ESP Flasher Tool

The ESP Flasher Tool simplifies the process of flashing ESP32 devices during production. It provides a user-friendly GUI, eliminating the need for command-line tools. Production employees can manage firmware programming and flash memory operations without using esptool or Python, as everything is natively built in .NET.

This tool uses the library available here: ESPTool Library.

Interface Overview

1. Archive Section

• FileName: Lists the binary files to be flashed to the ESP32 device.
• Address: Specifies the memory address for flashing each file.
• Size: Displays the size of the binary in hexadecimal format.
• Partition Table: Provides detailed partition information such as:
  • Name: Name of the partition.
  • Type: Type of partition (e.g., data, application).
  • Subtype: Further defines the partition type.
  • Address: Flash memory address.
  • Size: Size of the partition in hexadecimal format.

2. Serial Port Section

• Baudrate: Selects the communication speed (e.g., 921600) for connecting to the ESP32 device.
• Serial Port: Allows the user to choose the correct COM port to which the ESP32 device is connected.
• Refresh: Refreshes the list of available COM ports.

3. Actions Section

• Program: Uploads the firmware files listed in the archive to the ESP32 device.
• Erase: Erases all data from the device's flash memory.
• Use Compression: Optionally compresses the firmware files before uploading them to the device.

4. Progress Section

• Progress Bar: Visually indicates the current status of the flashing or erasing operation.
• Cancel: Stops the ongoing operation.

5. Log Section

• Logs: Displays detailed log messages, providing feedback about the tool's operations.

Additional Features

Handling KCZIP Files

• KCZIP is a zip file format containing multiple binaries and a JSON file that specifies where these binaries should be placed in flash memory.
• You can open a .kczip file using File -> Open Archive and save it again using File -> Save as -> Archive.

Saving as Intel HEX Files

• The ESP Flasher Tool supports saving as Intel HEX files. There are two options:
  • Application Intel HEX: Saves only the application binary (OTA partition) as a HEX file.
  • Archive Intel HEX: Combines all binary files into a single Intel HEX file.

Create Archive from Build Results

• You can generate an archive directly from your build results by selecting Development -> Open Build Folder. Choose the flash_project_args file, and the tool will automatically resolve and include the necessary binaries for flashing.