Firmware Burning

In mass production, the binary files that need to be burned to the device include:

  • firmware for mass production devices
  • binary files of mass production data

During the burning, it is necessary to ensure that a unique binary file of mass production data is burned to each device, while the application firmware is usually the same for all devices. To achieve this, we can write a script to generate a unique binary file of mass production data for each device based on its MAC address. Then, this file can be burned to the device together with the application firmware. In this process, a table that relates the MAC address of each device to its mass production data can also be created for querying, debugging, and tracking.

Espressif can customize firmware for our module products based on customers' requirements. For example, we can conduct safety configurations to ESP32-C3 series of modules, including the unique mass production data for each device. In this way, Espressif modules can be mounted directly onto the product's hardware circuit, which saves manufacturers' trouble for secondary burning. Espressif also provides a Flash Download Tool, where a factory mode can be used to burn multiple devices at a time. For more details about the Flash Download Tool, please check the documentation on our website.

Figure 14.2. Interface of factory mode in Flash Download Tool

The interface of factory mode in the Flash Download Tool is shown in Figure 14.2. In factory mode, Flash Download Tool loads firmware through relative paths and by default burns the firmware stored in bin directory to device. Users may store their firmware in the bin folder under the tool directory so that they can copy the project to different computers without triggering path-related errors.