[Core 2.7.0/2.7.1] ESP.restart() or ESP.reset() cause bootloop

[rev1204]

Basic Infos

• This issue complies with the issue POLICY doc.
• I have read the documentation at readthedocs and the issue is not addressed there.
• I have tested that the issue is present in current master branch (aka latest git).
• I have searched the issue tracker for a similar issue.
• If there is a stack dump, I have decoded it.
• I have filled out all fields below.

Platform

• Hardware: ESP-12S
• Core Version: 2.7.0 and 2.7.1
• Development Env: Arduino IDE
• Operating System: Windows

Settings in IDE

• Module: Generic ESP8266 Module
• Flash Mode: dio
• Flash Size: 4MB
• lwip Variant: v2 Lower Memory
• Reset Method: [ck|nodemcu]
• Flash Frequency: 80Mhz
• CPU Frequency: 160MHz
• Upload Using: SERIAL
• Upload Speed: 921600

Problem Description

Core 2.7.0 and 2.7.1 ESP.restart() and ESP.reset() causes ESP to bootloop (ESP keep restarting, never start the program again). Unfortunately ESP didn't print any exception. In the debug message below, the program ran first time after Uploading. After first restart, ESP not printing serial and keep restarting forever at 1 sec interval. This is not happen in Core 2.6.3.

MCVE Sketch

void setup() {
	delay(500);
	Serial.begin(115200);
	Serial.println("\nSTART");
	delay(5000);
	ESP.restart();
}

void loop() {
}

Debug Messages

START

 ets Jan  8 2013,rst cause:2, boot mode:(3,6)

load 0x4010f000, len 3456, room 16 
tail 0
chksum 0x84
csum 0x84
va5432625
~ld

 ets Jan  8 2013,rst cause:2, boot mode:(3,6)

load 0x4010f000, len 3456, room 16 
tail 0
chksum 0x84
csum 0x84
va5432625
~ld

[d-a-v]

Unfortunately your sketch is working as expected here (using a d1 mini running latest git master).

Are the IOs connected to something or left unconnected ?
Did you try with the full flash erase option ?
With the generic board, FW version can be chosen, what did you select ?

[CRCinAU]

Is this the same problem I was seeing with #7306 ?

I note that @rev1204 also mentions:

Flash Frequency: 80Mhz
CPU Frequency: 160MHz

I was using 160Mhz CPU / 80Mhz flash when I first noticed the problem as well...

[d-a-v]

I tried again with cpu@160MHz, flash@80MHz, with "DOUT" and also "QIO".
Both are working (using a d1 mini).

[CRCinAU]

When testing with my code, I noticed that I needed to flash a 160Mhz image from being booted within a 160Mhz image to cause it to die every time. At that point reboot and reflashes caused boot loops until power cycled.

If you flashed an 80Mhz image while booted into a 160Mhz image, then it would die until power cycled, but could then be flashed again with either a 80Mhz or 160Mhz image and would be fine until another flash occurs with either a 80 or 160Mhz image.

I note that I'm not resetting the unit via a USB cable - but flashing via the /update URL on the basic web updating framework.

[rev1204]

Unfortunately your sketch is working as expected here (using a d1 mini running latest git master).

Are the IOs connected to something or left unconnected ?
Did you try with the full flash erase option ?
With the generic board, FW version can be chosen, what did you select ?

Hi, I tried full flash erase and the problem is gone, now it can restart correctly. I guess something in the flash causing trouble. Thanks for your suggestion.

[CRCinAU]

What option did you use to erase the flash? Does this use esptool.py or esptool?

@rev1204 - Do you get the same successful result after doing an OTA update when set to 160Mhz? I can flash via the USB port many times and it'll load fine - until I do an OTA with the CPU at 160Mhz, or the flash at 80Mhz. At that point, I get the boot loop again.

Doing an OTA update (via the http interface and /update URL) will always cause a boot loop when running at 160Mhz.

