flash write fails with ambiguous Error 1 (ESPTOOL-901)

[marclefevre]

Operating System

Windows 11

Esptool Version

4.5.1

Python Version

3.11.7

Chip Description

ESP32

Device Description

ESP32 WROOM-32

Hardware Configuration

I'm using an FTDI programmer with the NodeMcu reset circuit that manipulates GPIO0 and Reset(EN)

How is Esptool Run

From a Platformio upload operation

Full Esptool Command Line that Was Run

I ran a verbose upload operation in Platformio and got this: I expected a more detailed command line:CURRENT: upload_protocol = esptool BeforeUpload(["upload"], [".pio\build\esp32dev\firmware.bin"]) Auto-detected: COM6 esptool esptool.py v4.5.1 usage: esptool [-h] [--chip {auto,esp8266,esp32,esp32s2,esp32s3beta2,esp32s3,esp32c3,esp32c6beta,esp32h2beta1,esp32h2beta2,esp32c2,esp32c6,esp32h2}] [--port PORT] [--baud BAUD] [--before {default_reset,usb_reset,no_reset,no_reset_no_sync}] [--after {hard_reset,soft_reset,no_reset,no_reset_stub}] [--no-stub] [--trace] [--override-vddsdio [{1.8V,1.9V,OFF}]] [--connect-attempts CONNECT_ATTEMPTS] {load_ram,dump_mem,read_mem,write_mem,write_flash,run,image_info,make_image,elf2image,read_mac,chip_id,flash_id,read_flash_status,write_flash_status,read_flash,verify_flash,erase_flash,erase_region,merge_bin,get_security_info,version} ... esptool.py v4.5.1 - Espressif chips ROM Bootloader Utility positional arguments: {load_ram,dump_mem,read_mem,write_mem,write_flash,run,image_info,make_image,elf2image,read_mac,chip_id,flash_id,read_flash_status,write_flash_status,read_flash,verify_flash,erase_flash,erase_region,merge_bin,get_security_info,version} Run esptool.py {command} -h for additional help load_ram Download an image to RAM and execute dump_mem Dump arbitrary memory to disk read_mem Read arbitrary memory location write_mem Read-modify-write to arbitrary memory location write_flash Write a binary blob to flash run Run application code in flash image_info Dump headers from an application image make_image Create an application image from binary files elf2image Create an application image from ELF file read_mac Read MAC address from OTP ROM chip_id Read Chip ID from OTP ROM flash_id Read SPI flash manufacturer and device ID read_flash_status Read SPI flash status register write_flash_status Write SPI flash status register read_flash Read SPI flash content verify_flash Verify a binary blob against flash erase_flash Perform Chip Erase on SPI flash erase_region Erase a region of the flash merge_bin Merge multiple raw binary files into a single file for later flashing get_security_info Get some security-related data version Print esptool version options: -h, --help show this help message and exit --chip {auto,esp8266,esp32,esp32s2,esp32s3beta2,esp32s3,esp32c3,esp32c6beta,esp32h2beta1,esp32h2beta2,esp32c2,esp32c6,esp32h2}, -c {auto,esp8266,esp32,esp32s2,esp32s3beta2,esp32s3,esp32c3,esp32c6beta,esp32h2beta1,esp32h2beta2,esp32c2,esp32c6,esp32h2} Target chip type --port PORT, -p PORT Serial port device --baud BAUD, -b BAUD Serial port baud rate used when flashing/reading --before {default_reset,usb_reset,no_reset,no_reset_no_sync} What to do before connecting to the chip --after {hard_reset,soft_reset,no_reset,no_reset_stub}, -a {hard_reset,soft_reset,no_reset,no_reset_stub} What to do after esptool.py is finished --no-stub Disable launching the flasher stub, only talk to ROM bootloader. Some features will not be available. --trace, -t Enable trace-level output of esptool.py interactions. --override-vddsdio [{1.8V,1.9V,OFF}] Override ESP32 VDDSDIO internal voltage regulator (use with care) --connect-attempts CONNECT_ATTEMPTS Number of attempts to connect, negative or 0 for infinite. Default: 7. *** [upload] Error 1

