Install CircuitPython 7.2.0 on ESP32-S3 (ESP32-S3-DevKitC-1), using esptool v3.2 on Linux Mint

CircuitPython 7.2.0 was released. With espressif ESP32-S3 and ESP32-C3 supported (considered alpha and will have bugs and missing functionality).

To flash firmware on esp32s3, esptool v3.2 is needed. This post show the steps to flash CircuitPython 7.2.0 on ESP32-S3-DevKitC-1 N8R8 (with 8MB Flash and 8MB PSRAM) run on Linux Mint (over VirtualBox/Windows 10).

Visit CircuitPython download page, search "S3" and download .BIN for "ESP32-S3-DevKitC-1-N8R8 by Espressif".

Connect USB to the port marked "UART".

To check the ESP chip ID and Flash using commands:
$ esptool.py --chip auto --port /dev/ttyUSB0 chip_id
$ esptool.py --chip auto --port /dev/ttyUSB0 flash_id

Erase flash:
$ esptool.py --port /dev/ttyUSB0 erase_flash

Flash firmware:
$ esptool.py --chip esp32s3 --port <port> write_flash \-z 0x0 <file.BIN>

To program using CircuitPython, re-connect USB to the port marked "USB".

cpyESP32S3_info.py

"""
CircuitPython 7.2.0 exercise run on ESP32-S3,
get system info.
"""
import board
import sys
import os
"""
ref:
The entire table of ANSI color codes working in C:
https://gist.github.com/RabaDabaDoba/145049536f815903c79944599c6f952a
"""
class color:
   RED = '\033[1;31;48m'
   BLUE = '\033[1;34;48m'
   BLACK = '\033[1;30;48m'
   END = '\033[1;37;0m'

print(board.board_id)
print(sys.implementation[0] + ' ' +
      str(sys.implementation[1][0]) +'.'+
      str(sys.implementation[1][1]) +'.'+
      str(sys.implementation[1][2]))
print("==========================================")
info = color.RED + \
       sys.implementation[0] + ' ' + \
       os.uname()[3] + color.END + '\n' + \
       'run on ' + color.BLUE + os.uname()[4] + color.END
print(info)
print("==========================================")

print()

cpyESP32S3_NEOPIXEL.py, control onboard RGB LED.

import time
import os
import microcontroller
import neopixel
import board

def cycleNeopixel(wait):
    for r in range(255):
        pixel[0] = (r, 0, 0)
        time.sleep(wait)
    for r in range(255, 0, -1):
        pixel[0] = (r, 0, 0)
        time.sleep(wait)
        
    for g in range(255):
        pixel[0] = (0, g, 0)
        time.sleep(wait)
    for g in range(255, 0, -1):
        pixel[0] = (0, g, 0)
        time.sleep(wait)
        
    for b in range(255):
        pixel[0] = (0, 0, b)
        time.sleep(wait)
    for b in range(255, 0, -1):
        pixel[0] = (0, 0, b)
        time.sleep(wait)
        
print("==============================")
print("Hello ESP32-C3/CircuitPython NeoPixel exercise")
#print(os.uname())
for u in os.uname():
    print(u)
print()
print("neopixel version: " + neopixel.__version__)
print()

# Create the NeoPixel object
pixel = neopixel.NeoPixel(board.NEOPIXEL,
                          1,
                          pixel_order=neopixel.GRB)
pixel[0] = (0, 0, 0)
time.sleep(2.0)

cycleNeopixel(0.01)

pixel[0] = (0, 0, 0)
time.sleep(2.0)

print("- bye -\n")

Related:
~ To flash ESP32-S3, esptool v3.2 or above is needed. With esptool upgraded, we can now flash ESP32-S3 on Rspberry Pi.

Next:
~ CircuitPython BLE UART between XIAO BLE Sense and ESP32-C3/S3