ESP32-H2 MicroPython Installation

ESP32-H2 MicroPython Installation#

This section provides comprehensive instructions for installing and using MicroPython on the PULSAR H2 board with ESP32-H2 microcontroller.

ESP32-H2 MicroPython v1.0 - Complete Binary#

Download and Installation Files#

The firmware is available in the following location:

  • ESP32H2_MicroPython_v1.0_Complete.bin (1,557,600 bytes)

    • Complete binary ready to flash from 0x0000

    • Includes: Bootloader + Partition Table + MicroPython

    • Download: ESP32H2 MicroPython v1.0

  • flash_esp32h2.sh

    • Automatic script to flash ESP32-H2

    • Automatic port detection

    • Connection verification

  • compile_py_to_mpy.sh

    • Python to .mpy bytecode compiler

    • Size and speed optimization

Installation Methods#

Manual Flashing with ESPTool#

# Install esptool if not already installed
pip install esptool

# Flash the complete binary
python3 -m esptool --chip esp32h2 --port /dev/ttyACM0 --baud 460800 \
    --before default_reset --after hard_reset write_flash \
    --flash_mode dio --flash_freq 48m --flash_size 4MB \
    0x0 ESP32H2_MicroPython_v1.0_Complete.bin

Connecting to MicroPython REPL#

After successful flashing, connect to the MicroPython REPL:

1. Open Thonny IDE
2. Go to Tools > Options > Interpreter
3. Select "MicroPython (ESP32)"
4. Choose correct COM port
5. Click OK and connect
Thonny IDE Configuration Example

Fig. 12 Thonny IDE Configuration Example#

Enabled Features and Capabilities#

GPIO (General Purpose Input/Output)#

  • Available pins: GPIO 0-27 (28 pins total)

  • Recommended pins for LED: 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 22, 23, 24, 25

  • Configuration: Input/Output, Pull-up/Pull-down

ADC (Analog-to-Digital Converter)#

  • Channels: 5 available channels

  • ADC pins: GPIO1, GPIO2, GPIO3, GPIO4, GPIO5

  • Resolution: 12 bits

  • Voltage Range: 0-3.3V

Communication Protocols#

  • UART: REPL enabled via USB-Serial/JTAG

  • I2C: Hardware I2C available on GPIO12 (SDA) and GPIO22 (SCL)

  • SPI: Hardware SPI available

  • Bluetooth LE: Fully functional Bluetooth 5.0 Low Energy

  • IEEE 802.15.4: For Thread/Zigbee protocols

Memory Configuration#

  • Flash: 4MB configured

  • RAM: ~256KB available for applications

  • Partitions:

    • NVS: 24KB

    • PHY: 4KB

    • App: 1984KB

    • VFS: 2MB

Test Code Examples#

ADC Reading#

import machine

# ADC on GPIO1
adc = machine.ADC(machine.Pin(1))
adc.atten(machine.ADC.ATTN_11DB)  # 0-3.3V range

# Read value
value = adc.read()
voltage = value * 3.3 / 4095
print(f"ADC Value: {value}, Voltage: {voltage:.2f}V")

I2C Communication#

import machine

# Initialize I2C on PULSAR H2 pins
i2c = machine.I2C(0, scl=machine.Pin(22), sda=machine.Pin(12), freq=100000)

# Scan for I2C devices
devices = i2c.scan()
print(f"I2C devices found: {[hex(device) for device in devices]}")

SPI Communication#

import machine

# Initialize SPI for microSD (PULSAR H2 configuration)
spi = machine.SPI(1,
                  sck=machine.Pin(5),   # Clock
                  mosi=machine.Pin(4),  # Data Out
                  miso=machine.Pin(0))  # Data In

cs = machine.Pin(25, machine.Pin.OUT)  # Chip Select
cs.value(1)  # Deselect initially

Bluetooth LE Example#

import bluetooth

# Initialize Bluetooth LE
ble = bluetooth.BLE()
ble.active(True)

# Start advertising
ble.gap_advertise(100, b'\x02\x01\x02\x0b\tPULSAR_H2')
print("Bluetooth LE advertising started")

Performance Optimization#

Compile to .mpy (Optimized Bytecode)#

For better performance and reduced memory usage:

