Problem Description: I am working on an ESP32 project using PlatformIO in VS Code on an Apple Silicon (M-series) Mac. My goal is to send data from the ESP32 to Firebase Realtime Database using the Firebase-ESP-Client library.
I am consistently encountering two main issues:
- PlatformIO Build Warning:
Warning! Could not find the package with 'Firebase-ESP-Client @ ^3.10.0' requirements for your system 'darwin_arm64'(this occurs for various versions of the library, including the latest). - Serial Monitor Error: Despite my code seemingly having correct Firebase credentials, the ESP32 always prints:
Failed to send data to Firebase: missing required credentials e.g., database URL, host and tokens. - CRITICAL BLOCKER: Even with
#define FIREBASE_DEBUGenabled as the very first line insrc/main.cpp, no debug output whatsoever from the Firebase library appears in the serial monitor. Only the “Failed to send data…” error.
Hardware & Software Environment:
- Operating System: macOS (Apple Silicon /
darwin_arm64) - IDE: Visual Studio Code
- Board: ESP32 Dev Module
- Firebase Library:
Firebase-ESP-Client(attempted with latest vialib_deps,@^3.10.0vialib_deps, and manual GitHub master branch download).
Firebase Project Configuration:
-
Firebase Host (Database URL):
https://smart-mail-box-bba77-default-mbstjnb.firebaseio.com(Confirmed correct from console). -
Firebase Web API Key:
AIzaSyA4mybsdnksnkp2Q00gfioRvZzy2hC200J4(Confirmed exact match from Firebase console’sfirebaseConfigsnippet). -
Realtime Database Security Rules:
-
{
“rules”: {
“.read”: "now < true
“.write”: "now < true
}
} -
Authentication Method: Anonymous (
firebaseAuth.user.email = ""; firebaseAuth.user.password = "";).
Troubleshooting Steps Taken (and Results):
- Verified Wi-Fi Credentials: Confirmed
WIFI_SSIDandWIFI_PASSWORDare correct. ESP32 successfully connects to Wi-Fi. - Verified Firebase Credentials in Code: Triple-checked
FIREBASE_HOSTandFIREBASE_AUTHagainst Firebase Console, confirming exact matches. - Confirmed RTDB Rules & Expiration: Rules are open for public read/write and are currently valid.
- Updated Library API Calls: Modified
src/main.cppto match the latestFirebase-ESP-ClientAPI (e.g.,Firebase.RTDB.pushJSON,json.set("timestamp/.sv", "timestamp"),firebaseData.setBSSLBufferSize(2048, 2048)). RemovedFirebase.setReadTimeout(). - Attempted Manual Library Installation: Downloaded and placed the
Firebase-ESP-Client-masterfolder directly into the project’slib/directory. Resulted in initial compile errors (header not found) due to manual pathing issues, then the same “missing credentials” error. - Attempted
lib_depsInstallation (Specific Version & Latest):
- Used
lib_deps = Firebase-ESP-Client@^3.10.0and laterlib_deps = Firebase-ESP-Client(for latest version). - Consistently results in the
Warning! Could not find the package with 'Firebase-ESP-Client...' requirements for your system 'darwin_arm64'error.
- Thorough Cleaning & Rebuilding: Repeatedly performed
PlatformIO: CleanandPlatformIO: Clear cache, followed by closing/reopening VS Code and re-uploading the code. - Enabled Firebase Debugging: Added
#define FIREBASE_DEBUGas the very first line ofsrc/main.cpp. Crucially, this has never produced any debug output in the serial monitor. Only the “Failed to send data…” error message appears. - Opened VS Code using Rosetta 2: Attempted to run VS Code and PlatformIO in Rosetta 2 emulation mode to address the
darwin_arm64compatibility. Still results in theWarning! Could not find the package...error and no debug output.
Current Situation: The core problem seems to be that PlatformIO cannot properly install or link the Firebase-ESP-Client library for my darwin_arm64 system. This prevents any Firebase code from running correctly, leading to the persistent “missing credentials” error and the complete lack of debug output.
Request for Help: Has anyone encountered this specific darwin_arm64 package resolution warning with Firebase-ESP-Client on PlatformIO? Are there specific workarounds, alternative library versions, or build configurations required for Apple Silicon Macs for this library? Why would FIREBASE_DEBUG produce no output despite being enabled?
platformio.ini:
[env:esp32dev]
platform = espressif32
board = esp32dev
framework = arduino
monitor_speed = 115200
upload_speed = 460800
lib_deps =
# Currently attempting to install latest version
Firebase-ESP-Client
src/main.cpp:
#define FIREBASE_DEBUG // <-- This is the very first line, but no debug output appears.
