Geekcredit "chinaboard" knockoff load problems

[Ridley Walker]

I recently bought a couple of ESP8266 "china boards". and have discovered that my knowledge of Linux/command line, etc.
is woefully in adequate for the task of loading micropython.

All the load instructions i have tried to follow assume knowledge and a familiarity of Linux and command line which, in fact, i do not have
The micropython ESP8266 tutorial is useless to me - this is not to be taken as anything but reference to my state of abysmal ignorance,
certainly not to the quality of work contributed by developers.

What are the prospects of these nodeMCU type boards eventually being made available pre loaded with python - similar to the pyboard? I have a pyboard and with the help of the good people on this forum i can hack the code i need to do simple pin and timing manipulations. However, failing acquisition of preloaded nodeMCU boards , maybe i can make the two boards that i have into earrings for my wife!

This concludes my sad tale. suggestions any one?

[mcauser]

Now that the precompiled binary has been uploaded, it should be a lot easier to install.

If you have a bare ESP8266 board, you're going to need a few extra items to get it talking to you machine. A usb-serial chip, a voltage regulator, etc. You're much better off starting with a development board, such as the Adafruit Huzzah, WeMos D1 mini, NodeMCU, Wifi Witty etc. They are pretty much plug and play.

I put some instructions in this thread on installing the precompiled binary on a D1 mini:
http://forum.micropython.org/viewtopic. ... 5&start=10
It does assume you have things like wget, python, and esptool.py installed.
If you are on a Mac or Linux machine, it's very easy to setup - Not sure about Windows, left that OS years ago. Maybe someone else can chirp in here.

If you want to buy boards preloaded with MicroPython, worth suggesting to the manufacturers of the boards.
They usually just ship with a basic sketch, blinky or Espressif default image.
Maybe Damien could do a deal with Adafruit and get a custom MicroPython batch produced.
Adafruit do have a hackaday custom trinket - maybe they would be open to the idea, if it sells them more Huzzahs.
http://store.hackaday.com/products/trinket-pro

I'd be happy to flash a few boards for you, but I can't compete with the free postage and volume from China.

[deshipu]

Personally I don't think that Adafruit cares about MicroPython at all. Their tutorial for compiling MicroPython for the ESP8266 comes in the top of Google search results, yet it is hopelessly outdated and simply doesn't work. I contacted them several times about it, asking to either remove or update it, even sending them a list of changes needed to make it work, and they just ignored me (I just got an automated reply confirming they did receive my e-mails). This is really sad, but I doubt there is much we can do.

[warren]

What are the prospects of these nodeMCU type boards eventually being made available pre loaded with python - similar to the pyboard?

Hi Ridley,

I sympathise with you. I have done a lot of commercial and hobbyist hacking/electronics/programming over quite a period of time. But getting to a stable situation with ESP implementation is a learning curve like no other! I came into Micropythos/ESP through that Adafruit tutorial. Actually it did work for me, but is indeed hopelessly out of date and needlessly complicated. Building a VM just to flash a 3$ chip???

It would be entirely possible for someone to supply ESPs pre-loaded with micropython. But I am not sure how helpful that would be for folks in your position:

1) Within a matter of days your installation will be 'out of date' - if you run into issues the standard advice would apply: 'update to the latest version and see what happens' .... The ESP port of Micropython is very much a work in progress - so the ability to reflash it yourself would be critical to your ability to do useful stuff with it.

2) The ESP chip itself is a highly integrated beast - and it is above-averagely sensitive to power supply issues. Many people simply assume that if their DC meter shows ~5V when the ESP runs then it is 'OK'. In fact, you can easily have all sorts of high frequency 'mush' on the power rails and be unaware of it. The ESP however is very aware of it, and I am sure this is responsible for the majority of flashing problems and weird post-flashing behaviour. Even if you had a pre-installed ESP, if your power lines are suspect, it won't help.

3) 'Stuff happens' with the file system - the day will come when your ESP goes into 'lets destroy the file system' mode! At that point you only have the option of reflashing it.

Side note: Standard instructions for flashing the ESP should include this:

Code: Select all

When you first boot the device after flashing:

Type "uos.listdir()"
The output should be "['boot.py']"
If not - reflash...

I have had many cases where the flashing process *seems* to have gone OK, it talks to you, lights flash, the wifi even 'works'. BUT the file system is trashed and you will get weird stuff.

If you rely on pre-installed chips, you are building in certain disappointment down the line.

Is it worth sticking with Micropython and the ESP?

Absolutely!

Micropython has a life outside the ESP chips - and it will be my environment of choice well into the future when new chips come (as they surely will). Investing now in the learning curve will bring real future benefits. If you write your own libraries properly, you can probably continue to use them on completely different platforms in future.

Feel free to PM me - if you are in the UK I'd be happy to flash a couple of boards for you, just to get you past the Adafruit hangover!

Thanks

[warren]

Personally I don't think that Adafruit cares about MicroPython at all. Their tutorial for compiling MicroPython for the ESP8266 comes in the top of Google search results, yet it is hopelessly outdated and simply doesn't work.

Like every net-company staffed by young and trendies, they will be susceptible to negative social media.

Just put everything you want to say to them in one page/post and send me the URL and let's simply send them a tweet to @adafruit

We'll give it a mildly provocative strap:

"Don't let the fruit rot...!"

I'd be surprised if they didn't respond to that!

[jms]

The filesystem is FAT and absolutely will break (a few blocks of) the NOR after a few thousand of any write operation. Think each of write to file, add to file, remove file. I am looking at replacing it with something better.

My other important experience is that the NodeMCU windows flashing tool works reliably and esptool does not.

I paid £6 for a UK seller who claims to test boards before sending them. It arrived in a day or two. Only with that under my belt and decades of electronic design might I now try the $2 Chinese sellers.

[Ridley Walker]

Warren, you completely cleaned the subject out! I agree with everything you said, well, as i understand it anyway.
However that still leaves me where i started i.e, Can't get past Zero, stuck below the bottom of the learning curve.

I have several places around my property where i could use these things so i thought, they being cheap and all, and i basically just need the GPIO and timer functions...
But if i cannot get them to work i guess it's the pyboard with preinstalled upython @50+ us bucks. Pity...

[Turbinenreiter]

@warren

Let's please not fuck with Adafruit. They are an amazingly good force in our community of makers. They also distribute the Pyboard. Let's talk to Damien about this before we go and piss them off.

[Ridley Walker]

I don't buy from Adafruit; when they price their product honestly I may reconsider.however i am constitutionally incapable of dealing with anyone who wants to charge me $12+ to ship a simple 1oz us parcel post for which the USPS charge is ~$2
I can get Pyboards through other channels...

[warren]

@warren
Let's please not fuck with Adafruit. They are an amazingly good force in our community of makers. They also distribute the Pyboard. Let's talk to Damien about this before we go and piss them off.

I was only suggesting a mildly tongue-in-cheek way of getting their attention.

It's precisely because they ARE a good force that, for their sake, they need to realise that their Micropython/ESP tutorial is now a liability - for Micropython and for their 'brand'....

To their credit there is a strip at the top that says it is out of date, and they refer people to the Micropython docs. But it is of negative value when it discourages people so much they ditch Micropython.