# Install mpy-cross compiler
pip install mpy-cross

# Compile single file
./compile_py_to_mpy.sh my_script.py

# Compile with optimization level 2
./compile_py_to_mpy.sh -O2 my_script.py

# Compile entire directory
./compile_py_to_mpy.sh src/

Technical Specifications#

ESP32-H2 Chip Features#

  • Architecture: RISC-V single-core 96MHz

  • WiFi: Not available (by chip design)

  • Bluetooth: Full LE 5.0 support

  • IEEE 802.15.4: Thread/Zigbee/Matter protocols

  • Security: Crypto accelerator, Secure boot

  • Power Management: Ultra-low power modes

Firmware Versions#

  • MicroPython: v1.23.0+ (custom build for ESP32-H2)

  • ESP-IDF: 5.4.1

  • Compiler: GCC 14.2.0

  • Build Date: September 7, 2025

  • Version: 1.0 (First Official Release)

Library Installation (No Wi-Fi Alternative)#

Since ESP32-H2 doesn’t support Wi-Fi, use these methods for library installation:

Manual Library Installation#

# Example: Manual library installation
# Download these libraries manually and copy to ESP32-H2:
# - max1704x.py from UNIT-Electronics/MAX1704X_lib
# - ssd1306.py for OLED displays
# - sdcard.py for SD card support

# After copying files manually via USB:
import max1704x
import ssd1306
import sdcard

Pre-compiled Libraries#

  1. Download on computer: Use a computer with internet access

  2. Transfer via USB: Copy .py or .mpy files to ESP32-H2

  3. Use Thonny file manager: Drag and drop files to device

Available Libraries#

  • OLED Support: SSD1306 driver for I2C displays

  • SD Card: File system support for microSD

  • Sensors: I2C/SPI sensor libraries

  • Communication: Bluetooth LE utilities

  • Hardware: GPIO, ADC, PWM libraries

Troubleshooting#

Common Issues#

1. “Invalid pin” GPIO Error

  • Fixed in MicroPython v1.0

  • All GPIO 0-27 now work correctly

2. Connection Error During Flashing

# Verify connection
./flash_esp32h2.sh --verify

# Try specific port
./flash_esp32h2.sh /dev/ttyACM0

# Check if device is in download mode
esptool.py --port /dev/ttyACM0 chip_id

3. Serial Port Permissions (Linux)

# Add user to dialout group
sudo usermod -a -G dialout $USER
# Log out and back in after this change
4. Thonny Connection Issues

  • Ensure correct interpreter: “MicroPython (ESP32)”

  • Check COM port in device manager

  • Try different baud rates: 115200, 9600

5. Memory Issues

  • Use .mpy compiled files

  • Implement garbage collection: import gc; gc.collect()

  • Monitor memory: import micropython; micropython.mem_info()

Next Steps and Project Ideas#

Beginner Projects#

  1. LED Control: RGB LED strips, status indicators

  2. Sensor Reading: Temperature, humidity, light sensors

  3. Display Output: OLED displays, status screens

  4. Data Logging: SD card storage, sensor data

Intermediate Projects#

  1. Bluetooth LE Communication: Mobile app integration

  2. I2C Sensor Networks: Multiple sensor reading

  3. IoT Data Collection: Local sensor hub

  4. Real-time Monitoring: Battery, environmental data

Advanced Projects#

  1. IEEE 802.15.4 Networks: Thread/Zigbee implementation

  2. Matter Protocol: Smart home device integration

  3. Mesh Networks: Multi-device communication

  4. Security Applications: Encrypted data transmission

Resources and Documentation#

  • MicroPython Official Docs: https://docs.micropython.org/

  • ESP32-H2 Datasheet: Available in project documentation

  • PULSAR H2 Hardware Guide: See hardware documentation section

  • Community Support: ESP32 MicroPython forums and GitHub

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Created by: ESP32-H2 MicroPython Development Team Documentation Version: 1.0 Last Updated: October 2025

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