manuall force exit download mode after flashing with esptool.

[spikey1973]

I Just flashed my ESP32-S2FNR2 (esp32 s2 mini) from the standard circuitpython to micropython.
afterwards I recieved the familiar warning (not error ):

WARNING: ESP32-S2FNR2 (revision v0.0) chip was placed into download mode using GPIO0.
esptool.py can not exit the download mode over USB. To run the app, reset the chip manually.
To suppress this note, set --after option to 'no_reset'.

so I assumed, pressing the reset button would manually reset the board, unfortunately it stays in download mode even after disconnecting / reconnecting usb / pressing reset / 0 button.

How can I force this board to reset? I assume it's not a physical issue with the reset button as it worked fine to get it into download mode just a minute before.

I have several of these boards (not available to try, to answer this quation myself) which have still circuitpython on it, which i flashed to update in the past in a similar methode and can't recall having the same issue.

[ESP_Sprite]

Do you have anything attached to the board?

[spikey1973]

nothing, well the USB-C cable to the usb-c interface to the computer as i used this to flash.
besides that it is a blank board

ADDITIONALLY i realised i still had a test board lying around (which i didn't fully trust anymore since the led was broken and the 0 switch fell off. I was able to short the right pads though and was able to get it into download mode in the same way.. flashed it also.. but now again, can't get it out of download mode. so it is stuck in exactly the same way.

as mentioned another board, flashed with updated circuitpython last year did not have this issue as far as i remember..
but ofcourse the difference is not only the language i flash. but i also used installed esptools on my win 11 machine, while last ear i used online esptool via browser..

as far as i can remember, this are the only differences.

[ESP_Sprite]

What specific board are we talking about here?

[spikey1973]

Hello ESP_sprite,

I mentioned that in m fisrst mail, the ESP32-S2FNR2 (esp32 s2 mini), i belive none original wemos.

here is the link.

https://nl.aliexpress.com/item/10050044 ... pt=glo2nld

[ESP_Sprite]

'ESP32-S2FNR2' and 'esp32 s2 mini' are names of the chip and the module, not the devboard, hence me asking. Also, that ali link doesn't quite work for me.

[spikey1973]

My appologies, but to be honoust, i am not sure what to aswer then..

this is all i know. WeMos lolin S2 mini esp32, v1.0.0

i have an additional link from wemos itself, but i am not sure it is an original wemos board or a clone, all seems to be original though.

https://www.wemos.cc/en/latest/s2/s2_mini.html

the picture shows a micro-usb connection but the newer versions as the text shows is usb-c.
hope this is more infromative, if not please give me an example of the kind (different board) of information you require.

additionall:
flashed firmware: firmware-LOLIN_S2_MINI-v1.19.1-669-gd4b9df176.bin
link: https://github.com/wemos/micropython/releases

and to be compleet.

I installed python 3.11
esptool.py v4.4
on win 11 system

Addendum:

I thought today to try to flash arduino .bin on there to see if that made a difference (did not expect so, but since all I could do is flash.. that seemed worth the try).

Unfortunately this failed on both boards because of change of com port, so I felt like to add this data in the hope it might entail some usefull information.

initially (with the standard circuit python installed) it would connect on COM4 and the onboard blue led would light up.

after getting into download mode it changed (as expected) to COM 5 with no active LED (this was enticipated) I also enticipated a change back after the flash to signify the exit of download mode, which it didn't and even after a complete detach / reset (connected and disconnected(one tries all not)), it remained connecting on COM5 where I could continue flashing the board.

Today (without me doing anything afterwards) the board (both) did not connect to COM5 nor COM4, but to COM6, still the led remained off. Which got me hopefull the issue was solved.. (at least it did not connect to COM 5 and flashing the board is no longer possible, not on COM5 nor COM6), and that for an unknown reason the led should not be on with micropython installed.
Unfortunately Mu editor (in micropython mode) still did not recognized the board.

I did find that I can now (from the mode it is now) re-enter download mode and flash through the usual way exit download mode, but again to what ever mode it is in on COM6.

So while typing, i feel like i can be over looking just a different way of working with micropython then I am used to now with circuitpython as it seems to have some sort of functionality, except for that I can't do anything with it, led is off, mu editor doesn't recognise, can't connect to REPL. I also tried connecting to it with putty, and I do not get the expected REPL screen, but just a complete empty screen with just the cursor on it. when i connect to com 6 with Arduino IDE (without arduino .bin flashed on it) it gives the following info when check board info:

BN: Unknown board
VID: 303A
PID: 4001
SN: Upload any sketch to obtain it

I hope this gives any clarity to what is going on here (normal function i did not expect) or a strange situation.

1671730991835.jpg (580.02 KiB) Viewed 10718 times

Kind greats, Matthieu

[spikey1973]

Oke this got (was) solved, or was most likely never a problem.

the three issues I ran jointly ran into, seem to be seperate issues of normal behaviour i was not aware / accustomed to.
1) led not burning under power seems to be normal with micropython installation vs circuitpython.
2) Mu editor, which is supposed to work under micropython, still doesn't function (maybe a setting error, i willlook into, but for now i can get it to work) but uPYcraft works fine so i transfered to that (for now).
3) can't exit the download mode got solved spontaniously the next day, or i did something wrong (being to tired) the first day? anyway, it works fine now.

never the less thank you for all your input specifically @ESP_sprite

Matthieu