Issue: ESP32-P4 (M5Stack Tab5) BLE Initialization Fails Even With SD Card Present

[RamyaManjunath003]

Board

M5Tab5

Device Description

• Board: M5Stack Tab5 (ESP32-P4 chip) with SD card inserted
• ESP32 Arduino Package: 3.3.3
• Arduino CLI Version: 1.4.1
• Operating System: Ubuntu 22.04 (VirtualBox)
• Sketch: BLE Server example (examples/Server/Server.ino)

Hardware Configuration

//WIFI - ESP32C6
#define BOARD_HAS_SDIO_ESP_HOSTED
#define BOARD_SDIO_ESP_HOSTED_CLK 12
#define BOARD_SDIO_ESP_HOSTED_CMD 13
#define BOARD_SDIO_ESP_HOSTED_D0 11
#define BOARD_SDIO_ESP_HOSTED_D1 10
#define BOARD_SDIO_ESP_HOSTED_D2 9
#define BOARD_SDIO_ESP_HOSTED_D3 8
#define BOARD_SDIO_ESP_HOSTED_RESET 15

Used default pins_arduino.h provided in /.arduino15/packages/esp32/hardware/esp32/3.3.3/variants/m5stack_tab5. PFA (Converted to text file)
pins_arduino.txt

Version

v3.3.3

Type

Question

IDE Name

Arduino-CLI

Operating System

Ubuntu Linux using VirtualBox

Flash frequency

40MHz

PSRAM enabled

yes

Upload speed

921600

Description

BLE Server example compiles and uploads successfully to M5Stack Tab5 (ESP32-P4), but crashes during BLE initialization with SD card initialization errors, even when an SD card is inserted.

Note: Also tried with UploadSpeed 115200, same behavior.

Problem Summary

• ✅ Compilation succeeds without errors
• ✅ Upload completes successfully
• ✅ SD card is physically present in Tab5
• ❌ SD card initialization fails (sdmmc_card_init failed)
• ❌ BLE transport fails due to SDIO dependency
• ❌ Board crashes on startup

PFA: crash_dump.txt

Expected Behavior

BLE initialization should be successful without any crash just like #11788. Please point out if I need to change any settings for this to work.

Sketch

libraries/BLE/examples/Server/Server.ino
libraries/SimpleBLE/examples/SimpleBleDevice/SimpleBleDevice.ino

Debug Message

$ arduino-cli monitor -p /dev/ttyACM0 -c baudrate=115200,dtr=off,rts=off
Monitor port settings:
  baudrate=115200
  bits=8
  dtr=off
  parity=none
  rts=off
  stop_bits=1

Connecting to /dev/ttyACM0. Press CTRL-C to exit.
Starting BLE work!
E (1585) sdmmc_common: sdmmc_init_ocr: send_op_cond (1) returned 0x107
E (1586) sdio_wrapper: sdmmc_card_init failed
[Repeated multiple times...]
E (3377) sdmmc_common: sdmmc_init_ocr: send_op_cond (1) returned 0x107
E (3378) sdio_wrapper: sdmmc_card_init failed
E (3478) H_SDIO_DRV: card init failed
E (3478) transport: ensure_slave_bus_ready failed
 failed: esp_err_t 0xffffffff (ESP_FAIL) at 0x40033b3c
file: "./managed_components/espressif__esp_hosted/host/drivers/bt/vhci_drv.c" line 143
func: ble_transport_ll_init
expression: transport_drv_reconfigure()

Other Steps to Reproduce

$ arduino-cli core install esp32:esp32@3.3.3
$ export BOARD=esp32:esp32:m5stack_tab5:PartitionScheme=no_fs,CDCOnBoot=cdc,USBMode=hwcdc,PSRAM=enabled
$ cd ~/.arduino15/packages/esp32/hardware/esp32/3.3.3/libraries/BLE/examples/Server
$ arduino-cli compile --fqbn esp32:esp32:m5stack_tab5 --verbose Server.ino
$ arduino-cli upload -p /dev/ttyACM0 --fqbn esp32:esp32:m5stack_tab5
$ arduino-cli monitor -p /dev/ttyACM0 -c baudrate=115200,dtr=off,rts=off

Attached the board config file for reference.

boards.txt

I have checked existing issues, online documentation and the Troubleshooting Guide

• I confirm I have checked existing issues, online documentation and Troubleshooting guide.

