OTA and the ESP32-8048S043C

[Starraker]

As everyone knows there is a facility called OTA (Over-the Air) which allows updating your module / ESP chip from one version to another or updating the version that you have and it is on the Config menu of your editor. What you don't know is that there is another OTA updater that lives in the background behind the Config screen.

In fact, on a second partition, there is a specific application dedicated to the OTA.
Practically, when you click on "OTA update", the 2nd partition is activated and this application runs.

How I got to discover this little gem is that in January this year I bought a very nice and very cheap 4.3 inch screen version of the ESP-8048S070C with great amount of memory and spare GPIO pins and a bigger brother of the ESP32-4848S040C (or so I thought). This ESP-8048S043C has a much improved IPS TFT driven by an entirely different chip to either. This caused several problems because the VGA was connected to different pins and the native frequency was different. The Arduino boys also quickly discovered that this beast was different to others. Very Nice screen but.... it would not work properly. Then about a month later I was contacted by another member who also was discovering the intricacies of this troublesome beastie and we began to collaborate.

After much to and fro between us, CICCIOCB noticed that we were having trouble and advised that he was about to do something neat and introduce a new version with LovyanGFX and LVGL for ESP32-S3 which might improve our integration. Well in March after the Level 2 release we unfortunately were still stuck because we could not upgrade to level 2 because the VGA commands had been converted to TFT commands and no longer had the VGA.setup. However, out of the goodness of his heart CICCIOCB offered to integrate this Module into Annex 32 even though he did not possess one of these himself.

After a few days he came up with an operational trial which had to be implemented by OTA from a link he passed to both of us and that we had to test (you knew I would get back to the OTA) so after consulting a few postings on OTA I knew I had to copy the link into the Config as shown below and save it then click the OTA update:

Config Page.jpg

Well, the OTA did not go well I would get about 80% into the update then stop. It was suggested that my module was not close enough to my router so I moved all clutter and move the module closer. Not to be deterred I entered the Web Installer and after starting the program selection it came to the end and then automatically started the OTA process again - magic it worked. I had my new version for testing and test it we did until CICCIOCB announced that testing had succeeded and that he had a final version to be OTA 'd. Well try as I might this final version would not finish getting to 82% and failing each time. Very frustrating!!!!

Then I thought that I might click on the link and download the .bin file and see if I could find a way to implement the file that is now on my PC. But I checked everywhere and no way to do this. So I pushed the OTA update button in Config and went to File Manager to see what I could see and there was a an OTA updater inviting me to type in an URL and update but nothing happened until I noticed that it says to press the button so I pushed my RESET button on the module and lo and behold the process started and went through to completion - I had my final version (which works beautifully) as shown below:

OTA Upgrade.jpg

After entering manually the url of the firmware the OTA updater takes the wifi SSID + PW + IP address automatically from the Annex configuration.

Long tale but useful if you have one these excellent but once troublesome beasties. Now fully tamed (and thoroughly recommended for value, available GPIO pins and large memory), with the normal logo screen at startup thanks to CICCIOCB.

If you have one of these very nice CYDs you need only ask for the upgraded firmware link and you will be up and going and have the latest firmware.