Boards

Help specific to Unexpected Maker development boards

What Version of Bluetooth Is on My Board?Bluetooth Specifications by Chip

My Board Gets Hot, Especially When Running on WiFi for Long PeriodsThe ESP32/ESP32-S2/ESP32-S3 chips are powerful for their size, and when the radio is on -- especially for extended periods -- they draw significant current and generate considerable heat.

How to Put Your Board into Download ModeDownload mode puts the ESP32 chip into a flash-able boot state, where your user code doesn't run. This is necessary for uploading new firmware to your board.

Do I Need Drivers for My Board?ESP32-S2 & ESP32-S3

What Does the EN Pin on the Header Do?The EN pin is tied to the 3V3 LDO on the board. When the pin is pulled LOW (pulled to GND) it shuts down the LDO, which in turn shuts down the 3V3 power rail and anything connected to it, like the ESP32 chip.

How Do I Erase the Flash on My Board?Often you'll want to erase the flash of your board to get it back to a clean state. This is important to do if you are switching between different development environments, or if you've accidentally flashed some firmware into your board using an incorrect flash partition scheme.

Which Pins Can Do PWM?Almost all IO on an ESP32 can do PWM -- there are no specific IO reserved for this.

What Does the RESET Pin and Button Actually Do?The Reset pin on all ESP32 chips (also known as the EN pin) is a power shutdown pin, that when pulled low (pulled to GND) cuts the power off to the ESP32.

I'm Trying to Use the RGB LED, but It's Not Lighting UpThe RGB LED requires specific power configuration depending on your board model.

RX & TX Pins Are Not Coupled with the Internal USB, What Are They Used For?RX & TX are still connected to UART0 during the ESP32 boot-up process and will output (and accept input) during the boot-up process.

What Dev Environment Are UM Boards Shipped With?Default Firmware

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What Firmware Is on My Board When I Receive It?Unexpected Maker boards ship with either MicroPython or CircuitPython on them.

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On the Pinout Cards, Some IO Are Listed as Strapping Pins. What Does That Mean?A strapping pin is a pin/IO that is used by the ESP32 during its boot up cycle to set certain modes.

I've Plugged in a New TinyPICO but It Doesn't Show as a Serial PortProblem

TWAI - Espressif's Built-in CAN Bus ControllerWhat is TWAI?

How to Put Your Board into UF2 Bootloader ModePutting your board into UF2 Bootloader forces a restart and presents a USB mass storage device in your file explorer.

USB Disconnects When Going into Deep SleepESP32-S2 and ESP32-S3 Boards

No USB or USB Connectivity Issues with My ESP32-S2 or ESP32-S3 BoardProblem: USB Serial Port Does Not Appear After Flashing

What WiFi and BLE Range Can I Expect?This is a tough question to answer as there are so many external factors that can affect WiFi & BLE radio performance, including the construction of the building you are in, your network layout, power or RF noise in your area and where you are placing your board.

I'm Having WiFi Stability Issues on My ESP32-S3 BoardKey Issue