EDIT: Logs after doing an OTA via http://$ip/update:

** Normal boot:
*WM: AutoConnect
*WM: Connecting as wifi client...
*WM: Status:
*WM: 0
*WM: Using last saved values, should be faster
*WM: Connection result: 
*WM: 3
*WM: IP Address:
*WM: 10.1.1.12
*WM: freeing allocated params!
Subscribing to: 84:F3:EB:58:3C:E7/output1
Subscribing to: 84:F3:EB:58:3C:E7/output2
Subscribing to: 84:F3:EB:58:3C:E7/output3
Subscribing to: 84:F3:EB:58:3C:E7/output4
Sensor check triggered...
Temperature: 12.85 C
Humidity: 73.00 %
Pressure: 1004.15 hPa
[MQTT RX] Topic: 84:F3:EB:58:3C:E7/output4
[MQTT RX] Payload: off

** Uploaded new firmware here **

 ets Jan  8 2013,rst cause:2, boot mode:(3,6)

load 0x4010f000, len 3456, room 16 
tail 0
chksum 0x84
csum 0x84
v4519db85
@cp:0
ld

 ets Jan  8 2013,rst cause:2, boot mode:(3,6)

load 0x4010f000, len 3456, room 16 
tail 0
chksum 0x84
csum 0x84
v4519db85
~ld

 ets Jan  8 2013,rst cause:2, boot mode:(3,6)

load 0x4010f000, len 3456, room 16 
tail 0
chksum 0x84
csum 0x84
v4519db85
~ld

** repeated again and again and again **

[CRCinAU]

For more debug, I turned on:
-DDEBUG_ESP_PORT=Serial
-DDEBUG_ESP_HTTP_UPDATE
-DDEBUG_ESP_UPDATER
-DDEBUG_ESP_OTA

Then built & flashed a 160Mhz image to the D1 Mini, then uploaded a 160Mhz image via the http updater. Below is the log of the entire first boot, then http update via the /update URL:

SDK:2.2.2-dev(38a443e)/Core:3.0.0-dev=30000000/lwIP:IPv6+STABLE-2_1_2_RELEASE/glue:1.2-30-g92add50/BearSSL:5c771be
sleep enable,type: 2
*WM: 
*WM: AutoConnect
*WM: Connecting as wifi client...
*WM: Status:
*WM: 0
*WM: Using last saved values, should be faster
scandone
no MYSSID found, reconnect after 1s
reconnect
scandone
state: 0 -> 2 (b0)
state: 2 -> 3 (0)
state: 3 -> 5 (10)
add 0
aid 84
cnt 

connected with MYSSID, channel 11
dhcp client start...
ip:10.1.1.12,mask:255.255.255.0,gw:10.1.1.254
*WM: Connection result: 
*WM: 3
*WM: IP Address:
*WM: 10.1.1.12
*WM: freeing allocated params!
Subscribing to: 84:F3:EB:58:3C:E7/output1
Subscribing to: 84:F3:EB:58:3C:E7/output2
Subscribing to: 84:F3:EB:58:3C:E7/output3
Subscribing to: 84:F3:EB:58:3C:E7/output4
Sensor check triggered...
Temperature: 13.10 C
Humidity: 64.75 %
Pressure: 1004.06 hPa
[MQTT RX] Topic: 84:F3:EB:58:3C:E7/output4
[MQTT RX] Payload: off
ip:10.1.1.12,mask:255.255.255.0,gw:10.1.1.254
ip:10.1.1.12,mask:255.255.255.0,gw:10.1.1.254
pm open,type:2 0
[httpUpdate] Header read fin.
[httpUpdate] Server header:
[httpUpdate]  - code: 304
[httpUpdate]  - len: -1
[httpUpdate] ESP8266 info:
[httpUpdate]  - free Space: 3657728
[httpUpdate]  - current Sketch Size: 515936
err3,exceed max time value
Sensor check triggered...
Temperature: 13.06 C
Humidity: 64.74 %
Pressure: 1004.09 hPa

