Ethernet OTA Testing Directory Reference

Directory dependency graph for Ethernet OTA Testing:

Directories
	OTA_Test_Firmware

Files
	ota_upload.py

Detailed Description

Ethernet OTA Testing

Test environment for Over-The-Air (OTA) firmware updates on ESP32-S3 boards over Ethernet (W5500).

The OTA implementation now lives in firmware/libraries/STAR_EthernetOTA, shared by every STAR board — this project is its demo and bench test, not a separate implementation. The firmware here used to carry its own copy of the transfer handler; it now calls StarOTA::Server::poll() like the rest.

For uploading, prefer the standardized tools, which work against any board:

# build with a message baked in, then push it
python firmware/tools/ota_upload.py --ip 192.168.2.5 \
    --project "firmware/Ethernet OTA Testing/OTA_Test_Firmware" --message "hello"
 
# or, from a project with an [env:ota] section
pio run -e ota -t upload

The local ota_upload.py in this folder still works and is still wired to this project's -DOTA_MESSAGE, but it only knows about this one project. New work should use firmware/tools/ota_upload.py.

What This Does

1. The ESP32 runs a firmware that prints a configurable message to Serial every 2 seconds
2. It also listens on a TCP socket for incoming firmware updates
3. A Python script recompiles the firmware with a new message baked in, then pushes the binary to the ESP32 over Ethernet
4. The ESP32 receives the firmware, writes it to the alternate flash partition, and reboots — now printing the new message

This validates that OTA updates work over the W5500 Ethernet module before deploying OTA to production hotfire boards.

Folder Structure

Ethernet OTA Testing/
├── ota_upload.py              # Python script to compile + upload firmware
├── README.md                  # This file
└── OTA_Test_Firmware/         # PlatformIO project (ESP32-S3 firmware)
    ├── platformio.ini
    └── src/
        ├── main.h             # Config (pins from sense_board_pins.h, network)
        └── main.cpp           # Firmware (Ethernet init, StarOTA::Server, print loop)

The transfer itself is firmware/libraries/STAR_EthernetOTA — see its README for the wire protocol, the callbacks, and how updates are verified.

Prerequisites

• PlatformIO CLI installed and in PATH (pip install platformio)
• Python 3 (no extra pip packages needed)
• ESP32-S3 board with W5500 Ethernet module wired per DAQv2 pin assignments
• Computer and ESP32 on the same 192.168.2.x subnet

Quick Start

1. Initial Flash (USB)

cd "Ethernet OTA Testing/OTA_Test_Firmware"
pio run -t upload          # Flash via USB
pio device monitor -b 115200   # Watch serial output

You should see:

[MSG] Default OTA firmware -- not yet updated  |  uptime 0m 2s  |  IP 192.168.2.5

2. OTA Update (Ethernet)

cd "Ethernet OTA Testing"
python ota_upload.py --message "Hello from OTA!"

The script will:

1. Compile the firmware with your message baked in
2. Connect to the ESP32 at 192.168.2.5:3232
3. Upload the binary with a progress display
4. The ESP32 reboots and starts printing the new message

3. CLI Options

Flag	Default	Description
--message / -m	"OTA update at <timestamp>"	Message to bake into firmware
--ip	192.168.2.5	ESP32 IP address
--port / -p	3232	OTA TCP port
--skip-compile	off	Upload existing binary without recompiling

Configuration

• Board type: Defaults to PT board pin mapping. Change via -DPINS_ACTIVE_LAYOUT=LC_Board in platformio.ini build_flags
• IP address: Set in main.h → OTA_STATIC_IP (default 192.168.2.5)
• Ethernet pins: Pulled from common/sense_board_pins.h (shared with hotfire code)