ESP32-S3 support

[Sam Rossiter]

Is the ESP32 S3 supported? https://www.espressif.com/en/products/socs/esp32-s3

[John Maloney]

Not yet.

If you have an S3 and are comfortable with PlatformIO or the Arduino IDE, you could give it a try. I'm guess it won't take much work to get it running, but I don't have an S3 board myself and am super busy with other things.

[Sam Rossiter]

Thanks.

[Wenjie Wu]

@Sam Rossiter Perhaps you can start from here: https://docs.platformio.org/en/latest/boards/index.html#espressif-32

[John Maloney]

If you have PlatformIO installed, this command will list boards with ESP-S3's:

pio boards ESP32S3

Let me know how it goes. Once you've gotten it to build and install, I can point you to a few places you can add cases for the S3 to customize it (e.g. to set the board name, define the size of the object storage heap, set the user LED pin, etc.

Good luck!

[Sam Rossiter]

In VScode platformio.ini starts with an error “[{
"resource": "/home/sam/Desktop/microblocks/smallvm/platformio.ini",
"owner": "PlatformIO",
"severity": 8,
"message": "Invalid environment name 'm5stick+'. The name can contain alphanumeric, underscore, and hyphen characters (a-z, 0-9, -, _)",
"startLineNumber": 1,
"startColumn": 1,
"endLineNumber": 1,
"endColumn": 1
}]

‌

I’ll just comment it out, but presumably it should be removed/fixed?

[Sam Rossiter]

With this as my Plaformio.ini

‌

; PlatformIO Project Configuration File
;
; Please visit documentation for the other options and examples
; https://docs.platformio.org/page/projectconf.html

; To build 'cd' to the the 'smallvm' folder and run a command like:
;   pio run -e microbit -t upload
; to build and install the MicroBlocks VM a given board (e.g. microbit) or
;   pio run
; to compile MicroBlocks for all platforms.

[platformio]
src_dir = vm

[env]
framework = arduino
monitor_speed = 115200


[env:adafruit_feather_esp32s3]
platform = espressif32
board = um_feathers3
lib_deps =WebSockets
    256dpi/MQTT

‌

It currently fails with

In file included from vm/sensorPrims.cpp:16:
vm/sensorPrims.cpp: In function 'int* primMagneticField(int, int**)':
vm/sensorPrims.cpp:1363:18: error: 'hall_sensor_read' was not declared in this scope
   return int2obj(hall_sensor_read());
                  ^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
vm/mem.h:73:30: note: in definition of macro 'int2obj'
 #define int2obj(n) ((OBJ) (((n) << 1) | 1))
                              ^
vm/sensorPrims.cpp:1363:18: note: suggested alternative: 'uart_send_break'
   return int2obj(hall_sensor_read());
                  ^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
vm/mem.h:73:30: note: in definition of macro 'int2obj'
 #define int2obj(n) ((OBJ) (((n) << 1) | 1))
                              ^

‌

Not sure what to do with that, I’ll Google it sometime.

[John Maloney]

Ahh! The S3 does not have a Hall magnetic sensor. You can replace vm/sensorPrims.cpp line 1363 with:

return zeroObj;

to fix the compile error.

[John Maloney]

Thanks for reporting the m5stick+ issue. That was due to a recent change in platformio. I've fixed the platformio.ini file in the dev branch. The fix will be in the next stable release. Meanwhile, you can just delete or comment out that entry.

[Sam Rossiter]

Great, that works. Thanks.

Just noting the next issue so I can return to it later

/home/sam/.platformio/packages/toolchain-xtensa-esp32s3/bin/../lib/gcc/xtensa-esp32s3-elf/8.4.0/../../../../xtensa-esp32s3-elf/bin/ld: .pio/build/adafruit_feather_esp32s3/src/ioPrims.cpp.o:(.literal.primAnalogWrite+0x4): undefined reference to `dacWrite'
/home/sam/.platformio/packages/toolchain-xtensa-esp32s3/bin/../lib/gcc/xtensa-esp32s3-elf/8.4.0/../../../../xtensa-esp32s3-elf/bin/ld: .pio/build/adafruit_feather_esp32s3/src/ioPrims.cpp.o: in function `primAnalogWrite':
/home/sam/Desktop/microblocks/smallvm/vm/ioPrims.cpp:1011: undefined reference to `dacWrite'

