ESP32 Without flash and ram

[harunc_esp]

Hi all,

ESP32 was used without flash and ram because there was no space left on the PCB. Only ESP32 chip is used.
A design was obtained by examining the datasheet and the reference manual.

PCB Design:

mosquitto_0.png (90.52 KiB) Viewed 2631 times

However, a problem was encountered during flash.

Problem:

Code: Select all

esp32 (master) » idf.py -b 115200 -p /dev/cu.usbserial-143401 flash monitor                                                                                                                                                                                           ~/INTHECA/Workspace/esp32 2 ↵ 
Executing action: flash
Running ninja in directory /Users/inthecahc/INTHECA/Workspace/esp32/build
Executing "ninja flash"...
[1/5] cd /Users/inthecahc/INTHECA/Workspace/esp32/build/esp-idf/esptool_py && /Users/inthecahc/.espressif/python_env/idf4.4_py3.9_env/bin/p...rkspace/esp32/build/partition_table/partition-table.bin /Users/inthecahc/INTHECA/Workspace/esp32/build/esp32.bin
esp32.bin binary size 0x72110 bytes. Smallest app partition is 0x400000 bytes. 0x38def0 bytes (89%) free.
[2/5] Performing build step for 'bootloader'
[1/1] cd /Users/inthecahc/INTHECA/Workspace/esp32/build/bootloader/esp-idf/esptool_py && /Users/inthecahc/.espressif/python_env/idf4.4_py3.9_env/bin/python /Users/inthecahc/esp/esp-idf/components/partition_table/check_sizes.py --offset 0x10000 bootloader 0x1000 /Users/inthecahc/INTHECA/Workspace/esp32/build/bootloader/bootloader.bin
Bootloader binary size 0x62d0 bytes. 0x8d30 bytes (59%) free.
[2/3] cd /Users/inthecahc/esp/esp-idf/components/esptool_py && /usr/local/Cellar/cmake/3.22.1/bin/cmake -D IDF_PATH="/Users/inthecahc/esp/esp-idf" -D SERIAL_T...KING_DIRECTORY="/Users/inthecahc/INTHECA/Workspace/esp32/build" -P /Users/inthecahc/esp/esp-idf/components/esptool_py/run_serial_tool.cmake
esptool.py esp32 -p /dev/cu.usbserial-143401 -b 115200 --before=default_reset --after=hard_reset write_flash --flash_mode dio --flash_freq 40m --flash_size 16MB 0x1000 bootloader/bootloader.bin 0x100000 esp32.bin 0x10000 partition_table/partition-table.bin
esptool.py v3.2-dev
Serial port /dev/cu.usbserial-143401
Connecting......
Chip is ESP32-D0WD-V3 (revision 3)
Features: WiFi, BT, Dual Core, 240MHz, VRef calibration in efuse, Coding Scheme None
Crystal is 40MHz
MAC: 70:b8:f6:46:54:24
Uploading stub...
Running stub...
Stub running...
Configuring flash size...
Flash will be erased from 0x00001000 to 0x00007fff...
Flash will be erased from 0x00100000 to 0x00172fff...
Flash will be erased from 0x00010000 to 0x00010fff...
Compressed 25296 bytes to 15802...

A fatal error occurred: Packet content transfer stopped (received 8 bytes)
CMake Error at run_serial_tool.cmake:56 (message):
  /Users/inthecahc/.espressif/python_env/idf4.4_py3.9_env/bin/python
  /Users/inthecahc/esp/esp-idf/components/esptool_py/esptool/esptool.py
  --chip esp32 failed


FAILED: CMakeFiles/flash /Users/inthecahc/INTHECA/Workspace/esp32/build/CMakeFiles/flash 
cd /Users/inthecahc/esp/esp-idf/components/esptool_py && /usr/local/Cellar/cmake/3.22.1/bin/cmake -D IDF_PATH="/Users/inthecahc/esp/esp-idf" -D SERIAL_TOOL="/Users/inthecahc/.espressif/python_env/idf4.4_py3.9_env/bin/python /Users/inthecahc/esp/esp-idf/components/esptool_py/esptool/esptool.py --chip esp32" -D SERIAL_TOOL_ARGS="--before=default_reset --after=hard_reset write_flash @flash_args" -D WORKING_DIRECTORY="/Users/inthecahc/INTHECA/Workspace/esp32/build" -P /Users/inthecahc/esp/esp-idf/components/esptool_py/run_serial_tool.cmake
ninja: build stopped: subcommand failed.
ninja failed with exit code 1

Could not find the source of the problem.

Could not find the source of the problem.
Can ESP32 be used without flash and ram?
Is there something wrong with the schematic if it can be used?

Asking for help on the subject.

[ESP_Minatel]

Hi,

The ESP32-D0WD cannot be used without flash memory. The ESP32-U4WDH or ESP32-PICO has the flash memory embedded in the SoC.

[harunc_esp]

Hi,

Thank you so much your help.

Best regards

[hooverphonique]

1. The ESP32 has 128+kB of ROM, can't that be used for code/data, or is internal/external flash an absolute requirement to use the chip?

2. In case of internal flash, does it block the external use of the QSPI interface for other things (not necessarily memory) ?