ESP32-S3 Failing to Connect to CC with Latest Version of Program | Pokémon Automation | Page 1

patent wharf Jan 5, 2026, 4:42 AM

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Went ahead and updated now that I have ZA, but I have been getting error messages after re-flashing the board. At first, it wasn't properly rewriting when programming (and gave an "incompatible protocol" error). Now, it gives this error after using the webtool to re-flash.

Unsure how relevant this is, but device manager is refreshing every 3 ish seconds.

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upon further investigation, refreshes are absolutely causing the connection failure and it has to do with my usb cable
why? i dunno, it worked fine before updating

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swapped cables as a last-ditch effort, and now the port is back to COM5 and the flash tools can't find the board (even tho it's there in device manager)

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uninstalled and reinstalled drivers, same ol' perpetual connecting error

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-# if anyone wants to jump in and help a snom out i'd really appreciate it

lucid hearth Jan 5, 2026, 5:22 AM

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do u have ur switch dock plugged in to power source?

patent wharf Jan 5, 2026, 5:22 AM

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yep

lucid hearth Jan 5, 2026, 5:23 AM

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is it sw1 or sw2?

patent wharf Jan 5, 2026, 5:23 AM

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sw1

lucid hearth Jan 5, 2026, 5:23 AM

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ok hmm

patent wharf Jan 5, 2026, 5:23 AM

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it was working just fine before updating

lucid hearth Jan 5, 2026, 5:23 AM

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weird

patent wharf Jan 5, 2026, 5:23 AM

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i had it running shard farming and decided to update for some of the newer program

lucid hearth Jan 5, 2026, 5:23 AM

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today's update?

patent wharf Jan 5, 2026, 5:23 AM

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yep

lucid hearth Jan 5, 2026, 5:24 AM

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the file to flash should say 20260104 I think then right?

patent wharf Jan 5, 2026, 5:25 AM

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lucid hearth Jan 5, 2026, 5:25 AM

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I just got home from work so I need to download new version too

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looks like the Correct file

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ur using this to flash it right?

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same software?

patent wharf Jan 5, 2026, 5:27 AM

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yep

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i was also sent a webtool because it wasn't correctly flashing earlier

lucid hearth Jan 5, 2026, 5:30 AM

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ok mine is working fine with new version growlithe_think

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uhave it plugged in correctly right?

patent wharf Jan 5, 2026, 5:31 AM

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yea? i hope so

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com cable to com port
usb cable to the other port

lucid hearth Jan 5, 2026, 5:31 AM

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like com to computer and uart to switch dock right?

patent wharf Jan 5, 2026, 5:31 AM

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yis

lucid hearth Jan 5, 2026, 5:32 AM

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could be a damaged or faulty cable growlithe_think

patent wharf Jan 5, 2026, 5:32 AM

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-# how ???

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-# it was running fine earlier today

lucid hearth Jan 5, 2026, 5:32 AM

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usually i have the "connecting..." message whenever i forget to plug in dock

patent wharf Jan 5, 2026, 5:32 AM

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both cables would be damaged then somehow

lucid hearth Jan 5, 2026, 5:33 AM

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idk then growlithe_think

patent wharf Jan 5, 2026, 5:33 AM

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cuz i swapped them after dealing with nonsense

lucid hearth Jan 5, 2026, 5:33 AM

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are u using the original power cable for the dock?

patent wharf Jan 5, 2026, 5:33 AM

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yea

lucid hearth Jan 5, 2026, 5:33 AM

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huh

patent wharf Jan 5, 2026, 5:33 AM

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plugged into the wall and everything

lucid hearth Jan 5, 2026, 5:33 AM

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switch is docked too?

patent wharf Jan 5, 2026, 5:33 AM

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yep

lucid hearth Jan 5, 2026, 5:34 AM

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might have to ask someoen a bit more tech saavy then

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idk what's causing the issue

patent wharf Jan 5, 2026, 5:34 AM

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-# me neither cryingaboutit

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updating was a mistake
shoulda stayed with safe old version

lucid hearth Jan 5, 2026, 5:35 AM

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lol

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u did choose "esp32-s3" from the dropdown on the flashing software right?

patent wharf Jan 5, 2026, 5:35 AM

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yep

lucid hearth Jan 5, 2026, 5:35 AM

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idk then GrowlShrug

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i usually have these settings upon opening it

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and then this for flashing

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maybe one those settings mightve gotten changed somehow on ur end

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i mean it appears to be working fine for me