‌

[Dariusz Dorożalski]

There is no DAC either. You may comment [e-mail]:1011

[Sam Rossiter]

Nice with that commented it compiles

=========== [SUCCESS] Took 15.22 seconds ==========================================

[Sam Rossiter]

After flashing the board I can’t connect to it from https://microblocks.fun/

[Dariusz Dorożalski]

I've got the same error while Platform.io was still working and blocking the port.

Chrome Debuger, Console

gpSupport.js:847 Uncaught (in promise) DOMException: Failed to execute 'open' on 'SerialPort': Failed to open serial port.

[Sam Rossiter]

Thanks looking at the console I see

Loaded 159 library files from embedded file system
emModule.js:18 Welcome to GP!
emModule.js:18 Connected to webserial
emModule.js:18 All tasks stopped
emModule.js:18 Read 0 vars 1 chunks
emModule.js:18 All tasks stopped
emModule.js:18 Memory cleared
emModule.js:18 Downloaded 1 scripts to board (332 msecs)
emModule.js:18 Downloaded 1 scripts to board (85 msecs)
emModule.js:18 Connected
emModule.js:18 Chip type: nil
emModule.js:18 Error: Unknown chip type

[Dariusz Dorożalski]

Connected 
emModule.js:18 Chip type: nil 
emModule.js:18 Error: Unknown chip type

It seems to be a part of the "Update firmware..." . The connection routine, on my ESP32-S3-Freenova@Win10, stops at "Memory cleared".

There is no reason to update the firmware as the ad hoc version, tailored for the ESP32-S3 was just uploaded.

[John Maloney]

As Dariusz points out, the message "Error: Unknown chip type" is part of the MicroBlocks firmware update code but that code shouldn't be running unless you selected "update firmware on board" from the gear menu. Do you think you may have done that?

The first part of the console log, up to "Downloaded 1 scripts to board (85 msecs)" looks as though the IDE is successfully communicating with the board.

Incidentally, as you are working, be sure that you close or disconnect MicroBlocks while using PlatformIO to compile and upload new firmware to the ESP32. If you don't, the MicroBlocks IDE can try to communicate with the board at the same time as PlatformIO, which confuses the PlatformIO flashing process.

Once PlatformIO has finished flashing the new firmware, you can try to connect from the MicroBlocks UI. Note that, after erasing Flash, it can take a minute or more for the ESP32 file system to get initialized, during which time the board is unresponsive. If your ESP32-S3 has a larger amoung of Flash then the file system creation could take longer. Once the file system has been set up one can usually update the firmware without doing a full Flash erase.

It looks as though you are very close to getting this working!

[John Maloney]

I got some time so I tried compiling for an ESP32-S3. After working around the two issues you found (no Hall sensor, no DAC), it compiled. But I don't have an S3 board to test it on.

I will add some #ifdefs for the S3 in the dev branch to disable the Hall and DAC features for ESP32-S3 and ESP32-S2 boards.

[Sam Rossiter]

Great stuff, Thanks John & all for your help.

[Sam Rossiter]

This works now

[Sam Rossiter]

Done

[Sam Rossiter]

I’m returning to this after some time.

I now get

‌

ros2@ros2:~/smallvm$ pio run -e esp32s3 -t upload

Processing esp32s3 (platform: espressif32; board: esp32-s3-devkitc-1; framework: arduino)

Verbose mode can be enabled via -v, --verbose option
CONFIGURATION: https://docs.platformio.org/page/boards/espressif32/esp32-s3-devkitc-1.html
PLATFORM: Espressif 32 (6.5.0) > Espressif ESP32-S3-DevKitC-1-N8 (8 MB QD, No PSRAM)
HARDWARE: ESP32S3 240MHz, 320KB RAM, 8MB Flash
DEBUG: Current (esp-builtin) On-board (esp-builtin) External (cmsis-dap, esp-bridge, esp-prog, iot-bus-jtag, jlink, minimodule, olimex-arm-usb-ocd, olimex-arm-usb-ocd-h, olimex-arm-usb-tiny-h, olimex-jtag-tiny, tumpa)
PACKAGES:

