Mass Production with ESP32

[dowanKim]

I am preparing for mass production with esp32.
However, it is burdensome to increase the amount of data to flash by serial communication.
So I want to do the following.
First, I create a very small and simple application without RTOS,
which only has wifi functionality and the ota functionality associated with it.
After I flash this code in the factory area via a serial,
this code will run and download the original binary and install it in the ota-0 area.

Please try it once.
How small can you get?

Thank you!

[ESP_Sprite]

As an alternative, you can usually order flash chips pre-programmed as well. That may be the quickest option if you want rapid programming

[bhavenm]

how can i order pre-programmed chips. How much do they cost? I have a project ready to go into production.

[Gfast2]

Hi bhavenm & ESP_Sprite,

I'd interested in this topic too.
My questions are:

1. How to package all stuff for SPI including the partitions as a ".bin"
2. How to do SPI Flash serial programming without ESP-IDF?

Cheers

Gfast

[ESP_Sprite]

On 1: You'd have to find a way to create a blank file, then put all the .bins in there in their expected locations... on an Unix environment, you could probably kludge something with dd and some well-chosen command line arguments. For an easier way, just flash an ESP32 module as you would normally do, then read out the flash again and use that as your template. Or for most speed, don't bother and find a way to flash all individual .bin files to the flash in their required place; that way you only flash as much as needed and not more.

You can program a SPI flash chip in a multitude of ways: grabbing a flash programmer and using that would be the most obvious.

[Gfast2]

On 1: You'd have to find a way to create a blank file, then put all the .bins in there in their expected locations... on an Unix environment, you could probably kludge something with dd and some well-chosen command line arguments. For an easier way, just flash an ESP32 module as you would normally do, then read out the flash again and use that as your template. Or for most speed, don't bother and find a way to flash all individual .bin files to the flash in their required place; that way you only flash as much as needed and not more.

You can program a SPI flash chip in a multitude of ways: grabbing a flash programmer and using that would be the most obvious.

Hi ESP_Sprite,

Thanks for sharing these suggestion.
I think its the time for me to investing time on two questions with google:

1. How to read flash chip through spi interface.
2. How prevent others to copy my flash in the way as in the question 1 mentioned.

Cheers

Gfast2

[newsettler_AI]

1. How to read flash chip through spi interface.
2. How prevent others to copy my flash in the way as in the question 1 mentioned.
Gfast2

1. Use mingw from framework:

Code: Select all

python E:/ESP32/esp-idf/components/esptool_py/esptool/esptool.py --port COM5 --baud 230400 read_flash 0 0x400000 original_content.bin

This how you can read flash (tested on windows, on linux you need adjust first part of command)

[ESP_Sprite]

Also, wrt how to stop others from reading your flash: read up on flash encryption.

[Gfast2]

Hi newsettler_AI & ESP_Sprite,

Thanks for your answers. You guys are awesome. You are my Preachers!

I will check out you advices very soon and tell the problems when there is any.

Cheers

Gfast2