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but i have it set up on my sw2 rn

patent wharf Jan 5, 2026, 5:38 AM

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maybe they forgot about the poor sw1 users

lucid hearth Jan 5, 2026, 5:39 AM

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looks fine

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do u have the BAUD setting at bottom set to 460800 ?

patent wharf Jan 5, 2026, 5:39 AM

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yea

lucid hearth Jan 5, 2026, 5:39 AM

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idk then

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maybe try reflashing ?

patent wharf Jan 5, 2026, 5:39 AM

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i just did

lucid hearth Jan 5, 2026, 5:39 AM

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see if that works

patent wharf Jan 5, 2026, 5:39 AM

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still purgatory

lucid hearth Jan 5, 2026, 5:39 AM

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huh

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u plugging the computer end cable in for flashing or the sw dock end?

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i usually flash with the cable for the computer end

patent wharf Jan 5, 2026, 5:40 AM

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i have them both plugged in

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does it matter?

lucid hearth Jan 5, 2026, 5:40 AM

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idk

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probably not

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ik the arduino leonardo u had to use the micro usb cable for the dock end, but u also had to use that one for flashing

patent wharf Jan 5, 2026, 5:41 AM

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this is an esp32-s3 tho

lucid hearth Jan 5, 2026, 5:41 AM

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yeah, so with esp32-s3 idk if it matters or not

patent wharf Jan 5, 2026, 5:41 AM

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maybe i try to downgrade to an older version

lucid hearth Jan 5, 2026, 5:41 AM

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but i've always used the one for computer end to flash

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maybe try that

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good idea

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u r using folder for v0.61.4 right?

patent wharf Jan 5, 2026, 5:42 AM

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yea

lucid hearth Jan 5, 2026, 5:42 AM

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huh

patent wharf Jan 5, 2026, 5:43 AM

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i delete the old one before installing the new one so i don't goof them lol

lucid hearth Jan 5, 2026, 5:43 AM

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bc they also just had a v0.61.3 just a few days ago

patent wharf Jan 5, 2026, 5:43 AM

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mine was like v0.59 tho

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v old

lucid hearth Jan 5, 2026, 5:43 AM

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oh

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nvm then

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yeah

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maybe try changing "console type" from auto detect to switch1?

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i doubt thatll fix it tho

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also make sure its set to correct com port

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also does it let u click on the blank dropdown next to com port one?

patent wharf Jan 5, 2026, 5:45 AM

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nope

lucid hearth Jan 5, 2026, 5:45 AM

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hmm

patent wharf Jan 5, 2026, 5:46 AM

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older version (0.60.9) also isn't working

lucid hearth Jan 5, 2026, 5:46 AM

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r u using a usb hub for the esp32s3?

patent wharf Jan 5, 2026, 5:46 AM

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it's plugged into my computer directly

lucid hearth Jan 5, 2026, 5:46 AM

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oh ok

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if u were id say flash without the hub but nvm

patent wharf Jan 5, 2026, 5:46 AM

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lemme see if i can go back to the version i had earlier

lucid hearth Jan 5, 2026, 5:47 AM

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ok

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maybe try v0.60.2? #automation-releases message

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or v0.60.3

patent wharf Jan 5, 2026, 5:49 AM

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still connecting.......

lucid hearth Jan 5, 2026, 5:49 AM

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huh

patent wharf Jan 5, 2026, 5:49 AM

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-# what happened today to make it break

lucid hearth Jan 5, 2026, 5:50 AM

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maybe something overheated the power cable?

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have u tried unplugging the dock power & both esp32s3 cables?

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lettign it sit unplugged for like 30 seconds then plugging back in?

patent wharf Jan 5, 2026, 5:50 AM

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i can

lucid hearth Jan 5, 2026, 5:51 AM

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a lot of tech helpdesks usually say wait 30 seconds after unplugging

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i think it causes the device to refresh itself or cool down or something like that

patent wharf Jan 5, 2026, 5:52 AM

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no dice

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if i had another cable to test with i'd grab it :<

lucid hearth Jan 5, 2026, 5:53 AM

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good luck

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maybe kuro or one of the other devs might be able to help

patent wharf Jan 5, 2026, 5:53 AM

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hopefully they stumble in here and solve all my problems :>

lucid hearth Jan 5, 2026, 5:53 AM

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yeah 🤞

patent wharf Jan 5, 2026, 5:54 AM

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my hunch is one of my board cables bit the dust (cuz it was acting funky earlier and refreshing device manager)

