Getting Started with ESP8266 NodeMCU V1.0 development board (Arduino IDE)

I wrote this blog, after struggling with the problem of the failure of the upload program from Arduino IDE to IOT board nodeMCU Amica Version 1.0 (on a board that is not installed NodeMCU x.x Lua) with the error message:

warning: espcomm_send_command: didn't receive command response
warning: espcomm_send_command(FLASH_DOWNLOAD_BEGIN) failed
error: espcomm_upload_mem failed

After searching for a reference to the web, finally got the solution.

Hopefully this article can help you if you have the same problem.

NodeMCU IOT is an open source platform that incorporate firmware which runs on top of ESP8266 Wi-Fi SoC.

Figure 1. NodeMCU Board

 Figure 2. NodeMCU Board Bottom

Steps:

1. Plug Board NodeMCU on a breadboard

Figure 3. NodeMCU plugged in on breadboard

2. Install CP2102 (USB to Serial Converter) driver in accordance with the OS can be downloaded.

3. Record the port number,  for example COM4

Gambar 4. Port setelah instalasi driver USB CP2102

3. Install Arduino IDE (Sketch) can be downloaded.

4. Install esp8266 boards manager

4.a. File -> References

4.b. Paste the following URL to the Additional Board Manager option

http://arduino.esp8266.com/stable/package_esp8266com_index.json

Gambar 5. Isian pada Preferences

4.c. Tools -> Board ..., choose  Boards manager.

4.d. Scroll down, and choose esp8266 by ESP8266, and click on install.

Figure 6. Once the boards manager are installed

5. Set the right Board & Port

5.a. Tools -> Board ...,  chose NodeMCU 1.0 (ESP 12E module) from list.

5.b. Tools-> Port, select COM4 (according to step 3 above)

 Gambar 7. Parameter after setting

6. Plug a led on breadboard where the anode leg on pin D7, and cathoda on GND as shown below

Gambar  8. Plug a Led on pin D7 and GND

7. Create code as follow:

void setup() {
  pinMode(D7, OUTPUT);
}

void loop() {
  digitalWrite(D7, HIGH);   // turn the LED on (HIGH is the voltage level)
  delay(1000);              // wait for a second
  digitalWrite(D7, LOW);    // turn the LED off by making the voltage LOW
  delay(1000);              // wait for a second
}

8. Verify your code

9. Upload your code

Gambar 9. Upload succeed

If you do it right, then the LED will blink.

10. If failed

Trouble Shooting:

When upload you got this error message:

warning: espcomm_send_command: didn't receive command response
warning: espcomm_send_command(FLASH_DOWNLOAD_BEGIN) failed
error: espcomm_upload_mem failed

For more specified you can activate verbose mode (File-> Preference, and checkedon Show verbose output during (x) compilation (x) upload).

Solution:
The error can be caused by something prevent the board entered the programming/flash mode, to enabled the programming/flash mode pull up pin D3 (GPIO 0) to GND

Gambar 10. Pull pin D3 (GPIO 0) to GND

and try to upload again (verbose log when succeed).

Sketch uses 230,113 bytes (22%) of program storage space. Maximum is 1,044,464 bytes.
Global variables use 32,368 bytes (39%) of dynamic memory, leaving 49,552 bytes for local variables. Maximum is 81,920 bytes.
C:\Users\hendra-new\AppData\Local\Arduino15\packages\esp8266\tools\esptool\0.4.9/esptool.exe -vv -cd nodemcu -cb 115200 -cp COM4 -ca 0x00000 -cf C:\Users\HENDRA~1\AppData\Local\Temp\arduino_build_696037/nodeMCUhelloworld.ino.bin
esptool v0.4.9 - (c) 2014 Ch. Klippel <ck@atelier-klippel.de>
    setting board to nodemcu
    setting baudrate from 115200 to 115200
    setting port from COM1 to COM4
    setting address from 0x00000000 to 0x00000000
    espcomm_upload_file
    espcomm_upload_mem
    setting serial port timeouts to 1000 ms
opening bootloader
resetting board
trying to connect
    flush start
    setting serial port timeouts to 1 ms
    setting serial port timeouts to 1000 ms
    flush complete
    espcomm_send_command: sending command header
    espcomm_send_command: sending command payload
    read 0, requested 1
trying to connect
    flush start
    setting serial port timeouts to 1 ms
    setting serial port timeouts to 1000 ms
    flush complete
    espcomm_send_command: sending command header
    espcomm_send_command: sending command payload
    espcomm_send_command: receiving 2 bytes of data
    espcomm_send_command: receiving 2 bytes of data
    espcomm_send_command: receiving 2 bytes of data
    espcomm_send_command: receiving 2 bytes of data
    espcomm_send_command: receiving 2 bytes of data
    espcomm_send_command: receiving 2 bytes of data
    espcomm_send_command: receiving 2 bytes of data
    espcomm_send_command: receiving 2 bytes of data
Uploading 234256 bytes from C:\Users\HENDRA~1\AppData\Local\Temp\arduino_build_696037/nodeMCUhelloworld.ino.bin to flash at 0x00000000
    erasing flash
    size: 039310 address: 000000
    first_sector_index: 0
    total_sector_count: 58
    head_sector_count: 16
    adjusted_sector_count: 42
    erase_size: 02a000
    espcomm_send_command: sending command header
    espcomm_send_command: sending command payload
    setting serial port timeouts to 15000 ms
    setting serial port timeouts to 1000 ms
    espcomm_send_command: receiving 2 bytes of data
    writing flash
................................................................................ [ 34% ]
................................................................................ [ 69% ]
.....................................................................            [ 100% ]
starting app without reboot
    espcomm_send_command: sending command header
    espcomm_send_command: sending command payload
    espcomm_send_command: receiving 2 bytes of data
closing bootloader
    flush start
    setting serial port timeouts to 1 ms
    setting serial port timeouts to 1000 ms
    flush complete

Finally let's try, and good luck.

Regards,

Hendra.