ESP32 C3 SuperMini / C3-Zero not responding

1

Hi there,

i am having trouble to get the ESP32 C3 SuperMini and C3-Zero working. i have a simple example code just Serial.println something every second.
The code uploads with these settings:


[env:lolin_c3_mini1]
platform = espressif32
board = lolin_c3_mini
framework = arduino
board_upload.flash_size = 4MB
board_build.partitions = default.csv
build_flags = 
  	-DARDUINO_USB_MODE=1
  	-DARDUINO_USB_CDC_ON_BOOT=1	
	-DARDUINO_ESP32C3_DEV=1

example code:


void setup() {
  Serial.begin(9600);
}
void loop() {
  Serial.println("asdf");
  delay(10);
}

The issue is, that i just do not get any response from neither of these chips (after successfull upload of the image).

i know there are many threads asking for help with the serial output for the C3, and the solution seems to be DARDUINO_USB_CDC_ON_BOOT but here it just does not do the trick.
Even using example code to enable wifi networks or makeing it appear as a bluetooth device does not work. it just accepts the flash and then does not do anything more.

i also tried to upload example code using the arduino ide (selected CDCon boot and using Lolin C3 Mini), and experimented with different serial speeds. with exact the same result: no response after flash.

How can i get closer to the problem here?

Any help would be great!! Thanks a lot!

2

If this is the same module that i have, there is an LED on GPIO 8.
You can let it blink to see if the sketch is running or not.

Try the following platformio.ini

[env:esp32-c3-devkitm-1]
platform = espressif32
board = esp32-c3-devkitm-1
framework = arduino
monitor_speed = 115200
build_flags=
  -D ARDUINO_USB_CDC_ON_BOOT=1
  -D ARDUINO_USB_MODE=1

and main.cpp:

#include <Arduino.h>

#define LED 8

void setup() {
    Serial.begin(115200);
    Serial.println("Hello World");
    pinMode(LED, OUTPUT);
}

void loop() {
    Serial.println("Hello World");
    digitalWrite(LED, HIGH);
    delay(500);
    digitalWrite(LED, LOW);
    delay(500);
}

Some boards must be reset manually after uploading. Pressing the reset button after upload also may help.

3

Hi there,

thanks for your quick reply. i tried your suggested code + settings for the board with exactly the same result: nothing :wink:

here are the boards i am trying to run the code on:

IMG_6314
IMG_6314240×320 22.9 KB

i am running PlattformIO Core 6.1.16 / Home 3.4.4 on VSCode 1.98.0, OSX 15.1

Any other idea what i could do?

Thanks a lot!

4

My board is similiar to the right one on the picture.
To be honest, i have no clue why both of your ESP-C3 are not working.

I’m on windows & linux (WSL Ubuntu).
It works with the latest platform-espressi32 @ 6.10.0
platform = espressif32 @ 6.10.0
as well as pioarduino 53.03.11
platform = https://github.com/pioarduino/platform-espressif32/releases/download/53.03.11/platform-espressif32.zip

What I’m really wondering about is that the upload works without issues but then nothing happens.

Did you try pressing the reset button after uploading?

5

Thats interesting… i have just tried again if the arduino ide behaves differently:

Bildschirmfoto 2025-02-08 um 18.29.04
Bildschirmfoto 2025-02-08 um 18.29.04960×809 240 KB

With success.

PlattformIO just does not want to show anything - and: it does upload the code, but the LED is not flashing after sucessfull flash. so i guess the flashing process ist not correct, or some settings are not correct.

i will try it on a native linux. maybe it has something to do with osx?

Cheers

6

For comparison, i put the most important settings side by side.
Some of them comming from platformio.ini and most of them are comming from esp32-c3-devktim-1.json:

ArduinoIDE platformio.ini esp32-c3-devktim-1.json
Board: "ESP32C3 Dev Module board = esp32-c3-devkitm-1
USB CDC On Boot: “Enabled” -D ARDUINO_USB_CDC_ON_BOOT=1
CPU Frequency: "160MHz (WiFi) "f_cpu": "160000000L"
Flash Frequency: “80MHz” "f_flash": "80000000L"
Flash Mode: “QIO” "flash_mode": "qio"
Flash Size: "4MB (32Mb) "flash_size": "4MB"
"maximum_size": 4194304
Upload Speed: “921600” "speed": 460800

I can’t see any significant differences except for the upload_speed but this can be changed in platformio.ini:

upload_speed = 921600
7

I have found the problem! its a littlebit embarrassing, but the cable was the problem.
just by accident i swapped the cable and now it works in the arduino ide as well as vscode. i also get the serial prints from the controller.
I have no idea why that could be, but anyway - it works now.

Cheers and thanks for the help!

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