ESP32 not recognized by PC. No COM port problem!

[vlado90]

Hi guys..Ok, so here is the problem..
I just got my ESP32. I installed everything, arduino software, esp, xtensa...
when i start my arduino software I cant choose on which port is my ESP32. And in device manager I cant see it at all.
I have no idea what to do.
The LED on ESP32 is working so its getting juice from the pc.
Please help
Thanks

[kolban]

If it were me, the first thing I would do is list my USB devices and serial ports using Windows device manager. I would then plugin (or pull) the ESP32 connector and see if anything changes. If nothing, I would try a different USB cable and see if that changes any of the stories.

[rodmcm]

I just purchased a new ESp32 yesterday and have exactly the same problem..I can see the USB connection and the correct port. The unit broadcasts an AP SSID of ESP_85EE26.
I cannot get any other activity...

[grasvezel]

Apart from what kolban said, I would like to add two comments:

1) Nowadays there are a lot of cheap (Chinese) USB cables that can only be used for charging or powering devices. I assume these have only 2 out of 4 wires: ground and +5V, but no data lines. If you would use a cable like that, the result would be what you described. So make sure you have a 'real' USB cable by testing it on another device. Don't just check if it charges your phone, but check if you are actually able to transfer data.

2) The USB connection is not handled by the ESP32, as an ESP32 only has serial lines (rx and tx), no USB. A dev board typically includes some sort of USB to serial converter chip (sometimes refered to as FTDI). This chip communicates with your computer, resulting in the creation of a virtual COM port. If you have a driver for that chip instaled, otherwise it won't work. Without a driver the chip probably turns up as unsupported or unrecognised device in your hardware list. Although the ESP32 module may be the same, you might have a dev board with a different USB to serial converter than other devices you might have tested on your computer. So if one dev board works and another one doesn't, that does not necessarily mean the board is defective. You might just need to install a driver for the USB to serial chip on your dev board.

With a good cable and the right driver installed, your PC shoud present a COM port even if you would completely remove the ESP32 module from the board, because the USB communication is not handled by the ESP32.

[rodmcm]

Yes you are correct about the variety of USB cords
The problem is I am using the same cord to program other units

[herbert@vitzthum.at]

Did run into the same problem, but is solved.
I needed to learn which USB to UART bridge was on my ESP32.
In my case it was the CH340, after installing the COM-port was working fine.
https://sparks.gogo.co.nz/ch340.html
another one can be found here: https://www.silabs.com/products/develop ... cp-drivers

Hope this helps!

[msysmilu]

Did run into the same problem, but is solved.
I needed to learn which USB to UART bridge was on my ESP32.
In my case it was the CH340, after installing the COM-port was working fine.
https://sparks.gogo.co.nz/ch340.html
another one can be found here: https://www.silabs.com/products/develop ... cp-drivers

Hope this helps!

Excelent! It worked! Thank you so much!

[freeride01]

Hi, bringing up an old topic because I have a similar problem.
I have an ESP32 Ethernet Kit v1.2 and am running Windows 8.1. When I connected the chip to the USB port on the PC and turned it on, it did not show as two virtual COM ports in Device Manager as it should.
It showed under Other Devices as two RS232 devices.
I searched on the net and downloaded the VCP drivers from here - https://ftdichip.com/drivers/vcp-drivers/.
Installed them, but now the devices show under Universal Serial Bus controllers as USB Serial Converter A and B.
Still no new COM ports.
Any help?

[Dezzer]

Installing this driver has worked ... thank you so much for your help.

https://www.silabs.com/products/develop ... cp-drivers

[freeride01]

The CP210x drivers work when you have a USB-to-UART bridge, as in ESP32-PICO-KIT for example.
This is not applicable to the ESP32 Ethernet Kit .
It has a FTDI chip on board, for which you need a virtual COM port driver, as I understand it.
However, when installing the driver, the board still does not appear as two virtual COM ports, but as two Universal Serial Bus controllers.