*** Uploaded new firmware via HTTP here ***

sleep disable
[begin] roundedSize:       0x0037C000 (3653632)
[begin] updateEndAddress:  0x003FB000 (4173824)
[begin] currentSketchSize: 0x0007E000 (516096)
[begin] _startAddress:     0x0007F000 (520192)
[begin] _currentAddress:   0x0007F000 (520192)
[begin] _size:             0x0037C000 (3653632)
Header: 0xE9 1 2 40
Staged: address:0x0007F000, size:0x0007DF60
state: 5 -> 0 (0)
rm 0
pm close 7
del if0
usl

 ets Jan  8 2013,rst cause:2, boot mode:(3,6)

load 0x4010f000, len 3456, room 16 
tail 0
chksum 0x84
csum 0x84
v4519db85
@cp:0
ld

 ets Jan  8 2013,rst cause:2, boot mode:(3,6)

load 0x4010f000, len 3456, room 16 
tail 0
chksum 0x84
csum 0x84
v4519db85
~ld

 ets Jan  8 2013,rst cause:2, boot mode:(3,6)

load 0x4010f000, len 3456, room 16 
tail 0
chksum 0x84
csum 0x84
v4519db85
~ld

*** Repeated forever ***

I believe the problem lies above somewhere - as after doing this OTA update, every ESP.reset(), ESP.restart(), or automatic reboot after new OTA flash fails in the same manner.

I have also confirmed this same problem occurs when keeping the CPU to 80Mhz, but changing the FLASH to 80Mhz...

[rev1204]

Update
@d-a-v :
I tried again with my old project and has the problem again. In my example above, such a simple sketch can run ok. Now it's a more complicated sketch, has webserver and many other things. But it can run perfectly on core 2.6.3, now it bootloop on core 2.7.1 even after full erase flash. I don't know which part caused it for now. Maybe I'll try tomorrow.

@CRCinAU :
The option is in Tools->Erase Flash->All Flash Contents. I'm not trying OTA update yet, and even without OTA, my ESP is now bootloop.

[devyte]

@rev1204 what is your flash brand? or flashID number.

[rev1204]

@devyte
Flash Chip ID: 0x00164020
Flash Vendor ID: 0x00000020

I think I get it now what causes the bootloop. It because of SPIFFS. My guess is because SPIFFS now has been deprecated. This is my code:

#include <FS.h>

void setup() {
	delay(500);
	Serial.begin(115200);
	Serial.println("\nSTART ");
	if (SPIFFS.begin()) {
		Serial.println("SPIFFS Mounted");
	}
	else {
		Serial.println("SPIFFS failed");
	}
	delay(5000);
	ESP.restart();
}

void loop() {
}

I build and upload using full flash erase. After that I use ESP Sketch Data Upload. It prints SPIFFS Mounted. After restart, ESP just bootloop.

[d-a-v]

It's an XMC flash chip.

edit:
It bootloops after ESP Sketch data upload and not before ?
Can you double check you have the latest version of this plugin ?
Can you try with LittleFS (there's also a an upload plugin)
https://arduino-esp8266.readthedocs.io/en/2.7.1/filesystem.html?highlight=spiffs#uploading-files-to-file-system

[mhightower83]

Looks like you guys are already zeroing in on it.
FWIW: I have a DOIT module with 4M XMC flash and was able to recreate the problem as described.
Commenting out this line

Arduino/cores/esp8266/core_esp8266_main.cpp

Line 338 in 4519db8

experimental::initFlashQuirks(); // Chip specific flash init.

made things work as expected. At least with my short testing.

[rev1204]

@d-a-v
Edit: I just updated to latest plugin version. It bootloop in both SPIFFS and LittleFS before and after Sketch data upload. But, after I commenting out the line of code as @mhightower83 , I can confirm (with my simple code above) it work as expected.

[d-a-v]

@rev1204 Thanks for reporting!
@mhightower83 Thanks! I guess a fix (fixing the call or removing it) will land very soon for a 2.7.2 release.

@CRCinAU Can you try with the proposed fix ?