ESP32 Bit Pirate

ESP32-S3 USB adapter workflows

Use ESP32 USB adapters for SUMP, flashrom and AVRDUDE

ESP32 Bit Pirate can reboot into dedicated USB adapter workflows for common bench tools. Use one-shot modes for PulseView SUMP logic capture, Flashrom serprog SPI flash access, AVRDUDE ISP programming and OpenOCD JTAG/SWD sessions.

Explore the ESP32 Bit Pirate site index Open the GitHub project
USB adapter workflow visual with browser tools, firmware adapters and target hardware

Quick USB adapter workflow

Adapter modes are dedicated USB sessions. Choose them when a host tool expects a known protocol instead of the normal ESP32 Bit Pirate CLI.

  1. 01

    Flash ESP32 Bit Pirate and confirm the normal serial CLI works.

  2. 02

    Wire the target for the selected adapter: logic pins, SPI flash, AVR ISP, JTAG or SWD.

  3. 03

    Open USB mode and choose the dedicated adapter workflow.

  4. 04

    Let the board reboot or re-enumerate, then reconnect from PulseView, Flashrom, AVRDUDE, OpenOCD or a browser tool.

  5. 05

    Start with read-only detection before capture, erase, write, programming or debug sessions.

mode usb
adapters
sump
serprog
avrdude
openocd

Example CLI flow. See the USB and adapters wiki pages for exact menu names, reboot behavior and firmware-specific options.

USB adapter modes covered by ESP32 Bit Pirate

Use this overview to choose the adapter mode that matches the host-side tool.

PulseView

SUMP logic analyzer

Capture digital signals from GPIOs with the Logic Sniffer / SUMP driver in PulseView or with the browser Web Logic Analyzer.

Flashrom

serprog SPI flash programmer

Expose a serprog-compatible USB CDC adapter for Flashrom, or use the browser SPI Flash Programmer for probe, read, erase and verify work.

AVR ISP

AVRDUDE Bus Pirate SPI adapter

Use the legacy Bus Pirate SPI programmer path expected by AVRDUDE for ATmega and ATtiny ISP targets.

OpenOCD

JTAG/SWD adapter workflow

Switch from pin discovery to an OpenOCD-style adapter path once target voltage, reset and debug pins are known.

LIRC

USB IR Toy adapter

Expose infrared RX/TX timing over USB CDC for LIRC tools such as mode2, xmode2 and irrecord.

Raw CDC

SubGHz raw adapter

Use a dedicated raw CDC path when external RF tooling expects a simple USB serial transport.

When a dedicated USB adapter helps

The normal CLI is great for interactive exploration. Adapter modes are better when a desktop or browser tool already knows the protocol it wants to speak.

Signal capture

PulseView and SUMP

Use SUMP when timing matters, labels need to match physical channels, or a waveform export is more useful than terminal output.

Firmware repair

Flashrom and serprog

Use serprog when Flashrom should probe, read, erase, write and verify an external SPI NOR flash chip through a known host workflow.

Target programming

AVRDUDE and OpenOCD

Use AVR ISP for AVR parts and OpenOCD for JTAG/SWD targets when toolchain integration matters more than an interactive shell.

USB adapter hardware reminders

Adapter workflows still depend on careful target wiring. The host tool can only be as reliable as the electrical setup underneath it.

Re-enumeration

Dedicated adapter modes may disconnect the normal CLI and appear as a different USB serial device. Reconnect from the host tool after switching modes.

Voltage levels

ESP32 GPIO uses 3.3 V logic. Check target voltage before connecting SPI flash, AVR ISP, JTAG, SWD or logic analyzer inputs.

Ground

Share ground with the target before capture, flash, programming or debug operations. Floating references create misleading failures.

Read first

Probe, identify and read before erase, write or debug attach. Keep verified backups for flash and firmware workflows.

Common USB adapter problems

Most failures are mode selection, serial port, wiring, target power or host-tool configuration problems.

Tool cannot connect

Close the normal serial terminal, reselect the new USB port and confirm the board has rebooted into the adapter mode.

PulseView sees no activity

Check selected GPIO order, target ground, sample rate and whether the signal is actually toggling during capture.

Flashrom probe fails

Check CS, MISO, MOSI, SCK, target power, WP#/HOLD# and whether another controller is still driving the SPI flash.

AVRDUDE signature fails

Check RESET/CS, SPI direction, target power, shared ground and whether the AVR clock is too slow for the selected ISP speed.

OpenOCD cannot detect target

Return to pinout, VTref, reset, SWD/JTAG mode and target-specific config before blaming the adapter.

Detailed USB adapter recipes

These pages are the task-level USB adapter workflows. This overview keeps the host-tool map here, while each recipe covers setup, commands and troubleshooting in detail.

Useful USB adapter references

This page is a protocol overview. Use the site index for the full web experience, or GitHub for source code, firmware documentation and adapter details.

Flash ESP32 Bit Pirate

Flash a supported ESP32-S3 board before testing USB adapter mode from the browser.

Open Web Flasher

Web SPI Flash Programmer

Probe, read, erase, write and verify SPI flash through a serprog-compatible browser workflow.

Open Web SPI Flash Programmer

ESP32 Bit Pirate GitHub

Check firmware source, issues and releases that affect USB adapter support.

Open GitHub repository

USB adapter FAQ

Short answers for common questions before moving into a detailed workflow.

Can ESP32 Bit Pirate work as a SUMP logic analyzer for PulseView?

Yes. ESP32 Bit Pirate can reboot into a SUMP-compatible logic analyzer adapter mode for PulseView or the browser Web Logic Analyzer.

Can ESP32 Bit Pirate work with Flashrom and serprog?

Yes. Use the Flashrom SPI adapter workflow or the browser SPI Flash Programmer when you need a serprog-compatible path for SPI flash work.

Can ESP32 Bit Pirate work as an AVR ISP or OpenOCD adapter?

Yes. ESP32 Bit Pirate has adapter workflows for AVRDUDE AVR ISP and OpenOCD-style JTAG/SWD work after the target wiring and voltage are known.