[lbernstone]

SDcard and esp32-c6 are run from different SDIO channels, so should be completely independent. Show your code

[RamyaManjunath003]

SDcard and esp32-c6 are run from different SDIO channels, so should be completely independent. Show your code

This is the same code present in libraries/BLE/examples/Server/Server.ino

/*
    Based on Neil Kolban example for IDF: https://github.com/nkolban/esp32-snippets/blob/master/cpp_utils/tests/BLE%20Tests/SampleServer.cpp
    Ported to Arduino ESP32 by Evandro Copercini
    updates by chegewara
*/

#include <BLEDevice.h>
#include <BLEUtils.h>
#include <BLEServer.h>

// See the following for generating UUIDs:
// https://www.uuidgenerator.net/

#define SERVICE_UUID        "4fafc201-1fb5-459e-8fcc-c5c9c331914b"
#define CHARACTERISTIC_UUID "beb5483e-36e1-4688-b7f5-ea07361b26a8"

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(115200);
  Serial.println("Starting BLE work!");

  BLEDevice::init("Long name works now");
  BLEServer *pServer = BLEDevice::createServer();
  BLEService *pService = pServer->createService(SERVICE_UUID);
  BLECharacteristic *pCharacteristic =
    pService->createCharacteristic(CHARACTERISTIC_UUID, BLECharacteristic::PROPERTY_READ | BLECharacteristic::PROPERTY_WRITE);

  pCharacteristic->setValue("Hello World says Neil");
  pService->start();
  // BLEAdvertising *pAdvertising = pServer->getAdvertising();  // this still is working for backward compatibility
  BLEAdvertising *pAdvertising = BLEDevice::getAdvertising();
  pAdvertising->addServiceUUID(SERVICE_UUID);
  pAdvertising->setScanResponse(true);
  pAdvertising->setMinPreferred(0x06);  // functions that help with iPhone connections issue
  pAdvertising->setMinPreferred(0x12);
  BLEDevice::startAdvertising();
  Serial.println("Characteristic defined! Now you can read it in your phone!");
}

void loop() {
  // put your main code here, to run repeatedly:
  delay(2000);
}

[Jason2866]

afaik the user provided C6 setup for SDIO is not possible with core 3.3.3 use actual 3.3.6 or 3.3.5

[RamyaManjunath003]

afaik the user provided C6 setup for SDIO is not possible with core 3.3.3 use actual 3.3.6 or 3.3.5

Updating to 3.3.5/3.3.6 gives Guru meditation error. PFA crash logs.

ESP-ROM:esp32p4-eco2-20240710
Build:Jul 10 2024
rst:0x7 (HP_SYS_HP_WDT_RESET),boot:0x20c (SPI_FAST_FLASH_BOOT)
Core0 Saved PC:0x4fc00f36
Core1 Saved PC:0x4fc058e0
SPI mode:DIO, clock div:1
load:0x4ffb60d0,len:0x11dc
load:0x4ffac2c0,len:0xcac
load:0x4ffaefc0,len:0x35d0
entry 0x4ffac2c0
Guru Meditation Error: Core 0 panic'ed (Illegal instruction)
Core 0 register dump:
PC      : 0x4ffac2c0  RA      : 0x4fc04f6c  SP      : 0x4ff3ce00  GP      : 0x00000000
TP      : 0x00000000  T0      : 0x4fc098b4  T1      : 0xffffffe0  T2      : 0x4ff3ce38
:
:

crash_dump_v3.3.txt

[RamyaManjunath003]

Not sure if this is relevant. These are the logs I am seeing on c6.

ramya@ramya-VirtualBox:~/.arduino15/packages/esp32/hardware/esp32/3.3.5/libraries/BLE/examples/Server$ arduino-cli monitor -p /dev/ttyACM0 -c baudrate=115200,dtr=off,rts=off
Monitor port settings:
  baudrate=115200
  bits=8
  dtr=off
  parity=none
  rts=off
  stop_bits=1

Connecting to /dev/ttyACM0. Press CTRL-C to exit.

! �B!!I (20589) stats: slave StaRxQLoad:        0 
H=>S: sta: in:        0 out:        0 fail:        0 
H<=S: sta: in:        0 out:        0 
  serial : in:        0 rsp:        0  evt:        0
I (30589) stats: slave StaRxQLoad:        0 
H=>S: sta: in:        0 out:        0 fail:        0 
H<=S: sta: in:        0 out:        0 
  serial : in:        0 rsp:        0  evt:        0
I (40589) stats: slave StaRxQLoad:        0 
H=>S: sta: in:        0 out:        0 fail:        0 
H<=S: sta: in:        0 out:        0 
  serial : in:        0 rsp:        0  evt:        0
I (50589) stats: slave StaRxQLoad:        0 
H=>S: sta: in:        0 out:        0 fail:        0 
H<=S: sta: in:        0 out:        0 
  serial : in:        0 rsp:        0  evt:        0

[lucasssvaz]

afaik the user provided C6 setup for SDIO is not possible with core 3.3.3 use actual 3.3.6 or 3.3.5

Updating to 3.3.5/3.3.6 gives Guru meditation error. PFA crash logs.

