Comments: smôl ZOE-M8Q Hookup Guide
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Just got my smol esp32, zoe and lipo yesterday. Some thoughts and questions:
I think there are some serious problems with the CP2104 drivers for windows 10 from Silicon Labs and the smol esp32. I tried many different combinations of things but couldn't upload the arduino code on windows 10 and it couldn't start the auto upload. I also tried the binary example on the repository and that didn't work either.
I connected the board to my linux pc and the upload was a breeze.
On another note, can I use any available GPS active/passive antennas such as ones from adafruit or the 3rd party brands? Just wanted to confirm before I plug in an antenna.
Am I correct to assume that the overall amplification on this board without an external antenna would be really poor?
Hi there, 1) Most people find that the Windows driver works just fine - but you do need to make sure you have the correct driver installed. Windows defaults to using its own - which doesn't support the DTR and RTS pins correctly. There are more details in this forum post. That's good news about Linux though - thanks for letting us know. 2) You can use an active or passive GNSS antenna - it's your call. The board provides 3.3V for an active antenna. We have plenty of low cost antennas to choose from. 3) The board won't work without an antenna. An external active antenna will give best results. Best wishes, Paul