ESP32-WROOM32E and MD5 EROOR

alex_ua · April 23, 2025, 6:20pm

Hello!
I have a problem:

I was forced to use ESP32-wroom32E with 16MB of flash memory. Marking MGN16. It is determined as Chip is ESP32-D0WD-V3 (revision v3.1)
I can’t load the firmware. Gives an error:
"Configuring flash size…
Flash will be erased from 0x00001000 to 0x00005fff…
Flash will be erased from 0x00008000 to 0x00008fff…
Flash will be erased from 0x0000e000 to 0x0000ffff…
Flash will be erased from 0x00010000 to 0x00049fff…
Compressed 18976 bytes to 13112…
Writing at 0x00001000… (100%)
Wrote 18976 bytes (13112 compressed) at 0x00001000 in 1.2 seconds
(effective 122.4 kbit/s)…
File md5: 224940b8480ec8964796f539431ad155
Flash md5: 2ae8816b0a2b7d139d366233caddbf0c
MD5 of 0xFF is 493bd26c0fa7040762e2dc6644f8f64b

A fatal error occurred: MD5 of file does not match data in flash!
*** [upload] Error 2"

The platformio.ini file has not changed from the working project to ESP32-wroom32D

What’s the problem?

sivar2311 · April 23, 2025, 6:37pm

And the content of this file is what? (please show, we don’t know it!)

Have you tried Erase Flash and upload again?

alex_ua · April 23, 2025, 6:42pm

[env:esp32dev]

platform = espressif32

board = esp32dev

framework = arduino

upload_port = COM3

upload_speed = 115200

monitor_port = COM3

monitor_speed = 115200

I did Erase Flash upload. The result did not change.

sivar2311 · April 23, 2025, 6:49pm

So this board worked before and now it stopped working?
Or is it a fresh new board?

The default esp32dev is just 4MB of flash, not 16!

github.com/platformio/platform-espressif32

boards/esp32dev.json

develop


      
          "flash_size": "4MB",
          "maximum_ram_size": 327680,
          "maximum_size": 4194304,

alex_ua · April 23, 2025, 6:52pm

It is new board!

I changed the memory size. I specified the partition table file as for 16MB.

sivar2311 · April 23, 2025, 6:55pm

Where and how? (please show)

alex_ua · April 23, 2025, 6:58pm

C:\Users\Bugs.platformio\platforms\espressif32\boards\esp32dev.json

{
  "build": {
    "arduino":{
      "ldscript": "esp32_out.ld",
      "partitions": "default_16MB.csv"
    },
    "core": "esp32",
    "extra_flags": "-DARDUINO_ESP32_DEV",
    "f_cpu": "240000000L",
    "f_flash": "40000000L",
    "flash_mode": "dio",
    "mcu": "esp32",
    "variant": "esp32"
  },
  "connectivity": [
    "wifi",
    "bluetooth",
    "ethernet",
    "can"
  ],
  "debug": {
    "openocd_board": "esp-wroom-32.cfg"
  },
  "frameworks": [
    "arduino",
    "espidf"
  ],
  "name": "Espressif ESP32 Dev Module",
  "upload": {
    "flash_size": "16MB",
    "maximum_ram_size": 327680,
    "maximum_size": 16777216,
    "require_upload_port": true,
    "speed": 460800
  },
  "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ESP32",
  "vendor": "Espressif"
}

sivar2311 · April 23, 2025, 7:30pm

How about running esptool.py to check the flash_id ?

python3 esptool.py --chip esp32 -p COM3 chip_id

python3 should be in your PATH
esptool.py is located in %HOMEPATH%/.platformio/packages/tool-esptoolpy

Here is the output for a 4MB ESP32 version:

Chip is ESP32-D0WD (revision v1.0)
Features: WiFi, BT, Dual Core, 240MHz, VRef calibration in efuse, Coding Scheme None
Crystal is 40MHz
MAC: 40:f5:20:70:41:b8
Uploading stub...
Running stub...
Stub running...
Manufacturer: 20
Device: 4016
Detected flash size: 4MB
Flash voltage set by a strapping pin to 3.3V
Hard resetting via RTS pin...

Ah, and did you try another USB cable?

alex_ua · April 23, 2025, 8:27pm

YES!!! Changing the cable did not lead to the desired result.

Uploading .pio\build\esp32-wroom-32e\firmware.bin
esptool.py v4.5.1
Serial port COM3
Connecting…
Chip is ESP32-D0WD-V3 (revision v3.1)
Features: WiFi, BT, Dual Core, 240MHz, VRef calibration in efuse,
Coding Scheme None
Crystal is 40MHz
MAC: 88:13:bf:36:8d:44
Stub is already running. No upload is necessary.
Configuring flash size…
Flash will be erased from 0x00001000 to 0x00005fff…
Flash will be erased from 0x00008000 to 0x00008fff…
Flash will be erased from 0x0000e000 to 0x0000ffff…
Flash will be erased from 0x00010000 to 0x00049fff…
Compressed 18976 bytes to 13112…
Writing at 0x00001000… (100 %)
Wrote 18976 bytes (13112 compressed) at 0x00001000 in 1.2 seconds
(effective 122.9 kbit/s)…
File md5: 224940b8480ec8964796f539431ad155
Flash md5: 2ae8816b0a2b7d139d366233caddbf0c
MD5 of 0xFF is 493bd26c0fa7040762e2dc6644f8f64b

A fatal error occurred: MD5 of file does not match data in flash!
*** [upload] Error 2

python3 esptool.py --chip esp32 -p COM3 chip_id - does not work. Paths are written correctly everywhere.

sivar2311 · April 23, 2025, 8:35pm

What exactly did not work? Any output?

alex_ua · April 23, 2025, 8:59pm

I did not save the screenshot. It said that there is no such command.

sivar2311 · April 24, 2025, 4:06am

Maybe you need to install python manually.

alex_ua · April 24, 2025, 8:20am

Maybe? No! It’s a waste of time. That’s not the problem.

sivar2311 · April 24, 2025, 8:24am

You should be able to run esptool.py without problems.
It helps to identify the chip_id to see if everything is correct with your board. If there are any erros they should be detected by esptool.py

(Except the errors only happen in PlatformIO IDE and not in the ArduinoIDE - another thing you could try)

Espressif’s Flash Download Tool (Windows) provide the same info via chipInfoDump page:

jason2866 · April 25, 2025, 1:43pm

Update esptool.py to v4.8.1

alex_ua · April 28, 2025, 6:14pm

OK. Here is the result.

sivar2311 · April 28, 2025, 7:40pm

Does the same thing happen if I use the ArduinoIDE or another board of this type?

I have the feeling that the flash chip of this board/module is defective.

alex_ua · April 28, 2025, 7:50pm

Другого такого самого чипа нет. Ардуино ИДЕ нет у меня.