Help installing Micropython on ESP32-S3 DevKitC-1 N16R8

[DIeHarke]

Hello,
I am having problems to install micropython on an esp32-s3 model namely "ESP32-S3 DevKitC-1 N16R8". It flashes the image, but can not initialize the ram chip.

I ordered this model: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B0FKBPJRQC?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1
I used this image: https://micropython.org/download/ESP32_GENERIC_S3/

I have used the following two commands to flash the image:

esptool --chip esp32s3 erase-flash
esptool --chip esp32s3 write-flash 0 ESP32_GENERIC_S3-20250911-v1.26.1.bin

The flashing succeeded and it was showing this device information:

esptool v5.1.0
Connected to ESP32-S3 on COM8:
Chip type:          ESP32-S3 (QFN56) (revision v0.2)
Features:           Wi-Fi, BT 5 (LE), Dual Core + LP Core, 240MHz, Embedded PSRAM 8MB (AP_3v3)
Crystal frequency:  40MHz

The problem is now that although the flashing of the image was successfull the terminal output shows that the Ram Chip can not be initialized. What can someone help me out here, what I am doing wrong? Maybe I am using a wrong image?

Here is the fully terminal output after a hard reset:

>>> ESP-ROM:esp32s3-20210327
Build:Mar 27 2021
rst:0xc (RTC_SW_CPU_RST),boot:0x8 (SPI_FAST_FLASH_BOOT)
Saved PC:0x40383ce2
SPIWP:0xee
mode:DIO, clock div:1
load:0x3fce2820,len:0xe74
load:0x403c8700,len:0x4
load:0x403c8704,len:0xc20
load:0x403cb700,len:0x2f8c
entry 0x403c88ac
E (306) quad_psram: PSRAM ID read error: 0x00ffffff, PSRAM chip not found or not supported, or wrong PSRAM line mode
E (307) esp_psram: PSRAM enabled but initialization failed. Bailing out.
MicroPython v1.26.1 on 2025-09-11; Generic ESP32S3 module with ESP32S3
Type "help()" for more information.
>>>
>>>
MicroPython v1.26.1 on 2025-09-11; Generic ESP32S3 module with ESP32S3
Type "help()" for more information.
>>>
>>>

[DIeHarke]

Okay I think I have solved the issue. For this board I have to use the image: ESP32_GENERIC_S3-SPIRAM_OCT-20250911-v1.26.1.bin, where I guess the Octal refers 8 megabyte of RAM.

But I will leave this still open until I am confident that it is the correct used image.

[Lobo-T]

No, it refers to "octal SPI" as opposed to "quad SPI".
It's how many lines there are for communicating between the ESP32 and the PSRAM.
Some ESP modules are quad and some are octal.

[fdufnews]

where I guess the Octal refers 8 megabyte of RAM.

Not at all, the Octal is for SPIRAM interface which is using eight bits.
This implies that some more pins are prohibited as they are used by the SPIRAM interface.