Connecting a ESP32 devkit v1 to Flipsky fsesc75100

[LankoG]

I am trying to connect esp32 with a flipsky vesc, but cannot get esp to work. I connected it only through UART because I do not have CAN bus transceiver.

[thankthemaker]

For UART to work you'll have to rebuild the firmware with CANBUS_ONLY commented out in config.h

Otherwise CANBUS is used.

[LankoG]

I already did that, also tried to change [platformio] default_envs = nodemcu-32s, but nothing worked. I am using vs code to upload the code with platformio, but don't think there is anything wrong there.

[thankthemaker]

Ok, did you check that UART is enabled in VESC tool?
Do your VESC and ESP share a common ground?
Using a common ground is important.

[LankoG]

yes when I used just the VescUart library it was able to print the data to the terminal

[LankoG]

I tried reinstalling the source code and now I get this error:

[barsikus007]

@LankoG, you also need to disable CANBUS_ENABLED too

[jwidess]

Oh my god thank you for this thread! I've spent the last two days trying to figure out why UART wasn't working properly. The fact that CANBUS_ONLY is the default NEEDS to be mentioned somewhere!

NOTE: The "-D CANBUS_ENABLED -D CANBUS_ONLY" flags are located in the Environment Variables in "platformio.ini" not in config.h. To enable UART on my nodemcu32, on lines 141-152 of platformio.ini I removed the CANBUS flags so my config looks like the following.

[env:nodemcu-32s]
platform = espressif32
board = nodemcu-32s
framework = arduino
monitor_speed = 115200
board_build.partitions = default.csv
lib_deps =
    ${common_env_data.lib_deps_external}
build_flags =
     ${ESP32.build_flags} -D LED_WS28xx
extra_scripts = pre:change_firmware_name.py
custom_firmware_name = firmware_nodemcu-32s

Errors I was having:
rESCue App: Always in the Disconnected State
VESC-Tool: "Could not read firmware version. Make sure that the selected port really belongs to the VESC"