Flashing Firmware with Esptool on ANAVI Miracle Emitter with ESP32-C3

ANAVI Miracle Emitter is an open-source gadget designed for 5V addressable LED strips such as NeoPixels. Powered by the XIAO ESP32C3 module, it combines open-source hardware printed circuit board (PCB) with open-source firmware for home automation and lighting control. ANAVI Miracle Emitter was successfully crowdfunded through Crowd Supply on May 29, 2025. All ANAVI Miracle Emitter kits were delivered to the Crowd Supply warehouse by the end of June and Crowd Supply shipped them to backers. Although ANAVI Miracle Emitter supports the popular open source software WLED, out of the box it comes with our open source firmware written as an Arduino sketch. In this article you will learn how to use Esptool to flash the pre-compiled binary release of the default firmware to ANAVI Miracle Emitter. The same knowledge can be applied to other devices with Espressif ESP32C3 Wi-Fi and BLE SoC.

To install firmware, users can rely on Esptool, a versatile Python-based utility developed by Espressif. Esptool enables reading, writing, and erasing flash memory on ESP8266, ESP32, and RISC-V-based chips like ESP32C3. It supports specifying baud rates, memory addresses, and chip types, and can flash both bootloaders and firmware binaries. Compatible with Linux, Windows, and macOS, the source code of Esptool is available at GitHub under the GPLv2 license and is ideal for low-level control over the flashing process via the command line.

Installing Esptool on Ubuntu

Follow the steps below to install Esptool on Ubuntu 2024.04 LTS:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install python3 pipx -y
pipx install esptool
pipx ensurepath

Run Esptool to verify that the installation is successful:

esptool version

Flashing Firmware and Bootloader

Download the precompiled firmware and connect your board via USB-C. Flash both bootloader and firmware using:

esptool.py --chip esp32c3 --port /dev/ttyACM0 --baud 460800 write_flash 0x0 path/to/anavi-miracle-emitter-sw.ino.merged.bin

Updating Only the Firmware

To preserve the bootloader, flash only the firmware:

esptool.py --chip esp32c3 --port /dev/ttyACM0 --baud 460800 write_flash 0x10000 path/to/anavi-miracle-emitter-sw.ino.bin

Stay Connected

If you haven’t already, consider purchasing the ANAVI Miracle Emitter to bring your LED projects to life. If you are interested in using Esptool for older devices with ESP8266 have a look at our previous guide from 2020. For more detailed tutorials and updates, subscribe to the YouTube channel.

You may also like

Crowdfunding Success: ANAVI Miracle Emitter Kits Now Shipping to Backers

We are pleased to announce that all ANAVI Miracle Emitter kits have been successfully shipped to the Crowd Supply warehouse. Our crowdfunding campaign concluded successfully on May 29, 2025. Over the coming weeks, all backer orders will be processed through Crowd Supply’s fulfillment system and prepared for final delivery.

ANAVI Miracle Emitter is a compact, open-source Wi-Fi and Bluetooth development board, powered by the ESP32-C3 microcontroller running at 160 MHz with a RISC-V architecture. Designed for controlling addressable 5 V LED strips such as NeoPixels, it supports power input via the onboard USB Type-C port or an external power source.

Each kit is thoughtfully packaged in an eco-friendly cardboard box made from recycled materials, reflecting our ongoing commitment to sustainability and responsible packaging.

Thank you for supporting our open-source projects! If you haven’t yet ordered an ANAVI Miracle Emitter, there is still time: availability will continue through Crowd Supply. Over the time we will try to provide it also through other distribution channels. Stay tuned for more technical updates, and we hope you have a fantastic experience with your new ANAVI Miracle Emitter kit!

You may also like