RuView Hardware Setup

RuView Hardware Setup

Bring a RuView sensing node online: build firmware → flash → provision WiFi → confirm CSI stream.

Supported devices

Device	Flash	Chip	Role
ESP32-S3 (8MB)	8 MB	Xtensa dual-core	WiFi CSI sensing node (default)
ESP32-S3 SuperMini	4 MB	Xtensa dual-core	Compact CSI node — use sdkconfig.defaults.4mb
ESP32-C6 + Seeed MR60BHA2	—	RISC-V + 60 GHz FMCW	mmWave HR/BR/presence

Not supported: original ESP32, ESP32-C3 (single-core).

⚠️ Ask about board form factor before flashing. If the user's board is a coin-sized clone (ESP32-S3-Zero, SuperMini, or similar — not a full DevKitC/XIAO-style board with a real USB connector and visible regulator), warn them before they walk away from it: this firmware runs the WiFi radio continuously (WIFI_PS_NONE) plus a full DSP pipeline (edge_tier=2), which is sustained high current draw that full-size dev boards handle fine but tiny clones with minimal copper/budget regulators may not. At least one field report: boards ran hot during a normal session and failed to power on again afterward (regulator damage suspected). Tell them to give the board airflow (don't stack/enclose it) and check it by touch during the first several minutes of any new deployment.

1. Build firmware (Windows — Python subprocess, NOT bash directly)

ESP-IDF v5.4 does not support MSYS2/Git Bash. Use the Espressif Python venv as a subprocess with MSYSTEM* env vars stripped. The proven command lives in CLAUDE.local.md — reproduce it:

/c/Espressif/tools/python/v5.4/venv/Scripts/python.exe -c "
import subprocess, os
env = os.environ.copy()
for k in ['MSYSTEM','MSYSTEM_CHOST','MSYSTEM_PREFIX','MINGW_PREFIX','CHERE_INVOKING']:
    env.pop(k, None)
env['IDF_PATH'] = r'C:\Users\ruv\esp\v5.4\esp-idf'
env['IDF_PYTHON_ENV_PATH'] = r'C:\Espressif\tools\python\v5.4\venv'
env['IDF_TOOLS_PATH'] = r'C:\Espressif'
env['PATH'] = (
    r'C:\Espressif\tools\xtensa-esp-elf\esp-14.2.0_20241119\xtensa-esp-elf\bin;'
    r'C:\Espressif\tools\cmake\3.30.2\cmake-3.30.2-windows-x86_64\bin;'
    r'C:\Espressif\tools\ninja\1.12.1;'
    r'C:\Espressif\tools\idf-exe\1.0.3;'
    r'C:\Espressif\tools\ccache\4.10.2\ccache-4.10.2-windows-x86_64;'
    r'C:\Espressif\tools\python\v5.4\venv\Scripts;'
    + env['PATH']
)
python = r'C:\Espressif\tools\python\v5.4\venv\Scripts\python.exe'
idf_py = os.path.join(env['IDF_PATH'], 'tools', 'idf.py')
r = subprocess.run([python, idf_py, 'build'],   # flash: [python, idf_py, '-p', 'COM8', 'flash']
    cwd=r'C:\Users\ruv\Projects\wifi-densepose\firmware\esp32-csi-node',
    env=env, capture_output=True, text=True, timeout=300)
print(r.stdout[-3000:]); print(r.stderr[-2000:]); print('RC:', r.returncode)
"

• 8MB build: uses sdkconfig.defaults.template (no mock — real WiFi CSI).
• 4MB build: cp firmware/esp32-csi-node/sdkconfig.defaults.4mb firmware/esp32-csi-node/sdkconfig.defaults first, then build.
• Build outputs: firmware/esp32-csi-node/build/{bootloader/bootloader.bin, partition_table/partition-table.bin, esp32-csi-node.bin, ota_data_initial.bin}.

