ESP01 unsuccessful code execution

Question

I am trying to upload the Blink example from the Arduino IDE to a ESP8266-01 module using an Arduino Uno as serial programmer. Now, the upload is successful but, upon restart (and disconnecting GPIO0 from GND), nothing happens.
I have tried with different example sketches but it seems code was not uploaded.

My Board manager configuration

• Board: Generic ESP8266 Module
• Flash mode: QIO
• Flash frequency: 40 MHz
• CPU frequency: 80 MHz
• Flash size: 1M (128K SPIFFS)
• Debug port: Serial
• Debug level: none
• Reset method: ck (tried nodemcu too without success)
• Upload speed: 115200
• USB port

As an addition, here's what I get from the ESP01 through the Arduino IDE Serial monitor:

load 0x4010f000, len 1384, room 16 
tail 8
chksum 0x2d
csum 0x2d
v09f0c112
~ld
e:
 ets Jan 8 2013,rst cause:3, boot mode:(3,7)
ets_main.c 

and here's the IDE console window output:

sptool.py v1.3
Connecting..........
Auto-detected Flash size: 8m
Running Cesanta flasher stub...
Flash params set to 0x0020
Writing 229376 @ 0x0... 0 (0 %)1024 [...]
Wrote 229376 bytes at 0x0 in 39.0 seconds (47.0 kbit/s)...
Writing 229376 @ 0x10000... 0 (0 %)1024 [...]
Wrote 229376 bytes at 0x10000 in 39.0 seconds (47.0 kbit/s)...
Leaving...

The sketch I am using

void setup() {
 pinMode(LED_BUILTIN, OUTPUT); // Initialize the LED_BUILTIN pin as an output
}
// the loop function runs over and over again forever
void loop() {
 digitalWrite(LED_BUILTIN, LOW); // Turn the LED on (Note that LOW is the voltage level
 // but actually the LED is on; this is because 
 // it is acive low on the ESP-01)
 delay(1000); // Wait for a second
 digitalWrite(LED_BUILTIN, HIGH); // Turn the LED off by making the voltage HIGH
 delay(2000); // Wait for two seconds (to demonstrate the active low LED)
}

• 6v6gt: The standard blink example from the Arduino IDE uses pin 13. Have you modified it to use an equivalent pin on the ESP8266 to which a led has been attached ? You may also find that for uploading a sketch, it is necessary only to have GPIO0 pulled low during the reset/restart. Afterwards, you may then pull it high to load the sketch and run it.
• Anelito: Yes, I am using the LED_BUILTIN macro
• dandavis: try using 1 instead of the macro
• Anelito: @dandavis nothing, I have also tried to upload a different sketch for a Captive portal but code doesn't seem to be running.

Answer 1

If you are using an ESP01 I don't think you should be using GPIO1 as the output pin, its my understanding that they don't have GPIO1.

I think they have GPIO0 and GPIO2, so you should have attached the LED to GPIO2 and use digitalWrite(2, HIGH); in you code.

Have a look at this page and see if what its on about is what you are trying to do.

http://iot-playground.com/blog/2-uncategorised/38-esp8266-and-arduino-ide-blink-example

• 6v6gt: I guess it may be better to use a sketch which writes to the serial console to see signs of life from it if the led method is not conclusive. Incidentally, connecting a Uno directly to the ESP01 (which the OP appears to be doing) will result possibly in 5v at the ESP01 RX pin and some sort of level shifting is recommended.
• Anelito: Exactly, that is what I thought and apparently serial communication within the sketch is not working (the code was just sending a string over serial, no leds involved).
• dandavis: GPIO1 is also known as TX, and on the ESP-01 it can be used as a digital output. Note that the blue on-board LED is also tied to GPIO1, as an inverted on-low configuration. You can't use Serial.begin if you use TX as an output.
• Anelito: I'm using this sketch: void setup() { Serial.begin(9600); } void loop(){ Serial.println("Hello World!"); delay(1000); }
• Code Gorilla: @Anelito - 1. Are you connecting via Arduino? 2. Can you connect direct to PC/Mac? 3. Have you got a second ESP-01? 4. Are you using level shifting?