ESP32 Thing Plus Hookup Guide

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Contributors: Ell C, jimblom, Alex the Giant
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Software Setup

Note: This example assumes you are using the latest version of the Arduino IDE on your desktop. If this is your first time using Arduino, please review our tutorial on installing the Arduino IDE.

Installation for the ESP32 Thing Plus is two-fold. Like the ESP32 Thing, you will want to install the board definitions via the Arduino Boards manager. In addition, you will also need to download and install the latest CP2104 USB Driver. Note, some older versions of the driver (including the version that Windows auto-installs) will cause the auto-reset to fail during upload.

Installing Board Definition

Espressif has added support for the Arduino Boards Manager that includes a slew of great built-in examples. Instructions for installing via the board manager can be found at espressif's arduino-esp32 documentation.

For more information on installing boards via the Arduino Board Manager, check out the add-ons section of our Installing Arduino IDE tutorial.

Installing Arduino IDE

March 26, 2013

A step-by-step guide to installing and testing the Arduino software on Windows, Mac, and Linux.

If you are familiar with installing boards via the Arduino IDE Boards Manager, the url to add is:

language:c
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/espressif/arduino-esp32/gh-pages/package_esp32_index.json
Note: If you have previously installed the ESP32 Arduino Core, we strongly recommend removing the associated folders before installing via the boards manager.

To remove previous arduino core installs for the esp32, start by finding your .../Arduino/hardware folder. This can be located by looking at your Sketchbook location under File > Preferences.

Click to enlarge.

Go to this location in your finder and delete the esp32 folder.


Once you have deleted the esp32 folder, you can then install using the Arduino Boards Manager.

Selecting the Board Definition

Once installed, use the Adafruit ESP32 Feather board in the Arduino Board dropdown.

Choosing the Adafruit ESP32 Feather Board in the Arduino Board Dropdown
Selecting board definition from Tools drop down menu.


Installing the CP2104 USB Driver

Note: Make sure to manually install the driver for the CP210X with the following instructions. The driver that Windows auto-installs will not work with the auto-reset circuit on the board and cause serial uploads to fail.

You will also need to install the SiLabs CP2104 Driver, which can be found here: USB to UART Bridge VCP Driver

Note: If applicable, make sure you are using the proper driver files for your CPU architecture. This is usually indicated by a folder or file name with "x86" for 32-bit processors or "x64" for 64-bit processors.