A guide to flashing ESP32 firmware for the CYD PhotoFrame. This ESP32 project features a slideshow viewer and built-in WiFi setup, perfect for showcasing your images using the Cheap Yellow Display (CYD) board.
Code for this project: GitHub Repository.
After uploading the firmware, the LCD screen should guide you through WiFi setup. For full setup instructions, visit the Wiki Setup Page.
If you do not see the COM port, you may need to install the CH340 drivers. See the instructions below.
Click one of the buttons below to flash the latest firmware (version 4.7) to your ESP32 device.
Which button? It depends on the display panel in your board, not on the number of USB ports. If you pick the wrong one the screen stays white or the picture looks like a negative — nothing is damaged, just flash another button. Start with the first one (button 4 is only for the 3.5-inch CYD, button 5 only for the Freenove 4.0-inch ESP32-S3 board, button 6 only for the Freenove 2.8-inch ESP32-S3 board). If photo colours look wrong (reds are blue) but nothing else, you don’t need another file: open the frame’s web page, go to Settings and tick Swap red and blue.
Note: installing from this page replaces everything on the board, including a saved WiFi login and settings, so the frame will ask you to set up WiFi again. Photos on the SD card are not touched. To keep your settings when updating a frame that already runs 4.0, use the Firmware update button on its own web page (http://photoframe.local/update) with an update.bin file from the latest release.
The standard CYD with one USB port, and many boards with two USB ports. Try this one first.
Boards with two USB ports and an ST7789 display. Choose this if button 1 gives a white screen.
Choose this if button 1 shows a negative picture (colours inverted).
Only for the 3.5-inch CYD (for example the ESP32-32E / ESP32-3248S035 board). On the first start the frame asks you to touch the four corners of the screen to calibrate touch. Confirmed working by a user; sound has not been tested on this board yet.
Already have a frame running this firmware on your WiFi? You can instead download CYD-PhotoFrame-cyd35-update.bin and upload it at http://photoframe.local/update; that keeps your WiFi login. If the colours look wrong, open the frame’s web page, go to Settings and try Swap red and blue and/or Invert colours.
Only for the Freenove FNK0104S 4.0-inch ESP32-S3 display board (version 4.7; it answers at photoframe4.local, so it can run beside a CYD). This board has no hotspot setup: after flashing, pick your WiFi network on the frame’s own touch screen and type the password with the on-screen keyboard. Use a finger — the screen is capacitive and ignores a plastic stylus. If your computer cannot find the board, hold its BOOT button while plugging in the USB cable.
Only for the Freenove FNK0104B/AB 2.8-inch ESP32-S3 display board (version 4.7; it answers at photoframe28.local, so it can run beside the other frames). Like the 4.0-inch board it has no hotspot setup: after flashing, pick your WiFi network on the frame’s own touch screen and type the password with the on-screen keyboard. Use a finger — the screen is capacitive. New in 4.6.1 and lightly tested. If your computer cannot find the board, hold its BOOT button while plugging in the USB cable.
Only for the Freenove ESP32 Display 4.0-inch (a plain ESP32 board with resistive touch, "FNK0103S" docs; not the ESP32-S3 board in button 5). On the first start the frame asks you to touch the corners of the screen to calibrate touch. New in 4.7 and lightly tested.
If you want the CYD Weather Station firmware, click here.
If your computer is unable to recognize the ESP32 when you try to flash the firmware, you may need to install the CH340 USB-to-serial drivers.
After installing the drivers, your computer should recognize the ESP32, and you can proceed with flashing the firmware.