Problem while connecting my ESP 32 to the IDE

Other Hardware 3rd Party Boards
1

Here's my error code when I try to upload something on an ESP 32 well connected on my pc :

A fatal error occurred: Could not open COM4, the port doesn't exist
Failed uploading: uploading error: exit status 2

I can't even find my ESP32-WROOM-32D in the device list.

Can you help me in the week ?

Teiz_

2

Because you posted using the English language I've moved your topic to one of the English categories of the forum.

Please explain. Is that in Windows device manager? Or in the IDE? If the latter, what happens in Windows device manager when you connect the board?

Is your USB cable a data/sync cable or a charge-only cable? The latter often come with power banks and Bluetooth speakers.

3

In the IDE and in the Device manager, I don't see my ESP. But it is showing a red light.
I have Windows 11 and the lastest version of Arduino IDE

4

If you don't see it on COM port, that means your UART bridge is dead, your cable is dead, or your PC COM port is dead. My guess is the cable.

5

I changed the ESP one time (I have more than 40 ESP in a box)
I changed the cable too
But the pc is a Surface from Microsoft, and I changed the cable's spot but still nothing

6

That only means that it gets power. Do you have anything else (e.g. cell phone) to test the cable with (try to download some images from it).

If there is no reaction at all from Windows in device manager, se reply by @dekip above. If there is some reaction, did you install the drivers?

Did it ever work?

And that is how far I can help.

7

The cable used by the ESP is not the same as my iPhone

8

I'd suggest you use one of the apps listed on my page here to check further.

Also, do you have another device you can connect?

9

Mate,if you are not sure what is the problem, one of those three I mentioned, go by the system of elimination.

  1. use the same cable on other PC
  2. try different USB port on this PC
  3. try something else with the same cable on the same PC
  4. try this ESP and this cable on other PC

One of those three is THE problem. We here can't help you more than this.

10

I think this is a very common problem with all ESP32 development boards. This is what I have found out.

If W11 does not register the USB connection as a COM port, it is because the driver in W11 for the USB-UART bridge chip on board is missing from W11. Go to Device Manager on W11, and see under "Other" what kind of bridge you have. Generally it is CH340 (older boards) or CP2102. Go to the manufacturers of the chip and download and install the driver supplied by the manufacturer. Reboot. W11 should now recognize the COM port, and IDE will display the COM under Ports.

So upload a sketch. If IDE complains before the upload that the connection has failed, that is another common problem. While uploading press boot, then click RST (or EN), and release boot. It is supposed to boot but probably does not. This I think is because of the utterly irrational manner in which an ESP32 gets into boot mode, which I can't find an explanation for. There is a special timing sequence the ESP32 wants from the RST (EN) pin.

So take a 10K resistor and a 10 uF capacitor and connect them in parallel. Connect the + of the capacitor/resistor to the EN pin. Connect the - side to GND. This worked for me on a couple of different WROOM-32 boards, and I was able to upload without pressing buttons. Good luck.

11

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