantly. Cannot connect to the device.

I then downloaded the old ESPHOME flasher. Selected the COM9, and tried to communicate, it fails again;

Unexpected error: Cannot configure port, something went wrong. Original message: PermissionError(13, ‘Un périphérique attaché au système ne fonctionne pas correctement.’, None, 31)

Trying a second time gives me a different error:

Unexpected error: could not open port ‘COM9’: PermissionError(13, ‘Accès refusé.’, None, 5)

I tried running it as admin, changing the cable, making sure there was no other serial device, pressing RST, pressing FLASH, pressing both, holding both, using the jumper RST-D0, removing the jumper … I forgot everything I tried cause I’m on this issue for a few days now but I tried everything (except the thing that should make it work).

I updated the CH340 driver a few time too. I don’t know what else to try as everything I found on the internet did not work for me.

I would really like to make it work as I have a few of those boards lying around. Any suggestion of what I should try next?

2

Are you sure GPIO0 is being pulled low hard enough on start up?
I have used a few ESP12 as bare modules on breadboard to first flash them. I use 10K resistors to pull pins up or down as needed.

12F flash pinout
12F flash pinout1331×466 35.3 KB

or perhaps powering it from external source rather than usb.

3

Thanks, but no… I saw that pins GPIO0 and TXD0 were not set properly, but even after polling them as you suggested, same error again.
But I would think that if the arduino IDE can talk to the board with the only jumper (RST-D0) required, then the same thing should apply to the ESPHOME flasher! Isn’t?

4

RST to D0 is only if you are using deep sleep. You don’t need that for initial flashing.

5

Ha ok. Thanks. That clarifies that.
But still no luck. Any more idea on what I should try?