This tutorial will show you how to get started wit flash programming and Wifi interaction using the ESP-01 Tiny module, which is based on the extremely popular ESP8266 chip.
The ESP-01 is one of the most affordable WiFi modules available, is very small, and relatively easy to program using the Arduino IDE. The ESP-01 (and ESP8266 in general) has a large and active community that’s made plenty of resources, tutorials, and troubleshooting guides for the device.
6. Click on "esp8266 by ESP8266 Community" and install it
Step 2: Connect the ESP-01 to the USB Flash Programming Module
Insert the ESP-01 into the USB to ESP-01 adapter, and connect the adapter to your computer
Step 3: Configure the Arduino IDE for ESP-01
Go to “Tools” > “Board” and select "Generic ESP8266 Module".
Because we’re using a generic ESP8266 board module in Arduino IDE, we’ll set the following parameters specific to the ESP-01 variant. Go to “Tools” and select the following settings:
Upload Speed: 115200
Flash Mode: DIO
Flash Size: 1M (No SPIFFS)
Debug Port: Disabled
Debug Level: None
IwIP Variant: v2 Lower Memory
Reset Method: ck
Crystal Frequency: 26 MHz
Flash Frequency: 40MHz
CPU Frequency: 80 MHz
Port: (Select the COM port that your ESP-01 module is connected to)
Step 4: Flash Program the ESP-01
Go to File > New to create a new sketch.
Next, go to Tools > Manage Libraries
3. Install the WiFiManager Library for ESP boards by tzapu
4. Open up the following example in your Arduino IDE
5. Click on Sketch > Upload to upload the code to your ESP-01 module.
Step 5: Launch the Ad-Hoc Network & Connect to Wifi
Once the code is uploaded, the ESP-01 will automatically run it when connected to power. For now, let’s keep it on the USB flash programmer.
The ESP-01 will create a WiFi access point with the name and password specified in your code.
Connect to this access point using a WiFi-enabled device, and go to and URL in the browser
You should be taken to a setup screen that collects WiFi credentials. When you submit, the ESP-01 should reboot and attempt to reconnect to WiFi. If the ESP starts up, and the access point is no longer visible when searching for Wifi networks, this means that the device has connected to Wifi.
Congrats, you’ve successfully programmed an ESP-01 and passed it your Wifi credentials over an access point! This is a good starting point for developing small-form-factor, wireless, internet-connected physical products.
