Flash Micropython Firmware in Seed Studio XIAO ESP32C3

Seed Studio XIAO ESP32C3 is a small and powerful development board that runs on the ESP32C3 chip. It comes with built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, making it an ideal choice for IoT applications. One of the many benefits of XIAO ESP32C3 is its compatibility with Micropython, a lightweight implementation of the Python 3 programming language that is optimized for microcontrollers. In this blog post, we will guide you through the process of flashing Micropython firmware in Seed Studio XIAO ESP32C3 using esptool in a Windows system.

Installing esptool

Before you can flash the Micropython firmware, you need to install esptool on your Windows system. Esptool is a command-line utility that allows you to communicate with the ESP32C3 chip and program its firmware. Here are the steps to install esptool:

• Open the command prompt in your Windows system by pressing the Windows key + R and typing 'cmd' in the Run dialog box.
• Type the command 'pip install esptool' or ‘python -m pip install esptool’ and hit Enter.
• Wait for the installation to complete.

python -m esptool

Downloading Micropython Firmware

After installing esptool, you need to download the Micropython firmware for Seed Studio XIAO ESP32C3. Here are the steps to download the firmware:

• Go to the Micropython website (https://micropython.org/download/esp32c3-usb/) and download the firmware for Seed Studio XIAO ESP32C3.
• Extract the downloaded firmware file to a folder on your Windows system.
• Firmware File I have used. [Download]

Flashing Micropython Firmware

With esptool installed and the Micropython firmware downloaded, you can now flash the firmware to Seed Studio XIAO ESP32C3. Here are the steps to flash the firmware:

• Connect Seed Studio XIAO ESP32C3 to your Windows system using a USB cable.
• Open the command prompt in your Windows system.
• Navigate to the folder where you extracted the Micropython firmware using the 'cd' command.
• Type the following command to erase the flash memory of the ESP32C3 chip:

python -m esptool --chip esp32c3 --port COM13 erase_flash

• Wait for the erase process to complete.
• Type the following command to flash the Micropython firmware to the ESP32C3 chip:

python -m esptool --chip esp32c3 --port COM13 --baud 115200 write_flash -z 0x0 esp32c3-usb-20230426-v1.20.0.bin

• Note: Replace 'COM13' with the serial port of Seed Studio XIAO ESP32C3 on your Windows system.
• Wait for the flashing process to complete.

Perform Test from Thonny

Conclusion

Flashing Micropython firmware in Seed Studio XIAO ESP32C3 using esptool in a Windows system is a simple process that can be completed in a few steps. With Micropython firmware installed, you can now use Seed Studio XIAO ESP32C3 to build your own IoT applications using Python programming language. We hope this blog post has been helpful in guiding you through the process of flashing the firmware. Happy coding!