#include <Arduino.h>
#include <WiFi.h>
#include <Firebase_ESP_Client.h> // Include the Firebase library
// 1. Wi-Fi Credentials
#define WIFI_SSID "987apple" //
#define WIFI_PASSWORD "***********" //
// 2. Firebase Project Credentials (Anonymized for public post)
#define FIREBASE_HOST "https://smart-mail-box-bba77-default-mbstjnb.firebaseio.com"
#define FIREBASE_AUTH "XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX"
// Define the GPIO pin connected to the IR sensor's output
const int IR_SENSOR_PIN = 15; // You connected IR output to ESP D15 (GPIO 15)
// Firebase objects
FirebaseData firebaseData;
FirebaseAuth firebaseAuth;
FirebaseConfig firebaseConfig;
// State variables for sensor and notification
int irSensorState = HIGH;
bool mailDetectedFlag = false; // Flag to ensure message sent only once per detection cycle
unsigned long lastSendTime = 0;
const long sendInterval = 5000; // Minimum 5 seconds between sends to prevent spamming
void setup() {
Serial.begin(115200);
Serial.println("Smart Mailbox System - Firebase & IR Test");
pinMode(IR_SENSOR_PIN, INPUT); // Configure IR sensor pin as input
// Connect to Wi-Fi
Serial.print("Connecting to Wi-Fi");
WiFi.begin(WIFI_SSID, WIFI_PASSWORD);
while (WiFi.status() != WL_CONNECTED) {
Serial.print(".");
delay(500);
}
Serial.println("\nWi-Fi Connected!");
Serial.print("IP Address: ");
Serial.println(WiFi.localIP());
// Configure Firebase
firebaseConfig.host = FIREBASE_HOST;
firebaseConfig.api_key = FIREBASE_AUTH;
// Sign up for anonymous auth (simpler for testing, adjust as needed for production)
// Required for Realtime Database if rules are public or using Anonymous Auth
firebaseAuth.user.email = "";
firebaseAuth.user.password = "";
// Initialize Firebase
Firebase.begin(&firebaseConfig, &firebaseAuth);
Firebase.reconnectWiFi(true); // Reconnect Wi-Fi automatically if disconnected
// Set the size of database payload (optional, default is 1024)
// Corrected setBSSLBufferSize to accept two arguments (RX and TX)
firebaseData.setBSSLBufferSize(2048, 2048); // Set both RX and TX buffer sizes
}
void loop() {
// Check Wi-Fi connection and re-establish if lost
if (WiFi.status() != WL_CONNECTED) {
Serial.println("Reconnecting to Wi-Fi...");
WiFi.reconnect();
return; // Skip sensor check until connected
}
// Handle Firebase keep-alive (important for continuous operation)
if (Firebase.ready()) {
// This is optional, but helps maintain connection
// Firebase.idle(); // Use if not doing frequent operations, otherwise Firebase.loop() handles it
}
irSensorState = digitalRead(IR_SENSOR_PIN);
// Detect object (mail) - assuming LOW means object detected
if (irSensorState == LOW && !mailDetectedFlag) {
if (millis() - lastSendTime > sendInterval) { // Simple debounce/cooldown
Serial.println("Object Detected! Sending data to Firebase...");
// Create JSON object to send
FirebaseJson json;
json.set("status", "Mailbox opened / New mail detected");
// Corrected way to get a server-generated timestamp in latest library versions
json.set("timestamp/.sv", "timestamp"); // This tells Firebase to use its server time for this field
// Push a new entry to the "/mailbox_events" path in Realtime Database
if (Firebase.RTDB.pushJSON(&firebaseData, "/mailbox_events", &json)) {
Serial.println("Data sent to Firebase successfully!");
Serial.print("Path: ");
Serial.println(firebaseData.dataPath());
Serial.print("Key: ");
Serial.println(firebaseData.pushName());
} else {
Serial.print("Failed to send data to Firebase: ");
Serial.println(firebaseData.errorReason());
}
mailDetectedFlag = true; // Set flag to true to prevent continuous sending
lastSendTime = millis();
}
}
// Reset flag when object is no longer detected (assuming HIGH means no object)
else if (irSensorState == HIGH && mailDetectedFlag) {
Serial.println("No object detected. Resetting flag.");
mailDetectedFlag = false; // Reset flag to allow new detection
}
// A short delay to prevent overwhelming the ESP32
delay(100);
}