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but i dunno

lucid hearth Jan 5, 2026, 5:54 AM

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yeah thats probably it

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probably one of the usb-c cables

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hopefully not the power cable

patent wharf Jan 5, 2026, 5:54 AM

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i highly doubt its the power cable

patent wharf Jan 5, 2026, 5:55 AM

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patent wharf upon further investigation, refreshes are absolutely causing the connection fail...

cuz of this specifically

lucid hearth Jan 5, 2026, 5:55 AM

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ik with the switch2, automation wouldnt work for me unless i used the provided sw2 power cable with the dock

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i think sw1 worked with 3rd party cables iirc

patent wharf Jan 5, 2026, 5:55 AM

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mine's the og power cable

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so that's another reason it's not the problem

lucid hearth Jan 5, 2026, 5:56 AM

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yeah, but that's why im hoping it not the power cable that hit the dust lol

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more likely one of the board cables tho

patent wharf Jan 5, 2026, 5:56 AM

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-# sw2 is in the future aro purchases so eh?

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-# i can wander by target after work tomorrow and see if they have a cable

lucid hearth Jan 5, 2026, 5:57 AM

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i use a walgreens brand 3ft usb c cable for automation & it works fine for me

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i work at walgreens so thats why i have those lol

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i think theyre usb 2.0

patent wharf Jan 5, 2026, 5:57 AM

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target's just close by lol
i can go anywhere tho i work close to home

lucid hearth Jan 5, 2026, 5:57 AM

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same

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i work like 5 minute drive from home

patent wharf Jan 5, 2026, 5:57 AM

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🤝

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-# 10 mins for me but still

lucid hearth Jan 5, 2026, 5:58 AM

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sorry i couldnt be of more help

patent wharf Jan 5, 2026, 5:58 AM

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all good
it's what i get for messing around with things

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perhap a dev can offer some advice before i waste money on a cable

lucid hearth Jan 5, 2026, 5:58 AM

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if it was acting wonky earlier its probably the cable

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yeah, tho any cheap usb c cable should work imo

patent wharf Jan 5, 2026, 5:59 AM

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NODDERS

lucid hearth Jan 5, 2026, 5:59 AM

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i personally wouldnt overspend on a super good quality one rn

patent wharf Jan 5, 2026, 5:59 AM

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i spent like 6 dollars for 2 lol

lucid hearth Jan 5, 2026, 5:59 AM

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lol

patent wharf Jan 5, 2026, 5:59 AM

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i'm in the business of cheap af cables

lucid hearth Jan 5, 2026, 6:00 AM

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i think i spent around the same amount on my 2 cables KEKW

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maybe even a bit less (i get employee discount at walgreens)

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(25% off of walgreens brand items & 10%? off of most name brand)

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i forgot what % off the name brand tbh, its either 10% or 15%

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i think it was more like $7 or $8 after employee discount for the 2 cables

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i dont rly remember tho

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i would still ask a dev before buying a new cable tho

patent wharf Jan 5, 2026, 6:56 AM

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in summary (if any devs poke their heads in here):

esp32-s3 isn't connecting to latest cc update
have tried reflashing (multiple times) with various errors ("incompatible protocol", "serial connection failed", and "connecting...")
tried rebooting computer and switch (1) with esp unplugged, no luck
swapped cables (the one that was connected to the dock is now connected to the computer and vice versa) with no luck
based on what i'm seeing, the cable that is now connected to the dock broke somehow (was working earlier today when i was running mega shard farming) b/c when it was plugged into the COM port, device manager would refresh every 1-3 seconds (which happens when a faulty usb is plugged in)

i'll collect a new cable tomorrow, but before i spend my money, i'd like a dev's opinion :3

patent wharf Jan 6, 2026, 12:41 AM

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bought a new cable
still unresolved

ruby sorrel Jan 6, 2026, 3:41 AM

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What does the flash tool look like after you flash?

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Send screenshots

patent wharf Jan 6, 2026, 4:45 AM

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ruby sorrel Send screenshots

ruby sorrel Jan 6, 2026, 4:53 AM

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Did you check the top left box?

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The top row should be green

patent wharf Jan 6, 2026, 4:55 AM

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just tried again (cuz i didn't check the box)
still isn't connecting

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-# reflashing again got it working??

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-# i hate technology sometimes lol

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it really do be the simplest things sometimes
thanks for the words of wisdom SnomBlelele

patent wharf Jan 6, 2026, 7:18 PM

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ruby sorrel The top row should be green

nvm Sadge
it was working yesterday but it's back to not connecting

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verdict: keep spam flashing until it decides to work lol

ruby sorrel Jan 6, 2026, 8:09 PM

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Once you flash it. you don't need to reflash, unless CC says the firmware is out of date.

