ESP8266 serial WIFI wireless module

picked up 3 3.3 v versions of these. It's been fun trying to get them to work.

1. the 3.3v fdti seems to be 5v

2. the firmware seems bust:

<Crazy garbage characters>
Ai-Thinker Technology Co. Ltd.

invalid

then I enter:

AT+RST

and get

ERROR

going to try and find an updated firwmare and flash it.

Links

• russian site about the 0.9.5.0 firmware http://esp8266.ru/esp8266-sdk-0-9-5-v0-21/
• thread on recommended firmware: http://www.esp8266.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2219 ( circa Tue Mar 31, 2015 )
• video on how to write new firmware https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PycRnjcXMRI
• esptool for writing firmware https://github.com/themadinventor/esptool

google searches of note:

+site:hackaday.com esp firmware