2. Flash to the device

Same subprocess pattern, swap [python, idf_py, 'build'] → [python, idf_py, '-p', 'COM8', 'flash']. Or with esptool directly:

python -m esptool --chip esp32s3 --port COM8 --baud 460800 \
  write_flash 0x0 firmware/esp32-csi-node/build/bootloader/bootloader.bin \
  0x8000 firmware/esp32-csi-node/build/partition_table/partition-table.bin \
  0xf000 firmware/esp32-csi-node/build/ota_data_initial.bin \
  0x20000 firmware/esp32-csi-node/build/esp32-csi-node.bin

(The default device port in this workspace is COM8. Some docs reference COM9 — confirm with the user.)

3. Provision WiFi + sink address

Runs directly — no ESP-IDF env needed:

python firmware/esp32-csi-node/provision.py --port COM8 \
  --ssid "YourWiFi" --password "secret" --target-ip 192.168.1.20 --target-port 5005 --node-id 1

# Optional ADR-060 overrides:
python firmware/esp32-csi-node/provision.py --port COM8 --channel 6 --filter-mac AA:BB:CC:DD:EE:FF

--help lists the full flag set (TDM mesh slotting, edge tier, detection thresholds, vitals window, hop channels, Cognitum Seed, swarm intervals) — see the ruview-configure skill for the table. Gotcha (issue #391): flashing replaces the entire csi_cfg NVS namespace — any key not on the CLI is erased; pass the full set you want. On Windows, provision.py --help needs PYTHONUTF8=1 to print (non-ASCII in the help text).

4. Confirm CSI stream

# Serial monitor (use pyserial — idf.py monitor hangs in a subprocess)
/c/Espressif/tools/python/v5.4/venv/Scripts/python.exe -c "
import serial, time
ser = serial.Serial('COM8', 115200, timeout=1); start = time.time()
while time.time() - start < 15:
    line = ser.readline()
    if line: print(line.decode('utf-8', errors='replace').strip())
ser.close()
"

Then start the sink and watch frames arrive:

cd v2 && cargo run -p wifi-densepose-sensing-server   # listens for ESP32 UDP CSI

Common issues

Symptom	Cause	Fix
MSys/Mingw is no longer supported	ESP-IDF detected Git Bash	Use the Python-subprocess command above with MSYSTEM* stripped
cmd.exe /C hangs	Interactive prompt from Git Bash	Don't use cmd.exe /C — use the Python subprocess
cmake not found	Wrong path	It's cmake\3.30.2\cmake-3.30.2-windows-x86_64\bin, not cmake\3.30.2\bin
python_env not found	Missing env var	Set IDF_PYTHON_ENV_PATH=C:\Espressif\tools\python\v5.4\venv
No CSI frames at the sink	WiFi not provisioned, wrong channel, or MAC filter too tight	Re-run provision.py; try --channel matching your AP; drop --filter-mac
False fall alerts	Old fall_thresh default	Issue #263 raised it to 15.0 rad/s² + debounce — reflash latest firmware

Firmware release process (for maintainers)

1. Build 8MB from sdkconfig.defaults.template (no mock)
2. Build 4MB from sdkconfig.defaults.4mb (no mock)
3. Save 6 binaries: esp32-csi-node.bin, bootloader.bin, partition-table.bin, ota_data_initial.bin, esp32-csi-node-4mb.bin, partition-table-4mb.bin
4. git tag v0.X.Y-esp32 && git push origin v0.X.Y-esp32
5. gh release create v0.X.Y-esp32 <binaries> --title "..." --notes-file ...
6. Verify on real hardware (COM8) before publishing — always test with real WiFi CSI, not mock mode (mock missed the Kconfig threshold bug)

Reference

• CLAUDE.local.md — exact ESP-IDF build env, paths, QEMU CI notes
• firmware/esp32-csi-node/ — C firmware (channel hopping, NVS config, TDM protocol)
• docs/adr/ADR-028-esp32-capability-audit.md, docs/build-guide.md, docs/TROUBLESHOOTING.md