AiThinker ESP-32 Serial Monitor

1

Hello,
I’m unable to get my ESP32-CAM to work with Serial Monitor. The output is mangled whatever speed I try. SM in Arduino IDE works indeed.

Any idea?
Thanks Robert

2

If you have some output but it’s mangled, double check that you set the monitor_speed to the same baud rate used in the Serial.begin(); call in your firmware code.

3

That’s what I usually do, but doesn’t work in this case.

4

Please start a new project with the most minimal

#include <Arduino.h>

void setup() { Serial.begin(115200); }
void loop() { Serial.println("test"); delay(1000); }

with the platformio.ini

[env:esp32cam]
platform = espressif32
board = esp32cam
framework = arduino
monitor_speed = 115200

Does it successfull upload? What’s the full serial monitor output / screenshot?

1 Like
5 
--- Terminal on /dev/cu.wchusbserial210 | 115200 8-N-1
--- Available filters and text transformations: colorize, debug, default, direct, esp32_exception_decoder, hexlify, log2file, nocontrol, printable, send_on_enter, time
--- More details at https://bit.ly/pio-monitor-filters
--- Quit: Ctrl+C | Menu: Ctrl+T | Help: Ctrl+T followed by Ctrl+H
����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������
6

Does this also happen in the Arduino IDE?

7

Nope,
Arduino IDE 2.0.4 works out of the box.

Robert

8

Can you share a screenshot of the “Tools” configuration menu in the Arduino IDE to show what board and settings you used?

9

Here you go.

Screenshot 2023-03-31 v 15.10.31
Screenshot 2023-03-31 v 15.10.31880×906 102 KB

HTH
Robert

10

Okay, so in the Arduino IDE it’s running at twice the flash frequency and quad instead of dual mode…

Then change the platformio.ini to

[env:esp32cam]
platform = espressif32
board = esp32cam
framework = arduino
board_build.f_flash = 80000000L
board_build.flash_mode = qio
monitor_speed = 115200

and reupload the project. Is it any different?

11

Nope,
still the same :frowning:

Robert

12
  1. Make sure PlatformIO is using the latest Espressif32 platform and thus Arduino core by using a PlatformIO CLI → pio pkg update -g -p espressif32
  2. What Tools->Port are you using in the Arduino IDE? Is it /dev/cu.wchusbserial210 or /dev/tty.wchusbserial210?
13 
> pio pkg update -g -p espressif32
Platform Manager: Updating espressif32 @ 5.3.0
Platform Manager: Removing espressif32 @ 5.3.0
Platform Manager: espressif32@5.3.0 has been removed!
Platform Manager: Installing platformio/espressif32 @ 6.1.0
Downloading  [####################################]  100%
Unpacking  [####################################]  100%
Platform Manager: espressif32@6.1.0 has been installed!
Tool Manager: toolchain-xtensa-esp32@8.4.0+2021r2-patch5 is already installed
Tool Manager: Installing platformio/tool-esptoolpy @ ~1.40500.0
Downloading  [####################################]  100%
Unpacking  [####################################]  100%
Tool Manager: tool-esptoolpy@1.40500.0 has been installed!
Tool Manager: tool-esptoolpy@1.40500.0 is already up-to-date
Tool Manager: tool-mkfatfs@2.0.1 is already up-to-date
Tool Manager: tool-mklittlefs@1.203.210628 is already up-to-date
Tool Manager: tool-mkspiffs@2.230.0 is already up-to-date
Tool Manager: tool-openocd-esp32@2.1100.20220706 is already up-to-date
Tool Manager: toolchain-xtensa-esp32@8.4.0+2021r2-patch5 is already up-to-date

In ArduinoIDE is /dev/cu.wchusbserial210 selected.

HTH
Robert

14

Okay so that updated it to a platform that uses Arudino-ESP32 2.0.7 instead of 2.0.6. I hope this matches the version you have installed in the Arduino IDE? Check the Tools->Board->Board Manager → esp32 to verify.

When you do the “Upload and Monitor” task again, is it any different?

15

Yeah,
Arduino IDE reports version 2.0.7 of ESP32 platform. When I upload and monitor in Arduino IDE, it still works. Still no luck with PlatformIO

Robert

16

When you upload the firmware using PlatformIO but monitor it using the Arduino IDE’s serial monitor, is the output the same?

17

When I upload using VSCode, I can monitor via ArduinoIDE. Doesn’t work the other way, seems that just Serial Monitor is not able to apply the right settings.

Robert

18

Aha. So in actuality it’s just this problem.

1 Like
19

Yeah. :+1:

Thanks a lot for your time helping me.

Have a nice weekend
Robert