Troubleshooting OTA Update System for ESP32 in Home Automation

Hey guys while attempting to develop a platform for easy OTA remote updates for ESP32 and other devices, driven by the need for seamless software updates in my current project, a home automation hub with predictive maintenance and fault detection. I've encountered difficulties in implementing a reliable and user-friendly OTA update system. When attempting to upload software updates via PlatformIO on VSCode and Arduino, I've experienced errors, such as failed uploads and connection timeouts, with no clear error messages or debugging logs. Existing solutions seem either too complex or expensive for small-scale applications like mine. My goal is to create a simple, affordable platform for OTA updates, with features like version management, auto-rollback, and device registration. I'd appreciate any suggestions or recommendations on how to achieve this, especially regarding error handling, server setup, and data management.
Solution
@Daniel kalu Updating over-the-air (OTA) is a bit challenging, especially with error handling for smaller applications. If you’re facing connection timeouts or failed uploads with PlatformIO or Arduino, it might be due to network issues or the
ESP32
struggling with large firmware files. Reduce firmware size by disabling unnecessary features could help. But for better control and reliability, consider using ESP-IDF’s OTA framework, which offers features like error handling and rollback. You could also set up a dedicated OTA server (using Mongoose or Nginx) to serve firmware updates, handle device requests, and manage version control and device registration. Implementing error handling and integrity checks on the
ESP32
is necessary to ensure smooth updates.
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