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ESP32-H2 Firmware Guide

This guide provides information about the ESP32-H2 firmware used as the Radio Co-Processor (RCP) in this project, how to flash it, and how to customize it if needed.

About the Firmware

The ESP32-H2 acts as a Radio Co-Processor (RCP) in this project, handling the Thread radio functions while the Raspberry Pi handles the higher-level networking and application functions. There are a few examples available in the espressif repo, of which only ONE is correct: https://github.com/espressif/esp-idf/tree/master/examples/openthread/ot_rcp

Firmware Features

The default firmware includes:

  • Full Thread 1.3 protocol support
  • IEEE 802.15.4 radio driver for ESP32-H2
  • Spinel protocol implementation for host communication
  • HDLC framing for UART communication

Flashing the Firmware

Direct Flashing

For fast flashing we have a task

task flashPrefabFirmware

This downloads the esptool binary and uses the firmware that is preloaded in this repo. The task is setup to work on a Raspberry Pi, is lightweight and fast to execute. If you dont care about customizing your firmware, this is the preferred option.

Customizing the Firmware

If you need to customize the firmware, you'll need to build it from source.

Building from Source

For building from source you can follow the three steps that have been made available in the Taskfile. The process involves:

  • Pulling the repo and getting all the code
  • Configuring and building the binaries
  • Flashing the device
task buildFirmware # for the total rundown
task _configure_idfpy # to pull all software 
task _build_firmware # to configure and build firmware
task _flash_firmware_from_build # to flash the firmware.

These steps give you control to manipulate the settings of the build.

Firmware Customization Options

Common customization options include:

Radio Channel Selection

The Thread radio channel can be configured (default is dynamic channel selection). You can select a specific channel to use:

  • Component config → OpenThread → Channel → Custom channel → Enter channel (11-26)

Transmit Power

Adjust the radio transmit power to increase range or reduce power consumption:

  • Component config → OpenThread → TX Power

UART Configuration

If you're using a different UART setup:

  • Component config → OpenThread → UART settings

Firmware Source Code

The source code for the OpenThread RCP firmware is available from:

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues with flashing or the firmware operation, see the Troubleshooting Guide.

Next Steps