09 Platform IO

# How to Use PlatformIO for the ESP32-S3 N16R8 The Lonely Binary ESP32-S3 N16R8 is a powerful microcontroller board from Espressif. It includes a dual-core Xtensa LX7 processor running at up to 240MHz, integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, 16MB of Quad SPI Flash, and 8MB of Octal PSRAM for memory-intensive applications like AI, displays, or data buffering. PlatformIO, an open-source ecosystem for IoT development, simplifies working with this board by providing a unified IDE, build system, and library manager that supports both Arduino and ESP-IDF frameworks. This article guides you through setting up and using PlatformIO with the ESP32-S3 N16R8, from installation to uploading your first program. We'll focus on the Arduino framework for simplicity. ## Step 1: Installing PlatformIO PlatformIO integrates seamlessly with Visual Studio Code (VS Code), making it the recommended IDE for development. 1. Download and install VS Code from the official Microsoft website[](https://code.visualstudio.com/). 2. Open VS Code and navigate to the Extensions view by pressing Ctrl+Shift+X (or Cmd+Shift+X on macOS). 3. Search for "PlatformIO IDE" and install the extension. This will download PlatformIO Core and set up the environment. 4. Restart VS Code. You'll see a new PlatformIO icon (an alien head) in the activity bar on the left. ## Step 2: Creating a New Project 1. In VS Code, click the PlatformIO icon and select "PIO Home" > "Open". 2. Click "New Project". 3. Name your project (e.g., "Lonely Binary ESP32-S3 N16R8"). 4. Select the board: Search for "Espressif ESP32-S3-DevKitM-1" or similar. 5. Choose the framework: "Arduino" for ease, or "Espressif IoT Development Framework" for advanced ESP-IDF features. 6. Click "Finish". This generates the project structure, including src/main.cpp and platformio.ini.  ## Step 3: Configuring platformio.ini ### Using UART (Left) Port ``` bash [env:esp32-s3-devkitm-1] platform = espressif32 board = esp32-s3-devkitm-1 framework = arduino monitor_speed = 115200 upload_speed = 921600 board_upload.flash_size = 16MB board_build.partitions = default_16MB.csv build.flash_type=qio board_build.arduino.memory_type = dio_opi build_flags = -D CORE_DEBUG_LEVEL=5 -D BOARD_HAS_PSRAM -mfix-esp32-psram-cache-issue ``` #### Using USB (Right) Port ``` bash [env:esp32-s3-devkitm-1] platform = espressif32 board = esp32-s3-devkitm-1 framework = arduino monitor_speed = 115200 upload_speed = 921600 board_upload.flash_size = 16MB board_build.partitions = default_16MB.csv build.flash_type=qio board_build.arduino.memory_type = dio_opi build_flags = -D CORE_DEBUG_LEVEL=5 -D BOARD_HAS_PSRAM -mfix-esp32-psram-cache-issue -D ARDUINO_USB_MODE=1 -D ARDUINO_USB_CDC_ON_BOOT=1 ``` ## Step 4: Modify main.cpp ``` cpp #include <Arduino.h> void setup() { Serial.begin(115200); delay(1000); // Short delay to ensure serial is ready if (psramInit()) { Serial.println("PSRAM is enabled!"); Serial.printf("PSRAM size: %u bytes\n", ESP.getPsramSize()); } else { Serial.println("PSRAM is not enabled or not found."); } } void loop() { // Empty loop, or add your code here delay(1000); // Prevent tight looping } ``` Compile and Upload above code and open the serial monitor