{"id":6612,"date":"2020-01-16T18:03:38","date_gmt":"2020-01-16T17:03:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nerdiy.de\/?p=6612"},"modified":"2020-02-29T22:00:32","modified_gmt":"2020-02-29T21:00:32","slug":"howto-flash-esp8266-with-esptool-bin-files-on-windows-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nerdiy.de\/en\/howto-flash-esp8266-with-esptool-bin-files-on-windows-2\/","title":{"rendered":"HowTo: ESP8266 - flashing .bin files under Windows with the \"Esptool\""},"content":{"rendered":"

The actual flashing of firmware files such as .bin files (also called \"binaries\") on the Wemos D1 Mini, the NodeMcu dev board or any other board based on the ESP8266 is done completely in the background in the Arduino IDE.<\/p>\n

This is actually the \"esptool\" offered by Espressif - the manufacturer of the ESP8266. With the right parameters, you can easily transfer finished .bin files to the ESP8266.<\/p>\n

An easier and a slightly more challenging way is described in this article.<\/p>\n

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Safety instructions <\/span><\/h2>\r\n

I know the following notes are always kind of annoying and seem unnecessary. Unfortunately, many people who knew "better" have lost eyes, fingers or other things due to carelessness or injured themselves. Data loss is almost negligible in comparison, but even these can be really annoying. Therefore, please take five minutes to read the safety instructions. Because even the coolest project is not worth injury or other trouble.<\/span>
https:\/\/www.nerdiy.de\/sicherheitshinweise\/<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\r\n

Affiliate links\/advertising links<\/h2>\r\n

The links to online shops listed here are so-called affiliate links. If you click on such an affiliate link and make a purchase via this link, Nerdiy.de will receive a commission from the relevant online shop or provider. The price does not change for you. If you make your purchases via these links, you support Nerdiy.de in being able to offer other useful projects in the future. \ud83d\ude42\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

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Requirements
\n<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Required tool:
\n<\/strong>-no-<\/p>\n

Required material:
\n<\/strong>-no-<\/p>\n

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The esptool<\/h2>\n

The current version of the \"esptool\" mentioned above can always be found in the manufacturer's GitHub under:<\/p>\n

https:\/\/github.com\/espressif\/esptool<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

The \"problem\" is that this tool is a Python script\/application and therefore cannot be executed directly\/easily under Windows.<\/p>\n

Conveniently, Python scripts can also be \"packed\" into a compact .exe file. This also makes it easier to use under Windows.
\nHow to do this is described in the article Python - Translate Esptool.py to Esptool.exe\u00a0<\/strong>described.
\nAlternatively, you can also access (somewhat older) prepared releases at<\/p>\n

https:\/\/github.com\/igrr\/esptool-ck\/releases<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

fall back.<\/p>\n

For the further course of this article you don't have to organize the esptool yourself but you can simply use the esptool.exe file in the following Git.<\/p>\n

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Transfer an existing .bin file with the esptool and the ESPEasy Flasher<\/h2>\n

If you only want to transfer a .bin file to the ESP8266 \"armed\" with the esptool, this normally means that you have to call up the esptool via the command line and with the corresponding parameters.<\/p>\n

This is often difficult especially for not so advanced users and apart from that simply impractical.<\/p>\n

This has also been noticed by others and therefore they have worked on how to make the flash process of the ESP8266 as simple as possible.<\/p>\n

One of these results can be found in the following Git repository at<\/p>\n

https:\/\/github.com\/BattloXX\/ESPEasyFlasher<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

as always there is also a backup on the nerdiy git:<\/p>\n

https:\/\/github.com\/Nerdiyde\/ESPEasyFlasher<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

In this Git repository there is a FlashESP8266.exe in addition to the mentioned esptool.exe. The latter works like a graphical user interface, which translates the mouse input into prameters and a command line call. What this means is explained in the next paragraph. The easy way starts right here \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
In the mentioned Git repository you can see the files that are contained in the Git repository.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
To start the download of the files click on the \"Clone or Download\" button and...<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
... then click on \"Download ZIP\". You can also find more information on downloading files from a Git repository in the article GitHub - How do I copy files from a Git repository to my computer?<\/strong><\/em><\/a>.\u00a0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
If you have downloaded the ZIP file, you have to unpack it first. You can find more information about this in the article WinRar? WinZip? WinWhat? - Honey I shrunk the files<\/strong><\/em><\/a>. In the unzipped folder you should then be able to see the folder contents shown.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Now you have prepared all the program files required for flashing. What you still need is the .bin file that you want to transfer to your ESP. You can get this - as shown in the picture - from the \"bin\" folder of the ESPEasy-Git, for example. Both there and in the Tasmota Git, fully compiled \"binarys\" (as the .bin files are called) are prepared and offered. However, as these binarys are always compiled specifically for a controller type with the corresponding memory size and configuration, it is important to select the correct file. For a Wemos D1-Mini, for example, you can select the file \"ESP_Easy_mega-20190803_custom_ESP8266_4M.bin\". Do not be confused by the fact that the sequence of numbers between \"ESP_Easy_mega-\" and \"_custom_ESP8266_4M.bin\" changes in newer versions. This part corresponds to the date on which the binary was created. Now copy the selected binary and paste it into the...<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
...the same directory where the .exe file of the ESPEasy Flasher is located. This is the directory in which you have previously unpacked the program files of the esptools and Co.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Now you can start the ESPEasy Flasher by executing the FlashESP8266.exe file.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
The now opened program is very simple. There is the possibility to select the COM port to which you have connected your ESP. Furthermore ...<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
...you can select the binary file you want to transfer to your ESP in the selection menu below. All binaries that are located in the same folder as the FlashESP8266.exe program are listed here. You will therefore also find the binary that you have previously copied from the \"bin\" folder into the unzipped program folder.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Now all you have to do is click on the \"Flash\" button and the selected binary will be transferred to your ESP.<\/p>\n

One more important note: The list of available COM ports is only updated by restarting the application. So if you have connected your ESP when the program was already started, you have to close it again and open it again.<\/p>\n

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Call Esptool via the command line<\/h2>\n

As mentioned before, you can also use the esptool directly to transfer an existing binary to your ESP.<\/p>\n

To do this, use the command line to call the esptool with specified parameters as follows:<\/p>\n

esptool.exe -vv -cd nodemcu -cb 921600 -cp COM32 -ca 0x00000 -cf C:ESPEasy.ino.bin<\/pre>\n