Basics project 109c ESP8266 ESP-12E module – How to flash the SONOFF Tasmota firmware with Tasmotizer

Basics: Project 109c

Project name:  ESP8266 ESP-12E module – How to flash the SONOFF Tasmota firmware with Tasmotizer

Tags: Arduino IDE, ESP8266 ESP-12E module, Nodemcu v3, Lolin, SONOFF, Tasmota Firmware, Tasmotizer

Attachments: NONE

In this project, you needed these parts (Dear visitors. You can support our project buy clicking on the links of parts and buying them or donate us to keep this website alive. Thank you):

1. Micro USB cable 1 pc

2. ESP8266 ESP-12E module 1pc

General

We will learn how to flash SONOFF Tasmota firmware on the ESP8266 ESP-12E module using the Tasmotizer.

Understanding the Tasmota

Tasmota is an alternative firmware for ESP8266 based devices with easy configuration using webUI, OTA updates, automation using timers or rules, expandability and entirely local control over MQTT, HTTP, Serial or KNX. Written for Arduino IDE and PlatformIO.

It was initially written for Sonoff devices, but it supports devices from many other brands like Electrodragon, MagicHome, AriLux, Blitzwolf, and Allterco. You can also install it on development boards like the Wemos D1 mini and the ESP8266 NodeMCU.

You can read more about it here.

Understanding the Tasmotizer

The full-featured flashing tool for Tasmota. With the great ESPtool from Espressif under the hood, and all required settings by default.

Features:

• Automatic backup of current ESP image before flashing: in case you want to return to manufacturer firmware
• Flash local .bin images, or simply select from release or development images: it will download them automatically
• Send configuration to flashed device via serial: one-click configure of Wifi (including recovery AP), MQTT, Module and/or Template
• Dark theme: proven to increase flashing speed and reliability

You can install it on Windows, Linux or Mac. Read more about it here.

Understanding the ESP8266 ESP-12E WI FI module (LoLin NODEMCU V3)

You can read more about it here.

Signals and connections of the ESP8266 ESP-12E WI FI module (LoLin NODEMCU V3)

TX – transmit pin. GPIO pin

RX  – receive pin.  GPIO pin

3V3 (or 3V or 3.3V)- power supply pin (3-3.6V). 

GND ( or G) – ground pin.

RST – reset pin. Keep it on high (3.3V) for normal operation. Put it on 0V to reset the chip.

EN – Chip enable. Keep it on high (3.3V) for normal operation.

Vin – External power supply 5VDC.

D0-D8 – GPIO (General Purpose Input Output) pins 

D5-D8 – SPI interface

D1-D2– I²C/TWI Interface

SC (or CMD) – (Chip Select) – the pin that the master can use to enable and disable specific devices. GPIO pin

SO (or SDO) – Master In Slave Out (MISO) – SPI communication. The Slave line for sending data to the master. GPIO pin

SK (or CLK) – SCK (Serial Clock) – SPI communication.The clock pulses which synchronize data transmission generated by the master. GPIO pin

S1 (or SD1) – Master Out/Slave In (MOSI). SPI communication. The Master line for sending data to the peripherals. GPIO pin

S2 (or SD2) – GPIO pin

S3 (or SD3) – GPIO pin

VU (or VUSB) – external power 5VDC.

A0 – ADC output.

RSV – reserved

Wiring

Connect your ESP8266 ESP-12E module with micro USB cable to your PC USB port.

Step by Step instruction

1. Preparation

1. Please note that you have several options to download and install the Tasmotizer: Option 1: get Windows standalone executable, Option 2: pip3 install tasmotizer and then simply run tasmotizer.py from the shell/command line; Option 3: Clone the repo, pip3 install PyQt5 pyserial followed by python3 tasmotizer.py and flash away!

2. Go to Github and download the latest release of Tasmotizer. As we are using the Windows 7 64Bits OS version – we download tasmotizer-1.1a.exe.

3.Please note that you do not need to install it.

4. Go to Github and download the latest version of tasmota.bin.

2. Flashing

1. Double click on tasmotizer-1.1a.exe. tasmotizer-1.1a.exe and tasmota.bin should be in the same folder of your PC. Select port (we have COM12, where the ESP8266 ESP-12E attached to) and select image type (bin) and image – tasmota.bin. Click on Tasmotize button.

2.The flashing process starts.

3. When the flashing process completed click on OK button.

4. Optional. Click on Send Config button. You can type your local WiFi network SSID and password and click on Save button.

5.Your information will be send to ESP8266 ESP-12E module and it will restart.

3. Testing

1. Unplug the ESP8266 ESP-12E module from USB port and plug in again.

2. Download and install any of these software tools: Terminal, USR-TCP232-Test V1.4, AiThinker_Serial_Tool_V1.2.3, coolterm, sscom3.2 , KiTTY, putty,tera term, Access port , Termite.  We use AiThinker_Serial_Tool_V1.2.3 which files you just need to unzip.

3. Open AiThinker Serial Tool. You need to select COM port (where your ESP8266 ESP-12-E module attached to, we have COM12 and baud rate (115200). Click on Open Serial button.

4. Type the command ssid1 YourWiFiSSID and click on Send button.

5. Type the command password1 YourWiFiPassword and click on Send button.

6. You will see that web server is active on tasmota_……. with IP address…. message. In our case it is 192.168.1.210.

7. Open any web browser and type http://yourIPaddress (in our case http://192.168.1.210)

8. Congrats!! You have done it. You can configure your SONOFF Tasmota module now.

Summary

We have learnt how to flash SONOFF Tasmota firmware on the ESP8266 ESP-12E module using the Tasmotizer.

Thank you for reading and supporting us.

Libraries:

• No libraries required for this project

Project resources:

• See attachments on the beginning of this project description