ESP32-S3 Flash issues

[commicannon]

I have a custom PCB with an ESP32-S3 chip connected to a W25Q128 flash chip. Using ESPtool i can communicate with the chip well, i can read chid id however whenever i try and do anything with the flash chip i get no response from the flash chip. COnstantly getting errors like

Code: Select all

A fatal error occurred: Unable to verify flash chip connection (No serial data received.).

Ive tried multiple baud rates, always get good communication to the MCU but nothing from the flash
I have disconnected all the GPIOs on the U43B block in the schematic attached.
Any help will be appreciated.

[ESP_Sprite]

I don't immediately see issues with the flash connections. Do you have another PCB you can check, perhaps it's a physical issue on the one you used?

[commicannon]

I do have another PCB thats not built up, i can build it if needed but will take a week or so to get parts etc. Scoping the pins on the flash chip im seeing good signals and i have tried using a different flash chip. Any other things to try debugging before building another PCB up?

[ESP_Sprite]

I do have another PCB thats not built up, i can build it if needed but will take a week or so to get parts etc. Scoping the pins on the flash chip im seeing good signals and i have tried using a different flash chip. Any other things to try debugging before building another PCB up?

Sorry, no idea on debugging options aside from the trivial: make sure your power supplies go everywhere, make sure no pins are accidentally shorted. (Also: one bit of advice I got is to always make multiple prototypes: two if needed but ideally three. That way you can check if a prototype is just bad by checking against the others, and if you need to add bodges you can keep one 'clean' to later double-check if the 'final' set of bodges actually fixes your issue.)