This user guide will help you get started with ESP-Module-Prog-1(R) and will also provide more in-depth information.
ESP-Module-Prog-1 and ESP-Module-Prog-1R (R stands for WROVER) are two flashing mainboards produced by Espressif. They can be used to flash modules without soldering the module to the power supply and signal lines. The mainboard can be used independently or in combination with a subboard. Espressif supports two subboards: ESP-Module-Prog-SUB-02 and ESP-Module-Prog-SUB-01&04, which cannot be used independently and must be used in conjunction with any of the above-mentioned mainboards.
This user guide will introduce ESP-Module-Prog-1(R) Mainboard. For detailed information about the subboards, please click the links below and check the corresponding user guides.

This user guide consists of the following sections:

Board Overview: Overview of the board hardware/software.
Start Application Development: How to set up hardware/software to develop applications.
Hardware Reference: More detailed information about the board’s hardware.
Sample Request: How to get a sample board.
Related Documents: Links to related documentation.

Board Overview

ESP-Module-Prog-1(R) is an Espressif flashing mainboard designed specifically for modules. With a module mounted, it can also be used as a mini development board like ESP32-DevKitC. The only difference between ESP-Module-Prog-1 and ESP-Module-Prog-1R lies in the layout of the spring pins, which are used to fit different modules.

Mainboard	Fitting Module
ESP-Module-Prog-1R	ESP32-WROVER-B ESP32-WROVER-IB ESP32-WROVER-E ESP32-WROVER-IE

For information about the above modules, please refer to Espressif Series Modules.

Description of Components

ESP-Module-Prog-1R - Front

The key components of the board are described in a clockwise direction.

Key Component	Description
Spring Pins	Pins that fit into the module’s castellated holes for attaching and securing the module.
Female Headers	2.54 mm female headers that are connected to the pins of the module mounted in this board. For detailed information, please refer to Section Pin Descriptions.
J4	Configures the strapping pin. For details, please refer to Section Strapping Pin Configuration.
3.3 V Power On LED	Lights up when the board is powered on with USB or power supply.
USB-to-UART Bridge	Single-chip USB to UART bridge that provides transfer rates of up to 3 Mbps.
Boot Button	Download button. Holding down Boot and then pressing EN initiates Firmware Download mode for downloading firmware through the serial port.
USB Type-C to UART Interface	Serves either as a power supply interface for the development board or as a communication interface to the chip via an on-board USB to UART bridge.
Reset Button	Reset button.
5V-to-3.3V LDO	Low Dropout Regulator (LDO).
J5	Measures the current. For details, please refer to Section Measuring Current.

Start Application Development

Before powering up your ESP-Module-Prog-1(R), please make sure that it is in good condition with no obvious signs of damage.

Start Application Development

Any one of the above-mentioned Espressif modules
USB-A to USB-C cable
PC (Windows, Linux, or macOS)

Please make sure to use the appropriate USB cable. Some cables can only be used for charging, not for data transfer or program flashing.

Hardware Setup

Mount the module to ESP-Module-Prog-1(R) as follows:

Place the module lightly on ESP-Module-Prog-1(R), making sure the castellated holes on the module are aligned with the spring pins on the board.
Press the module inward until you hear a “click”, which indicates that the module has been successfully mounted.
Check if all the spring pins are clicked into the castellated holes. If there is a misalignment, you can use tweezers to poke the spring pins into the castellated holes.

Now the board is ready for software setup.

Software Setup

Recommended Approach

It is recommended to use the ESP-IDF development framework to flash the binary file (*.bin) to ESP-Module-Prog-1(R). Please refer to ESP-IDF Get Started to get a quick overview of setting up your development environment and flashing applications.

Alternative Approach

For Windows systems, you can also use the Flash Download Tool to flash the binary files.

To flash binary files, the chip should be set to Firmware Download mode. This can be done either by the flash tool automatically, or by holding down the Boot button and tapping the Reset button.
After flashing binary files, the Flash Download Tool restarts your module and boots the flashed application by default.

Hardware Reference

This section provides more detailed information about the board’s hardware.

Block Diagram

The block diagram below shows the components of ESP-Module-Prog-1(R) and their interconnections.

ESP-Module-Prog-1(R)

Power Source Select

There are three mutually exclusive ways to provide power to the board:

USB Type-C to UART port (default and recommended)
5V and GND header pins
3V3 and GND header pins

Strapping Pin Configuration

J4 on ESP-Module-Prog-1(R) is a 2-Pin header, with one end being P7 and one end being High (i.e. pull-up):

For some modules, the corresponding pin of P7 is not a strapping pin and no pull-up is needed for downloading. In this case, a jump cap is not required for J4.
For some modules, the corresponding pin of P7 is a strapping pin and a pull-up is needed for downloading. In this case, a jump cap is required for J4.

For the corresponding pin of P7 on Espressif modules, please refer to ESP-Module-Prog-1(R) GPIO Map.

Measuring Current

J5 on ESP-Module-Prog-1(R) can be used to measure the current of the module.

Remove the J5 jumper cap: At this time, the peripherals and modules on the board are disconnected from the power supply, and the module current can be measured after the J5 pin is connected to the ammeter.
Install the J5 jump cap (factory default): the board functions normally.

When using the 3V3 and GND header pins to power up the board, you need to remove the J5 jumper cap and connect an ammeter in series with the external circuit to measure the current of the module.

Pin Descriptions

The two tables below provide the Name and Signal of female headers on both sides of the board (J2 and J3). The pin names are shown in Figure ESP-Module-Prog-1 - Front. The numbering is the same as in the ESP-Module-Prog-1(R) Schematics (PDF). For the corresponding pin of each signal on Espressif modules, please refer to ESP-Module-Prog-1(R) GPIO Map.

J2

No.	Name	Signal
1	3V3	3.3 V power supply
2	EN	CHIP_EN (High: enables the chip; Low: disables the chip. Pulled up by default.)
3	1	P1
4	2	P2
5	3	P3
6	4	P4
7	5	P5
8	6	P6
9	7	P7
10	8	P8
11	9	P9
12	10	P10
13	11	P11
14	12	P12
15	13	P13
16	14	P14
17	15	P15
18	16	P16
19	17	P17
20	18	P18
21	19	P19
22	20	P20
23	21	P21
24	22	P22
25	5V	5 V power supply

J3

No.	Name	Signal
1	G	Ground
2	44	P44
3	43	P43
4	TX	TXD0
5	RX	RXD0
6	42	P42
7	41	P41
8	40	P40
9	39	P39
10	38	P38
11	37	P37
12	36	P36
13	35	P35
14	34	P34
15	33	P33
16	32	P32
17	31	P31
18	30	P30
19	29	P29
20	28	P28
21	27	P27
22	26	P26
23	25	P25
24	24	P24
25	23	P23

Sample Request

Retail Orders

If you order a few samples, each ESP-Module-Prog-1(R) comes in an individual package in either antistatic bag or any packaging depending on your retailer.

For retail orders, please go to https://www.espressif.com/en/company/contact/buy-a-sample.

Wholesale Orders

If you order in bulk, the boards come in large cardboard boxes.

For wholesale orders, please go to https://www.espressif.com/en/contact-us/sales-questions.

ESP Module Prog -1R