Invalid head of packet during uploading code

[cniedzi]

Board

ESP32 Dev Module

Device Description

Plain ESP32 Dev Module with CP2102 USB to UART chip

Hardware Configuration

Plain module without any connection. Only USB cable connected to PC for uploading code.

Version

v3.3.0

IDE Name

Arduino IDE, Platformio

Operating System

Windows 11

Flash frequency

80Mhz

PSRAM enabled

no

Upload speed

any

Description

During uploading any code based on Arduino core 3.3.0 to any ESP32 Dev module with CP2102, I'm getting the following error:

Building in release mode
Retrieving maximum program size .pio\build\esp32\firmware.elf
Checking size .pio\build\esp32\firmware.elf
Advanced Memory Usage is available via "PlatformIO Home > Project Inspect"
RAM:   [===       ]  34.7% (used 113600 bytes from 327680 bytes)
Flash: [==========]  96.8% (used 1395991 bytes from 1441792 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...
Uploading .pio\build\esp32\firmware.bin
esptool v5.0.1
Serial port COM3:
Connecting.......

A fatal error occurred: Invalid head of packet (0x00): Possible serial noise or corruption.
*** [upload] Error 2

Upload works seamlessly when used with ESP32 Dev Module based on CH340, or when I revert the core to 3.2.1.

Sketch

n/a

Debug Message

Building in release mode
Retrieving maximum program size .pio\build\esp32\firmware.elf
Checking size .pio\build\esp32\firmware.elf
Advanced Memory Usage is available via "PlatformIO Home > Project Inspect"
RAM:   [===       ]  34.7% (used 113600 bytes from 327680 bytes)
Flash: [==========]  96.8% (used 1395991 bytes from 1441792 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...
Uploading .pio\build\esp32\firmware.bin
esptool v5.0.1
Serial port COM3:
Connecting.......

A fatal error occurred: Invalid head of packet (0x00): Possible serial noise or corruption.
*** [upload] Error 2

Other Steps to Reproduce

No response

I have checked existing issues, online documentation and the Troubleshooting Guide

• I confirm I have checked existing issues, online documentation and Troubleshooting guide.

[me-no-dev]

1. how are you using 3.3.0 with PlatformIO?
2. check your hardware connections to make sure that everything is OK. Error means that it can not correctly talk to the chip

[cniedzi]

1. how are you using 3.3.0 with PlatformIO?
2. check your hardware connections to make sure that everything is OK. Error means that it can not correctly talk to the chip

Hi @me-no-dev ,

The issue exists when I'm using either Platformio or Arduino IDE. Hardware has been double checked, on two different modules.
I guess there may be a problem with esptool...

1.
framework = arduino
platform = https://github.com/pioarduino/platform-espressif32.git
Arduino Core 3.3.0

C:\Users\User>C:\Users\User\.platformio\penv\Scripts\esptool.exe version
esptool v5.0.1
5.0.1

C:\Users\User>C:\Users\User\.platformio\penv\Scripts\esptool.exe --chip esp32 --port "COM3" --baud 921600 --before default-reset --after hard-reset write-flash -z --flash-mode dio --flash-freq 80m --flash-size detect 0x0 "D:\test\bootloader.bin" 0x8000 "D:\test\partitions.bin" 0xe000 "D:\test\boot_app0.bin" 0x10000 "D:\test\firmware.bin"
esptool v5.0.1
Serial port COM3:
Connecting.......

A fatal error occurred: Invalid head of packet (0x00): Possible serial noise or corruption.

2.
framework = arduino
platform = https://github.com/pioarduino/platform-espressif32/archive/refs/tags/54.03.21.zip
Arduino Core 3.2.1

C:\Users\User>C:\Users\User\.platformio\penv\Scripts\esptool.exe version
esptool.py v5.0.0-dev1
5.0.0-dev1

C:\Users\User>C:\Users\User\.platformio\penv\Scripts\esptool.exe --chip esp32 --port "COM3" --baud 921600 --before default-reset --after hard-reset write-flash -z --flash-mode dio --flash-freq 80m --flash-size detect 0x0 "D:\test\bootloader.bin" 0x8000 "D:\test\partitions.bin" 0xe000 "D:\test\boot_app0.bin" 0x10000 "D:\test\firmware.bin"
esptool.py v5.0.0-dev1
Connected to ESP32 on COM3:
Chip type:          ESP32-D0WD-V3 (revision v3.1)
Features:           Wi-Fi, BT, Dual Core + LP Core, 240MHz, Vref calibration in eFuse, Coding Scheme None
Crystal frequency:  40MHz
MAC:                d0:ef:76:46:60:6c

Stub flasher running.
Changing baud rate to 921600...
Changed.

Writing at 0x0006d3ff [█████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░]  20.0% 163840/819568 bytes...
Writing at 0x00067780 [█████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░]  18.0% 147456/819568 bytes...
Writing at 0x0005fc9b [████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░]  16.0% 131072/819568 bytes...
Writing at 0x00059978 [████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░]  14.0% 114688/819568 bytes...
Writing at 0x00053e5b [███░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░]  12.0% 98304/819568 bytes...
Writing at 0x00047204 [██░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░]  10.0% 81920/819568 bytes...
Writing at 0x0003bbe9 [██░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░]   8.0% 65536/819568 bytes...
Writing at 0x00033e73 [█░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░]   6.0% 49152/819568 bytes...
Writing at 0x0002ac1e [█░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░]   4.0% 32768/819568 bytes...
Writing at 0x0001d606 [░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░]   2.0% 16384/819568 bytes...
Writing at 0x00010000 [░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░]   0.0% 0/819568 bytes...

[me-no-dev]

You could try to submit an issue in the esptool repository and let them know that 5.0.0-dev1 works, but 5.0.1 doesn't. It could be something specific there, but so far you are the first to report such issue.

[cniedzi]

reported here: espressif/esptool#1106

[me-no-dev]

awesome! I see some traction there, so I hope it will soon get resolved for any future cases like yours. Thanks for reporting

[gluca]

+1 Yesterday Arduino ide upgraded esp32 to 3.3.0 and I faced same issue. Reverted to 3.2.1