ESP-ROM:esp32p4-eco2-20240710
Build:Jul 10 2024
rst:0x7 (HP_SYS_HP_WDT_RESET),boot:0x20c (SPI_FAST_FLASH_BOOT)
Core0 Saved PC:0x4fc00f36
Core1 Saved PC:0x4fc058e0
SPI mode:DIO, clock div:1
load:0x4ffb60d0,len:0x11dc
load:0x4ffac2c0,len:0xcac
load:0x4ffaefc0,len:0x35d0
entry 0x4ffac2c0
Guru Meditation Error: Core 0 panic'ed (Illegal instruction)
Core 0 register dump:
PC      : 0x4ffac2c0  RA      : 0x4fc04f6c  SP      : 0x4ff3ce00  GP      : 0x00000000
TP      : 0x00000000  T0      : 0x4fc098b4  T1      : 0xffffffe0  T2      : 0x4ff3ce38
:
:

crash_dump_v3.3.txt

Did you select the proper board revision in the menu ? From your log your board revision is < 3.0. The default of the core is to compile for board revisions >= 3.0

[RamyaManjunath003]

@lucasssvaz Thank you for your feedback. Below is the setup I have used. I am still facing runtime crash.

arduino-cli core install esp32:esp32@3.3.6
export BOARD=esp32:esp32:esp32p4:ChipVariant=postv3,PartitionScheme=no_fs,CDCOnBoot=cdc,USBMode=hwcdc,PSRAM=enabled
arduino-cli compile --fqbn $BOARD Server.ino
arduino-cli upload -p /dev/ttyACM0 --fqbn $BOARD Server.ino
arduino-cli monitor -p /dev/ttyACM0 --config baudrate=115200

ESP-ROM:esp32p4-eco2-20240710
Build:Jul 10 2024
rst:0x7 (HP_SYS_HP_WDT_RESET),boot:0x20c (SPI_FAST_FLASH_BOOT)
Core0 Saved PC:0x4fc00f36
Core1 Saved PC:0x4fc058e0
SPI mode:DIO, clock div:1
load:0x4ffb60d0,len:0x11dc
load:0x4ffac2c0,len:0xccc
load:0x4ffaefc0,len:0x35d0
entry 0x4ffac2c0
Guru Meditation Error: Core 0 panic'ed (Illegal instruction)

I have not explicitly replaced any additional libs from esp32-arduino-lib-builder repo. It would be helpful to know if I am missing any step to update the board revision since I am using arduino-cli.

[lbernstone]

I think you want ChipVariant=prev3
You should see it building with the esp32p4_es tools.
eco3 is brand new and probably isn't really on shelves yet.

[RamyaManjunath003]

I think you want ChipVariant=prev3 eco3 is brand new and probably isn't really on shelves yet.

I am trying to test the BLE functionality on Tab5 (esp32p4+esp32c6). I see that BLE on p4 worked in #11788. Since my tab5 also has p4, I am hoping that it would work on my device as well.

In boards.txt file, by default I see that esp32p4.build.chip_variant=esp32p4_es which uses ChipVariant=prev3. Should I update esp32p4.build.chip_variant=esp32p4 to use ChipVariant=postv3?

[lbernstone]

Please do your testing with a hello world type sketch.
Your original issue still doesn't make any sense to me, since the BLE examples do not use sdmmc. Is the debug log you posted coming from the P4 or the C6? Perhaps you just need newer firmware on the C6?
Prior to 3.3.4, there was only esp32p4_es (engineering sample, i.e. before eco3), so since that works, you should be compiling with prev3. Verify in your compilation that you see it using esp32p4_es.

[lucasssvaz]

@RamyaManjunath003 You need to select Before v3.00

[RamyaManjunath003]

@lbernstone @lucasssvaz Thank you for your feedback. Please find my findings and requirements below:

1. I am using M5Tab5 device for my application. This comes with a hybrid architecture consisting of esp32p4+esp32c6.
2. When I flash a minimal sketch with esp32 3.3.6 (Board: esp32:esp32:m5stack_tab5), I see a crash (Guru Meditation Error), whereas I can use esp32 3.3.3 without any runtime crash.
3. Also, I when I try to flash tab5 with board=ESP32 P4 Dev Module (Board: esp32:esp32:esp32p4), I don't see any serial output irrespective of the Arduino core used.
4. It looks like through issue Build of a Bluetooth LE example sketch for ESP32-P4 target gives a failure #11788, the BLE support was explicitly provided for ESP32 P4 dev kit. Please correct me if I am wrong.
5. Since my target is a hybrid architecture, I would like to know how the BLE feature can be used using Arduino-core.

Note: I am able to test BLE on M5Tab5 using esp-idf framework. But I am interested to know if you have any plans to extend BLE feature for M5Tab5.

[lucasssvaz]

I see that the tab 5 was missing the chip variant menu. Opened a PR to add it.

Regarding the BLE, it is already supported for all P4 boards. It works in a core level and not at the board level.