Esptool Output

Processing esp32dev (platform: espressif32; board: esp32dev; framework: arduino)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Verbose mode can be enabled via `-v, --verbose` option
CONFIGURATION: https://docs.platformio.org/page/boards/espressif32/esp32dev.html
PLATFORM: Espressif 32 (2024.5.13) > Espressif ESP32 Dev Module
HARDWARE: ESP32 240MHz, 320KB RAM, 4MB Flash
DEBUG: Current (cmsis-dap) External (cmsis-dap, esp-bridge, esp-prog, iot-bus-jtag, jlink, minimodule, olimex-arm-usb-ocd, olimex-arm-usb-ocd-h, olimex-arm-usb-tiny-h, olimex-jtag-tiny, tumpa)
PACKAGES:
 - framework-arduinoespressif32 @ 3.0.0+sha.14a0ebd
 - tool-esptoolpy @ 4.7.3
 - tool-mkfatfs @ 2.0.1
 - tool-mklittlefs @ 3.2.0
 - tool-riscv32-esp-elf-gdb @ 11.2.0+20220823
 - tool-xtensa-esp-elf-gdb @ 11.2.0+20230208
 - toolchain-esp32ulp @ 1.23500.220830 (2.35.0)
 - toolchain-xtensa-esp32 @ 12.2.0+20230208
LDF: Library Dependency Finder -> https://bit.ly/configure-pio-ldf
LDF Modes: Finder ~ chain, Compatibility ~ soft
Found 43 compatible libraries
Scanning dependencies...
Dependency Graph
|-- I2Cdevlib-AD7746 @ 1.0.0+sha.605a740
|-- ESP32TimerInterrupt @ 2.3.0+sha.d0dbb81
|-- Adafruit ADS1X15 @ 2.4.0
|-- DallasTemperature @ 3.11.0
|-- OneWire @ 2.3.8+sha.72249e2
|-- Adafruit SHT31 Library @ 2.2.2
|-- ulptool-pio @ 0.1.0+sha.6d4c5c5
|-- VEML6075 @ 1.0.2+sha.688deee
|-- Max44009 @ 0.6.1
|-- I2Cdevlib-Core @ 1.0.1
|-- ArduinoOTA @ 2.0.0
|-- EEPROM @ 2.0.0
|-- SPI @ 2.0.0
|-- timer
|-- WiFi @ 2.0.0
|-- Wire @ 2.0.0
Building in release mode
Retrieving maximum program size .pio\build\esp32dev\firmware.elf
Checking size .pio\build\esp32dev\firmware.elf
Advanced Memory Usage is available via "PlatformIO Home > Project Inspect"
RAM:   [=         ]  13.6% (used 44704 bytes from 327680 bytes)
Flash: [==        ]  20.8% (used 652821 bytes from 3145728 bytes)
Configuring upload protocol...
AVAILABLE: cmsis-dap, esp-bridge, esp-prog, espota, esptool, iot-bus-jtag, jlink, minimodule, olimex-arm-usb-ocd, olimex-arm-usb-ocd-h, olimex-arm-usb-tiny-h, olimex-jtag-tiny, tumpa
CURRENT: upload_protocol = esptool
Looking for upload port...
Auto-detected: COM6
Uploading .pio\build\esp32dev\firmware.bin
esptool.py v4.5.1
usage: esptool [-h]
               [--chip {auto,esp8266,esp32,esp32s2,esp32s3beta2,esp32s3,esp32c3,esp32c6beta,esp32h2beta1,esp32h2beta2,esp32c2,esp32c6,esp32h2}]
               [--port PORT] [--baud BAUD]
               [--before {default_reset,usb_reset,no_reset,no_reset_no_sync}]
               [--after {hard_reset,soft_reset,no_reset,no_reset_stub}]
               [--no-stub] [--trace] [--override-vddsdio [{1.8V,1.9V,OFF}]]
               [--connect-attempts CONNECT_ATTEMPTS]
               {load_ram,dump_mem,read_mem,write_mem,write_flash,run,image_info,make_image,elf2image,read_mac,chip_id,flash_id,read_flash_status,write_flash_status,read_flash,verify_flash,erase_flash,erase_region,merge_bin,get_security_info,version}
               ...