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Why are you reflashing once it's working?

patent wharf Jan 6, 2026, 8:33 PM

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ruby sorrel Why are you reflashing once it's working?

cuz when i started cc up again it couldn’t connect to the controller (again)

ruby sorrel Jan 6, 2026, 8:36 PM

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If it happens again the in future, I wouldn't try re-flashing if it works currently.

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I would double check your cables.

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Maybe even unplug all cables to the ESP32-S3, so that it can power cycle.

patent wharf Jan 6, 2026, 8:48 PM

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when i’m not running anything i keep it unplugged
i also got a new cable yesterday jic the problem had to do with bad cables

karmic glacier Jan 6, 2026, 11:42 PM

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i'm having the same issue with 61.4 with both my ESP32-S3s. after flashing latest firmware and pressing the reset button on the boards, CC simply displays "connecting"

rolled back to 61.3 and they both connect perfectly fine

south wave Jan 6, 2026, 11:57 PM

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karmic glacier i'm having the same issue with 61.4 with both my ESP32-S3s. after flashing lates...

What happens if you use the ESP32-S3 firmware from 61.3 on CC 61.4? (and vice versa)

karmic glacier Jan 7, 2026, 12:41 AM

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ESP32-S3 61.4 firmware in 61.3 CC: connected successfully
ESP32-S3 61.3 firmware in 61.4 CC: connected successfully

and i tested 61.4 firmware in 61.4 CC again and now that's working too 🙃 with both ESP32-S3s. all good for now then i guess thonk

just to be clear my process every time:

close CC if open
run flash_download_tool
click "..." and select correct firmware
click start and wait until "finish"
close flash_download_tool
press "reset" on ESP32-S3
open CC

south wave Jan 7, 2026, 12:50 AM

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We'll see if more people hit this. Both FW and CC did change between 61.3 and 61.4. Things like this don't land on my radar until multiple people start hitting it. lul

patent wharf Jan 7, 2026, 4:02 PM

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didn’t disconnect the controller overnight and it’s working monkaHmm

patent wharf Jan 10, 2026, 12:41 AM

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seems if the esp turns off or disconnects in any way then cc won't be able to detect it again (just gives "connecting...")
dunno why that is but reflashing fixes the problem, so i'm not gonna complain (and not disconnect the esp on purpose SnomBlelele )

south wave Jan 10, 2026, 12:43 AM

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What if you completely unplug the ESP32-S3 and plug it back in. It still says fails connect without a reflash? Thonk

patent wharf Jan 10, 2026, 12:44 AM

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yis

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well it doesn't say fails to connect

patent wharf Jan 10, 2026, 12:45 AM

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patent wharf uninstalled and reinstalled drivers, same ol' perpetual connecting error

it does this

south wave Jan 10, 2026, 12:47 AM

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That almost sounds like the flash chip is defective or something. Because flash memory is non-volatile - or at least supposed to be.

patent wharf Jan 10, 2026, 12:48 AM

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it was working fine before this update tho monkaHmm

south wave Jan 10, 2026, 12:48 AM

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Maybe you fried it. All it takes is one bad static discharge to damage these boards with all the expose circuitry.

patent wharf Jan 10, 2026, 12:49 AM

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tis true (tis also my irl job lol)
so i try to be careful with the guys but i'm not whipping out full esd gear for a microcontroller

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when it fully stops working and can't be reflashed then i'll just get a new one gayge

south wave Jan 10, 2026, 12:50 AM

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Only way to find out is to try a different ESP32-S3. But given that you're the only one reporting this issue would suggest it's either your board that's fried or you doing something very unusual that we're not aware of.

patent wharf Jan 10, 2026, 12:51 AM

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i'm too cheap to buy a new one when this one still does the job
but i prolly did indeed fry him in my endeavors and didn't even realize

untold juniper Mar 3, 2026, 10:19 AM

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Hello, just to weigh in - I am now getting the same issue with mine. I reverted back to an older version, and it is working fine, but for some reason, the last 2 versions state "Incompatible Protocol" as well.

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@patent wharf after messing around a bit, I managed to fix it. Turns out the flash programme changed its default behaviour.

All I needed to do was click the checkbox:
Once you check this, and start the flash, the bar should be green. This fixed it for me.

#ESP32-S3 Failing to Connect to CC with Latest Version of Program