espflash cant connect to esp-cam module

[neo2043]

espflash seems to not connect to esp-cam module. while flashing espflash says that it failed to connect to the module.
but just to make sure i programmed it using arduino ide. and it worked.
even the espflash board-info doesn't work.

[SergioGasquez]

Hi! Can you give more details?

• espflash version? Have you tried using espflash@main (cargo install espflash --git https://github.com/esp-rs/espflash)?
• Devkit of the esp-cam module?
• What OS are you using?
• Run the flash command with RUST_LOG=debug espflash flash and share the output with us

[neo2043]

espflash version: espflash 3.3.0
esp-cam module: AI Thinker ESP32 ESP32-S CAM OV2640
os: Linux pop-os 6.12.10-76061203-generic
logs:

[2025-05-07T08:22:23Z INFO ] Connecting...
Error: espflash::connection_failed

  × Error while connecting to device
  ╰─▶ Failed to connect to the device
  help: Ensure that the device is connected and the reset and boot pins are not being held down

[SergioGasquez]

Have you tried using espflash@main (cargo install espflash --git https://github.com/esp-rs/espflash)?

[neo2043]

Have you tried using espflash@main (cargo install espflash --git https://github.com/esp-rs/espflash)?

i did this but i got the same response

[SergioGasquez]

Can you try using espflash flash --before no-reset?

[neo2043]

oh it worked now. but can you tell me why this happened?
thank you

[SergioGasquez]

Your devkit seems to not use the CTS and RTS pins, see #616

[neo2043]

thank you. but my ttl does have a cts and a dtr pin. ill try searching how to use them.

[neo2043]

so i tried flashing my devkit but it failed again. the command i ran was MCU=esp32 cargo espflash flash --before no-reset --target xtensa-esp32-espidf --example temp_blink --monitor, this is ran in esp-rs/esp-idf-hal repo. temp_blink is just blinky with gpio changed for my devkit.
the error i first got was

[2025-05-07T14:53:58Z INFO ] Serial port: '/dev/ttyUSB0'
[2025-05-07T14:53:58Z INFO ] Connecting...
[2025-05-07T14:53:58Z INFO ] Using flash stub
Error: espflash::timeout

  × Communication error while flashing device
  ╰─▶ Timeout while running MemBegin command

then i got this recurring error again

[2025-05-07T14:55:11Z INFO ] Serial port: '/dev/ttyUSB0'
[2025-05-07T14:55:11Z INFO ] Connecting...
Error: espflash::connection_failed

  × Error while connecting to device
  ╰─▶ Failed to connect to the device
  help: Ensure that the device is connected and the
        reset and boot pins are not being held down

[neo2043]

i think the foolproof way would be to use dtr and cts pins on my ftdi along with rx and tx??