esptool.py v4.5.1 - Espressif chips ROM Bootloader Utility

positional arguments:
  {load_ram,dump_mem,read_mem,write_mem,write_flash,run,image_info,make_image,elf2image,read_mac,chip_id,flash_id,read_flash_status,write_flash_status,read_flash,verify_flash,erase_flash,erase_region,merge_bin,get_security_info,version}
                        Run esptool.py {command} -h for additional help
    load_ram            Download an image to RAM and execute
    dump_mem            Dump arbitrary memory to disk
    read_mem            Read arbitrary memory location
    write_mem           Read-modify-write to arbitrary memory location
    write_flash         Write a binary blob to flash
    run                 Run application code in flash
    image_info          Dump headers from an application image
    make_image          Create an application image from binary files
    elf2image           Create an application image from ELF file
    read_mac            Read MAC address from OTP ROM
    chip_id             Read Chip ID from OTP ROM
    flash_id            Read SPI flash manufacturer and device ID
    read_flash_status   Read SPI flash status register
    write_flash_status  Write SPI flash status register
    read_flash          Read SPI flash content
    verify_flash        Verify a binary blob against flash
    erase_flash         Perform Chip Erase on SPI flash
    erase_region        Erase a region of the flash
    merge_bin           Merge multiple raw binary files into a single file for
                        later flashing
    get_security_info   Get some security-related data
    version             Print esptool version

options:
  -h, --help            show this help message and exit
  --chip {auto,esp8266,esp32,esp32s2,esp32s3beta2,esp32s3,esp32c3,esp32c6beta,esp32h2beta1,esp32h2beta2,esp32c2,esp32c6,esp32h2}, -c {auto,esp8266,esp32,esp32s2,esp32s3beta2,esp32s3,esp32c3,esp32c6beta,esp32h2beta1,esp32h2beta2,esp32c2,esp32c6,esp32h2}
                        Target chip type
  --port PORT, -p PORT  Serial port device
  --baud BAUD, -b BAUD  Serial port baud rate used when flashing/reading
  --before {default_reset,usb_reset,no_reset,no_reset_no_sync}
                        What to do before connecting to the chip
  --after {hard_reset,soft_reset,no_reset,no_reset_stub}, -a {hard_reset,soft_reset,no_reset,no_reset_stub}
                        What to do after esptool.py is finished
  --no-stub             Disable launching the flasher stub, only talk to ROM
                        bootloader. Some features will not be available.
  --trace, -t           Enable trace-level output of esptool.py interactions.
  --override-vddsdio [{1.8V,1.9V,OFF}]
                        Override ESP32 VDDSDIO internal voltage regulator (use
                        with care)
  --connect-attempts CONNECT_ATTEMPTS
                        Number of attempts to connect, negative or 0 for
                        infinite. Default: 7.
*** [upload] Error 1
================================================================================================= [FAILED] Took 8.32 seconds =================================================================================================

More Information

No response

Other Steps to Reproduce

No response

I Have Read the Troubleshooting Guide

• I confirm I have read the troubleshooting guide.

[radimkarnis]

Hello @marclefevre,
this seems like a platformio issue.
It runs esptool.py under the hood, but it fails to configure the command properly.

The output you see is what you get when you run esptool.py (without any commands). Platformio should construct a command like esptool.py write_flash 0x8000 .pio\build\esp32dev\firmware.bin, but for some reason it is not doing that.
Please try to reinstall your platformio environment.

In the end, this is not an esptool issue - I believe you should open this issue in https://github.com/platformio/platform-espressif32.