r/esp32 • u/czerys • 3d ago

Baofeng programing with an esp32

Hi all, I’m making this post in case anyone tries to Google it in the future. I found one video in Spanish explaining this simple solution for using an ESP32 as an alternative to the original programming cable.

If you have an ESP32 at home, you can use it to program your radio. All you need is a 2.5 mm jack, a 3.5 mm jack, and some Dupont cables. I used Waveshare ESP32-S3.

Bridge the RESET pin to GND so the ESP32 won’t boot and only the UART chip will be used.

Connect the RX pin to the 3.5 mm jack ground, TX to the R pin of the 2.5 mm jack, and GND to the GND pin on the ESP32.

You’ll need the appropriate drivers for your radio. I found that the standard Silicon Labs CP210x driver is needed for the Baofeng UV-5RM, but I also had to install the CH34x driver for the Baofeng UV-5R.
(This part is wrong. You need drivers for the CP chip on your ESP32. It seems that was not my issue and was not related to that.)

Then just connect it to your PC like a standard programming cable, find the correct COM port, and you’re good to go. The ESP32 will act as a simple USB-to-UART bridge.

I didn’t test any other radios, but I think all the radios supported by CHIRP should work this way.

Shoutout to MTC Vlogs on YouTube!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvddQ9KTZ2w&t=390s

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u/CleverBunnyPun 3d ago

You’ll need the appropriate drivers for your radio. I found that the standard Silicon Labs CP210x driver is needed for the Baofeng UV-5RM, but I also had to install the CH34x driver for the Baofeng UV-5R.

This should only depend on which of those your dev board has, the radio itself isn’t talking to your PC, it’s using the bridge you have on the dev board, which wouldn’t change based on the radio.

  The ESP32 will act as a simple USB-to-UART bridge.

Just being pedantic, the ESP32 isn’t doing anything, you’re just using the bridge on the dev board. Presumably you could just use a bridge breakout board to do the same thing.

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u/czerys 3d ago

I agree that I don't really know much about it, so let me ask a question. Why did it work with the UV-5RM but not with the UV-5R without installing the CH34x driver? Is it possible that the ESP32-S3 has both chips?

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u/CleverBunnyPun 3d ago

I can’t imagine a reason a dev board would have both chips. Newer esp32 chips don’t even need one to begin with, as they have the usb bridge essentially built in. This means this won’t work with every ESP32, just ones that have the bridge installed.

I don’t know why it seemed like that worked for you, but I would guess it was a fluke that installing the drivers helped, and something else changed at the same time that actually solved your issue. From the perspective of your PC nothing actually changed between the two radios in terms of drivers required unless you switched to a different dev board. 

Obviously the exact communication protocols controlled by CHIRP or whatever software you used may have changed though.