• framework-arduinoespressif32 @ 3.20014.231204 (2.0.14)
• tool-esptoolpy @ 1.40501.0 (4.5.1)
• tool-mkfatfs @ 2.0.1
• tool-mklittlefs @ 1.203.210628 (2.3)
• tool-mkspiffs @ 2.230.0 (2.30)
• tool-openocd-esp32 @ 2.1100.20220706 (11.0)
• toolchain-riscv32-esp @ 8.4.0+2021r2-patch5
• toolchain-xtensa-esp32s3 @ 8.4.0+2021r2-patch5
  Converting vm.ino
  LDF: Library Dependency Finder -> https://bit.ly/configure-pio-ldf
  LDF Modes: Finder ~ chain, Compatibility ~ soft
  Found 33 compatible libraries
  Scanning dependencies...
  Dependency Graph
  |-- ESP32 BLE Arduino @ 2.0.0
  |-- WiFi @ 2.0.0
  |-- SPI @ 2.0.0
  |-- Wire @ 2.0.0
  |-- FS @ 2.0.0
  |-- LittleFS @ 2.0.0
  Building in release mode
  Compiling .pio/build/esp32s3/src/cameraPrims.cpp.o
  Compiling .pio/build/esp32s3/src/dataPrims.c.o
  Compiling .pio/build/esp32s3/src/filePrims.cpp.o
  Compiling .pio/build/esp32s3/src/fileTransfer.cpp.o
  Compiling .pio/build/esp32s3/src/hidPrims.cpp.o
  Compiling .pio/build/esp32s3/src/interp.c.o
  Compiling .pio/build/esp32s3/src/ioPrims.cpp.o
  Compiling .pio/build/esp32s3/src/mem.c.o
  Compiling .pio/build/esp32s3/src/miscPrims.c.o
  Compiling .pio/build/esp32s3/src/netPrims.cpp.o
  Compiling .pio/build/esp32s3/src/oneWirePrims.cpp.o
  vm/netPrims.cpp:26:11: fatal error: WebSocketsServer.h: No such file or directory

‌

My Platformio.ini

[env:esp32s3]
platform = espressif32
board = esp32-s3-devkitc-1
; board_build.f_flash = 80000000L
; board_build.flash_mode = qio
; board_build.partitions = min_spiffs.csv
monitor_speed = 115200
upload_port = /dev/ttyUSB0
upload_protocol = esptool
; upload_protocol = espota
; upload_port = 192.168.1.101

[John Maloney]

Try adding these library dependencies to your env:

lib_deps =
    paulstoffregen/OneWire
    WebSockets
    256dpi/MQTT
    NimBLE-Arduino

FYI, if you pull the latest dev branch, there is now an entry for the S3 in the platformio.ini file.

[Sam Rossiter]

Nice, that’s uploaded. Can’t yet connect via microblocks UI, but I’ll keep playing with it

‌

[John Maloney]

It sounds like it compiles okay and uploads to the board without error. Great!

You may need to power-cycle the board after uploading the firmware. Also, the very first time it runs it can take a minute or more for the LittleFS file system to initialize the file system in its Flash memory partition.

One thing to check is whether a serial device for the board appears when you plug it in.

On Linux or MacOS, you can do:

ls /dev | grep cu

to list external serial ports. You should see an entry like:

cu.usbmodem1102

and that entry will be missing if you run the command when the board is not plugged in.

On Linux, you'll need to make sure you have access to the serial port. The easiest way to do that is to add yourself to the "dialout" or "tty" group -- the exact group varies depending on your distro. You'll need to log out and then back in to make that change take effect.

Another option is to run the pilot version of MicroBlocks webapp (https://microblocks.fun/run-pilot/microblocks.html) in a Chrome or Edge browser and us the "connect (BLE)" command to connect to the board over BLE.

[Sam Rossiter]

This is working now thanks (building in a virtualbox and it had lost the virtual USB on re-boot)