ESP8266 Community Forum

- Sat Jan 24, 2015 5:59 pm #8121

If your using a USB to serial converter it's power might be enough for a esp-01 but you are going to need a dedicated one for a esp-12 for example.

Could you please elaborate on that? Why is #12 more demanding than #01?

its bullshit. and well known that usb-to-serial adaptors don't provide enough power, its in practically every thread on this forum, but still people don't listen

Ehhh bullshit?? I'm pretty sure I didn't need one..

- Sun Jan 25, 2015 8:43 am #8162 It's important to check the voltages and ideally the noise coming out of cheap power supplies - other threads have detailed how these can sometimes be so high as to release the magic smoke

- Sun Jan 25, 2015 12:34 pm #8182

usb-to-serial adaptors don't provide enough power

Not to start a polemic, but for the sake of science:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1359&p=8068#p8115

It has worked perfectly with all the boards I have tried and despite being only a 280 mA power supply (right at the margin of OK for the ESP8266 boards), I have never had any problems. Even when lighting a bunch of LEDs as well...

What is true is most issues encountered when beginning to use those esp-xx modules are due to power supply, and usually because some TTL adapters have a 3.3V pin, which induces people to use it as Vcc.
If your converter doesn't provide enough juice, you can add a cap between Vcc and ground, and see how that works. As an example, mine needs at least 150uF to supply power to an esp-03 with nothing else connected to it.

- Sun Jan 25, 2015 1:34 pm #8191 I just came across this myself.

I have a FTDI 3.3 v cable. The 3.3v output pin for power is good for only 50mA.

Maybe good enough to program an ESP8266, but not enough to run while it is transmitting.

At the moment, I am building my own cable that will have a separate 3.3v 300mA regulator
for the power out to the device and will be switchable between +5v and 3.3v.

B0SC0