Remove the struggle documented in the Readme pointing users to a Arduino

[froscon2024]

All Arduino things are not required to just install the released firmware file. When people start reading the Readme, they read things like:

The following tools are required to build and flash the firmware:

The typical installation is much more simple. There is no struggle with level shifters and 5V vs 3.3V needed.

If you already have a usb-ttl adapter like for example a cp210x laying around, those have often a 3.3V output. Or if you have for example a esp32 dev board, then use that. On the esp32 dev board connect the esp32 chip to reset. Then the esp32 chip is stopped and you have everything that is required to run a external esp chip with this board. Connect the 3.3Volt, the TX/RX from the build-in USB-TTL chip and so on to the ESP-01 and just use esptool software to write to the chip.

And if you do not own anything of that, a esp32 dev board or a standalone usb-ttl board are both cheaper and much more easy to setup then a complete Arduino board.

Arduino is in general 5V.
ESP is in general 3.3V.

It does not make sense to choose a 5V setup to try to configure/install a 3.3V board.

[AsCress]

@froscon2024 Thanks for the issue! Did you have a look at https://github.com/fossasia/pslab-esp01-firmware/blob/main/docs/esptool.md ? Do you think that describes better your point ?
I was also thinking we may replace the README.md with some more generalized flashing and building instructions. The building instructions without using an Arduino are located at the bottom of the README.md and flashing instructions are located in docs/esptool.md.

[bessman]

I think the flashing instructions in the README should be quite terse, saying only

1. How to get the ESP-01 into bootloader mode (GPIO0 and RST low)
2. That the firmware can now be flashed over serial, without specifying how exactly to connect the serial bus

Then, there should be more in-depth instructions for a few select devices, e.g. Arduino and Raspberry Pi. I don't have an esp32 dev board, but if you @froscon2024 are up to writing flashing instructions for that board we would be happy to include it as well.

[froscon2024]

Did you have a look at https://github.com/fossasia/pslab-esp01-firmware/blob/main/docs/esptool.md

Yes, i already had before posting the issue. But there you tell the people to use a raspberry-pi. And if they do not have one, people tend to buy things that are on a howto-list and not rethink on their own if it can be done with things they already have at home.
When you use hardware examples for the serial adapters(currently a Arduino board and a Raspberry-PI board), then to prevent people of thinking they have to spend much money, it would make most sense to use the most cheap and simple examples.

I think the flashing instructions in the README should be quite terse, saying only

Yes

That the firmware can now be flashed over serial, without specifying how exactly to connect the serial bus

The current Arduino example did not point the people to just use the esptool https://github.com/fossasia/pslab-esp01-firmware?tab=readme-ov-file#flashing-the-firmware
Instead i can see the word esptool only in the pictures

What is written here:
https://github.com/fossasia/pslab-esp01-firmware/tree/main/docs/esptool.md

is more likely the typical howto of flashing the firmware.

The most common way most projects on github go is:
Start documentation with description what the project is and then how to install the files from the release page.
Into the section where you write how to install the binary released files, you also add the blue-link-note that jumps to the same readme file bottom where its described how to compile it on your own to get to the same binary files.

[bessman]

But there you tell the people to use a raspberry-pi.

In that guide, I tried to make clear that the raspberry is only an example:

"The following example uses a Raspberry Pi. If you are using a different UART device, skip to the "Enter ESP-01 bootloader" section."

But perhaps it could be made even clearer.

[froscon2024]

My experience is that when you only provide one example, the people to not take it as a example. If you add more examples of how something can be done, then the people start to think if they already have such a thing at home to get the thing done.

I don't have an esp32 dev board, but if you @froscon2024 are up to writing flashing instructions for that board we would be happy to include it as well.

I am talking about those boards: https://www.ebay.com/itm/405543752547
They cost about 3$ with free worldwide shipping and have a esp32 on them with a usb-ttl and the 3.3v DCDC converter and everything else already on the PCB ready for the esp-01 to be connected to.

Would you like me to make a picture how a esp-01 can be connected to such a esp32-dev board PCB?

You can also get the same done with just this board that also provide 3.3V, RX, TX and ground pin: https://www.ebay.com/itm/334659054635